FORT MYERS, FL. State inspectors emergency-closed Clase Azul of Estero at 9908 Gulf Coast Main St. on August 13 for roach and fly activity, the same week inspectors cited 14 other Fort Myers restaurants for high-severity violations, including a sushi bar with 10 high-severity findings and a pizza shop sourcing food from unapproved suppliers.
The Closure
Clase Azul, which has accumulated 37 prior inspections, drew five high-severity citations alongside the pest closure, including improperly stored or identified toxic substances, food found in poor condition, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items. Inspectors also cited improper sewage disposal, improperly cleaned multi-use utensils, and the reuse of single-use items.
The person in charge was not present or not performing duties at the time of the inspection, a finding that compounds the others. When active managerial oversight is absent, CDC data shows facilities accumulate critical violations at three times the rate of managed kitchens.
The Violations
The week's highest violation count belonged to XiXi Hibachi and Sushi at 8750 Gladiolus Dr., which drew 10 high-severity citations. Inspectors found no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock identification, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, time used as a public health control without proper procedures, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. XiXi has only three prior inspections on record.
Tung Hing Chinese Restaurant at 3605 Fowler St. collected eight high-severity violations. The list included no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, food found in poor condition or adulterated, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, toxic substances improperly stored or used, and no allergen awareness demonstrated.
Fortune Cookie at 4017 Palm Beach Blvd. drew seven high-severity violations, among them improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no allergen awareness, no consumer advisory for raw items, and required procedures for specialized processes not followed. Inspectors also cited inadequate cooling and cold holding equipment as an intermediate violation.
Nick and Stellas Pizza Perfecto at 15271 McGregor Blvd. also recorded seven high-severity violations. Among the most serious: food sourced from an unapproved or unknown supplier, inadequate handwashing facilities, and inadequate shell stock identification. Inspectors also found improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Blazewing Spot at 3351 Fowler St. produced six high-severity findings, including no person in charge present, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, food from an unapproved or unknown source, no consumer advisory, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Inspectors also cited the reuse of single-use items and improper use of wiping cloths.
Jax Diner at 1870 Tamiami Trail N. was cited for five high-severity violations: inadequate shell stock identification, parasite destruction procedures not followed, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and no allergen awareness. Improper sewage or wastewater disposal was cited as an intermediate violation.
Wicked Good Deli at 3940 Metro Pkwy. drew four high-severity violations, including parasite destruction procedures not followed, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, improper handwashing technique, and no allergen awareness. The deli also had inadequate cooling equipment and inadequate ventilation as intermediate findings.
Mizuki Japanese Cuisine at 16960 Alico Mission Way recorded four high-severity violations: an employee not reporting illness symptoms, food from an unapproved or unknown source, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and time as a public health control not properly used.
Sweet Tomatoes at 14080 S. Tamiami Trail was cited for four high-severity violations, including no person in charge, no employee health policy, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and no consumer advisory. Inspectors also noted improper sewage disposal and inadequate cooling equipment.
Miller's Fort Myers Ale House at 4400 Kernel Circle drew two high-severity violations: parasite destruction procedures not followed and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces.
Bahama Breeze at 14701 S. Tamiami Trail received three high-severity violations, including no consumer advisory and two separate toxic chemical storage and labeling citations.
Kabab Spot at 4805 S. Cleveland Ave. was cited for improper handwashing technique, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and no allergen awareness.
Carrabba's Italian Grill at 12990 Cleveland Ave. drew one high-severity violation for improperly cleaned food contact surfaces.
Logan's Roadhouse at 5043 S. Cleveland Ave. recorded no high-severity violations, with two intermediate citations for sewage disposal and ventilation.
What These Violations Mean
The most dangerous cluster this week involved employee illness reporting and health policies. At Tung Hing, XiXi Hibachi, and Fortune Cookie, inspectors found both the absence of a written employee health policy and employees not reporting illness symptoms. These two violations together create the conditions for a Norovirus outbreak: without a written policy, workers have no formal instruction to stay home when sick, and without reporting, a symptomatic employee can contaminate food throughout an entire shift before anyone intervenes. Norovirus is transmitted through direct hand contact with food and requires fewer than 20 viral particles to cause illness.
Parasite destruction failures appeared at five facilities this week: XiXi Hibachi, Miller's Ale House, Jax Diner, Wicked Good Deli, and Kabab Spot. Raw or undercooked fish served without proper prior freezing can harbor Anisakis, a parasitic roundworm that causes severe abdominal pain and can require surgical removal. The risk is highest at sushi and hibachi operations where fish is served raw or lightly seared.
Food from unapproved sources, cited at Nick and Stellas, Blazewing Spot, and Mizuki Japanese Cuisine, removes the entire chain of federal inspection from a facility's supply. If a customer gets sick, there is no lot number, no distributor record, and no recall mechanism. Investigators cannot trace the source, and other customers who purchased the same product have no way to be warned.
Toxic substance violations at Clase Azul and Bahama Breeze represent a different category of hazard entirely. Improperly labeled or stored chemicals near food service areas create a direct route for chemical contamination of food, one that produces acute poisoning symptoms within minutes rather than the hours or days associated with bacterial illness.
The Longer Record
Several of this week's worst performers are not new to state scrutiny. Tung Hing has 33 prior inspections on record and collected eight high-severity violations in a single visit, including findings in food safety fundamentals: handwashing, cooking temperatures, and allergen awareness. Fortune Cookie, with 31 prior inspections, showed up with seven high-severity violations, among them no allergen awareness and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, categories that appear repeatedly across long inspection histories.
Nick and Stellas Pizza Perfecto carries 32 prior inspections and still drew a citation for food from an unapproved source this week. Kabab Spot, with 36 prior inspections, the second-longest history among this week's cited facilities, was cited for parasite destruction failures and no allergen awareness. Clase Azul, despite 37 prior inspections, the longest history in this week's data, was emergency-closed on the first day of the inspection period.
The contrast at the other end is notable. XiXi Hibachi and Sushi, with only three prior inspections, produced the week's highest violation count: 10 high-severity citations. Sweet Tomatoes has two prior inspections on record and was already drawing citations for no person in charge, no employee health policy, inadequate cooking temperatures, and improper sewage disposal.
XiXi's consumer advisory violation means customers ordering raw sushi or undercooked hibachi proteins were not informed of the associated health risks, a disclosure the state requires precisely because pregnant women, elderly diners, and immunocompromised individuals face significantly elevated danger from undercooked seafood and poultry. Whether that advisory has since been posted is not reflected in this week's inspection record.
