Inspecting a hotel kitchen is a tall order, and hotel food services are usually represented on any given bi-weekly tally of health code violators published by the Houston Health Department. Those hotel restaurants ordered to clean up their acts this month in our fair city include:
The Intercontinental Hotel Houston (2222 West Loop South) received several demerits, for violating: ordinance 20-21.21(a) in the bar, which requires the facility to exercise certain measures to minimize vermin; ordinance 20-21.5(h) in the restaurant kitchen, for not protecting food from consumer contamination; and ordinance 20-21.17(a) in the banquet kitchen, for plumbing that did not meet health code standards.
Intrepid health inspectors noted that the Spring Hill Suites Marriot (1400 Old Spanish Trail) restaurant had equipment, utensils, and single-service articles that imparted odors, colors or tastes, or contributed to the contamination of food. Some food was also not held at cool-enough temperatures.
Various service locations within the Omni Hotel (4 Riverway) were not up to snuff this month, including downstairs storage, the upstairs banquet staging area, the pastry kitchen and the kitchen of Noé, the in-house restaurant. The inspectors' visit resulted from complaints concerning these areas.
Meanwhile, the Crown Plaza Houston West (14703 Park Row) suffered a routine inspection of its coffee shop, bar and employee café. The Crown food services had ye olde plumbing sizing problems, kitchen equipment deficits and a naughty ice machine, and the utensil holder had the business end of some devices facing up in the holder. Damn it.
On October 20, inspectors showed up with pencils and clipboards to the kitchens of the Courtyard by Marriott Houston (12401Katy Freeway). Said establishment needs to clean contact surfaces of equipment more often and to do some rehab on the physical plant.