You would think that with the thousands of restaurants available to dine at in New York City; that enjoying a tasty meal would not have any hazards.  Although a minimal checks and balance system is in place by the Department of Health, failures in sanitation records continue at alarming rates.  Restaurant patrons should be worried that the restaurant they are eating at may have more on the menu than they bargained for.

Senator Jeff Klein has recently produced a report that studied the 100 worst restaurant inspection reports in New York City.  In those reports, terrible creatures that should not be found in restaurants were commonly found.  There were rats, mice, cockroaches and many other insects.

Senator Klein is hoping to put an end to this eatery foolishness.  He is currently sponsoring legislation that would require restaurants to post a letter grade (A – F) that will reflect the status of their restaurants cleanliness.

“Having a letter grade posted for all diners to see will provide a real incentive for restaurants to clean up their act”, said Klein. “I can’t imagine anyone wanting to eat at an establishment with an ‘F’ hanging in the doorway.”

What a fantastic idea.  Knowledge is power.  Don’t we all deserve to dine without the threat of rodents and insects infiltrating our food?

Currently, restaurants are not required to disclose what their inspection results are.  New York City consumers need to be wary of where they dine.  At the moment, your only option of knowing where your favorite restaurant stands is to check out sanitation inspection scores and reports from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Restaurant Inspection Information website.