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LA.Comfidential has an item about Luna Park, the restaurant on the ground floor of the Wilson Building at Wilshire and La Brea, claiming that its C grade from county health inspectors is due to a communal dish of peanuts. Nice spin by the folks at Luna Park, but the Department of Health Services website reveals the restaurant earned its C the old fashioned way: by violating a bunch of food safety rules when inspected on December 9. The top entry on the list pushed them over. Violation 001 is for holding "potentially hazardous food," or PHF, at too high a temperature. Generic details of each violation can be clicked on the county site (enter Luna Park in the Name field and click "Submit.")
LUNA PARK672 LA BREA AVE
LOS ANGELES, CA 90036Current Score: 75 C
Violations:
001 Holding of PHF
022 Risk for contamination
023 Food Storage
025 Food Not Protected
027 Reused/Reserved
028 Soap/Drying Device
031 Improperly Cleaned/Not Maintained Clean
044 Hair Restraints
054 Wiping Rag
062 Open Door/Air Curtain/Window
Inspection Date: 12/09/2004
Luna Park earned A's with scores of 90 and up in three previous 2004 inspections.
LA.Comfidential also posts on the LA Weekly's follow up chasing down reports of outrageous insults slung at customers of Cynthia's on Third Street by owner Cynthia Hirsch. An irate insultee's e-mail led to a Bon Appétit editor cancelling a business lunch and Zagat's local editor being alerted. Others posted similar reports about Cynthia's on websites. When James Verini phoned her for the Weekly, Hirsch hung up—three times.