Monnette's Alexis Health Inspection, Not Good

yikes!

I read that report then sent it to a few in our office who shop there.

The son of one of the recipients used to work at that location and had always warned his mother to buy nothing other than produce from the store.

As I've stated here previously, IMHO, Monnette's produce is largely second rate at best. There is better to be had in Toledo.

Crap. We used to get a lot of deli from the one on Reynolds. If one's that bad the other is likely not so clean either. I like Andersons for produce.

Yeah, that write up was almost 3 columns long. Home-style equipment used to prepare soup, also, they don't even have a license to prepare soup.

Can you provide a link to the online version of the inspectors report? I cant seem to find it and I know they publish that online.

I ask this in all seriousness--why is it a violation for an "ordinary" kitchen stove to be used in food prep? Does the stove have to be a huge Sub-Zero 6 burner commercial oven to meet code? I don't get it.

I've never worked in the food industry, so I'm curious.

The other stuff is just unbelievable. Month-old meat? Who's running these joints?

swantucky, here's your link:
http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100913/LOG01/9120363

And isn't this a fairly new store? It's the one near Dave White, isn't it?

I usually like to shop at the one on Secor -- they have really good prices on deli meats -- but I really don't want a dose of salmonella with my salami.

Crap! I just stopped there last night! I hadnt been there in a long time, but after reading this... Andersons it is from now on!
Is it really that difficult to follow food safety guidelines? Come on.?

oldhometown:

The NSF certification is required by many health departments for food service equipment. There are other certification systems (like Underwriters Laboratories), but NSF has emerged as the leading food service product safety certification group.

Consumer appliances have lower standards simply because you use them less, and frankly they are designed with planned obsolescence in mind. Many consumer appliances use cheaper metals, and they often have thin coats of paint that can chip or lead to oxidization (i.e., paint or rust in your food, while creating surfaces that cannot be properly sanitized). Commercial grade equipment has to last much longer, stand up to an infinitely higher level of abuse, and must be designed with sanitation in mind. Most folks create kitchens with eye appeal for their homes, and heavy duty stainless steel and aluminum have little aesthetic appeal. However, you can beat a quality restaurant stove or table with a hammer and it is still functional and safe, while most consumer appliances would be trashed in just a few months of heavy-duty use in a restaurant or food service facility.

(disclaimer: historymike worked for 25 years in the food service industry as a manager and franchisee, and possessed numerous ServSafe certifications before reinventing himself some years ago)

And agreed: this report on Monette's has some especially frightening comments. There are major cross-contamination issues, volatile foods left out at room temperature, perishable foods above safe cooling temperatures, and poor hand washing facilities.

I should also add this: I know from personal experience that the inspector (Jennifer Gottschalk) is a very reasonable and easy-to-work-with person. There are a couple of inspectors who have a reputation for unreasonable pickiness and being inflexible with regard to minor issues, but Gottschalk is not one of the "health department Nazis" (a term we used to use). If Gottschalk is writing up this establishment in such an unflattering fashion, the situation must be really, really screwed up at Monette's.

Have a Magic Chef commercial stove with two side-by-side ovens, six burners, and a grill with a stainless steel finish made in 1970 that works as well as when we purchased it in the 70s. Hot soup, no problem. Hammer time

I stopped shopping at the Monette's on Secor a long time ago. Not because of their food safety practices, but because of the brats that work there. Some of them were texting while on the job, the ones working the checkout counter were too busy discussing their love lives with each other. I felt like I was at some high school social gathering. And their produce sucked too.

Go figure. I always appreciated the young kids that worked there because they were fast on their feet and got me checked out quickly and with a smile. Never liked the calculator tape receipts though.

When I first went there, last summer, early this year, the staff was fast and focused. About a month ago, same young crap. Texting, chewing gum like cows, no one wanting to wait on customers, and giggling all the time. No thanks.

Could someone please let me know where I can get some decent fruit around here that doesn't look like it was thrown from delivery truck? Thanks in advance.

Farmers Market, downtown on weekends... and The Anderson's

Thanks for the answers on the stove! My "something new" learned for today.

Hockey, check out Ciolino's on Lewis just north of the line. Their Stupid Tuesday sales are unbelievable, and their everyday prices are pretty good, too. Top quality to boot.

I started going there this summer and was impressed. Plus, there's an Aunt Millie's outlet in the next shopping strip down, so, bonus!

I will miss the bratwurst...especially the blueberry...but I am done there.

The former Toledo Business Review (now known as Abec's Small Busines Review) published a nice little story about Monnettes Market a couple of years ago.

link:
http://abecsarchives.com/toledo-2/toledo-2007/october-2007/monnettes-market/

Here's an inspection report from the one on Secor. Better, but not great:

http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100628/LOG03/100629701

But the one we go to on Glendale looks much better:

http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100506/LOG03/100509869

My wife just bought some deli meat at that location. Should I feed it to the dog? But really how can a business that's been up and running for along time not be aware of the standards? Finally I heard that each location is run separately from the others so as not having any central control.

I go to the Glendale one and have never had a problem. Staff is friendly and quick. Produce is great and deli is great.

Why possible make the dog sick wolfman? Throw it in the trash.

Agreed. That $1 of bad food you feed your pet won't seem so smart after a $1000 vet bill.

Don't feed your pet anything that (1) you wouldn't eat or (2) is not designed for him (i.e. dog food).

I think the produce I've purchased at Meijer has always been better than anything I've purchased at Monnette's. After my last trip there (last weekend), I vowed never to return.

For the most part, Meijer does have good produce - and a wide variety.

Kroger, on the other hand............not so much.

I always have trouble at Monnette's: I'm seriously sensitive to mold, and after three or four minutes in there, I can't breathe at all.