Wine-themed restaurant passes inspection despite drop in food safety score

Harris County inspectors recently gave a passing grade to a wine-themed restaurant in the Cy-Fair area, but they also noted several safety violations.

Brix Wine Cellars, 110 Vintage Park, Suite T, was inspected on March 15. County staff gave the restaurant 16 demerits out of a possible 100. An establishment must earn 20 demerits to be automatically considered "of concern" and in need of a follow-up visit, though inspectors can also order a follow-up at their discretion.

Five of the demerits were given for a "cold hold" violation, meaning food that needed to stay cool was held over 41 degrees Fahrenheit for more than four hours. According to the Harris County website, this problem is among the kinds of violations most associated with food-borne illness by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Inspectors fixed the problem on site.

The county report also describes problems with potential mixing of raw and cooked food, thermometer calibration, and the restaurant's overall conditions. However, these violations are not on the CDC list.

Brix did much worse on this inspection than usual. In October 2010, the restaurant received just three demerits. A similar score was given in July 2010, though in that case inspectors ordered a follow-up because of problems with a piece of equipment. The ensuing visit in August 2010 yielded a perfect score.

For more information on how Harris County conducts restaurant inspections, visit www.hcphes.org.