Food violations found at Palatine Inn

A popular Palatine restaurant could face penalties for repeated health code violations.

The business license for Palatine Inn, a family-owned eatery at 95 W. Northwest Hwy., could be suspended or revoked at a hearing next week. A fine could also be imposed.

Most violations reported by the Palatine Health Department in recent months relate to inadequate food storage and unhygienic worker practices. Among them:

창€¢cooked pasta found improperly stored in a chemical sanitizer bucket;

창€¢kitchen worker seen continuously wiping bare hands on soiled apron, then handling food;

창€¢server observed putting unwrapped bread from a table back into bread drawer with bare hands;

창€¢raw beef in a container found stored over cut melons in a cooler.

A brief administrative hearing on the matter took place Friday. But a ruling on the violations was postponed until next week after John Sarantopoulos of Palatine Inn presented an action plan on how to correct the numerous problems.

He declined an offer to comment on the matter during Friday's hearing.

Palatine health inspectors routinely check on local restaurants. Officials say it's very rare for a business to have a formal hearing as the result of health violations.

When they are reported, restaurants typically work to correct them, and sometimes informal meetings are set to remedy the problems, said Village Manager Reid Ottesen.

In the case of Palatine Inn, many of the same violations were found during five different inspections from April to July, documents show.

Four times yearly, the health department puts out a list scoring all Palatine businesses that serve food. The highest score is 100.

On the most recent list, Palatine Inn is among only six of 234 establishments to score in the 70s. All the others scored higher.

Among the changes Palatine Inn expects to make are hiring an outside consultant and more training for staff.