GREENWICH — Health inspectors found food products stored near cleaning chemicals, a moldy bucket of food disposed in a basement and other health code violations at several local restaurants in April, May and June, according to town records. 

Violations are categorized into three levels under state guidelines. Priority item violations — the most serious — involve food temperatures, sanitation and the presence of toxic chemicals in food preparation areas. These violations must be corrected within 72 hours and as soon as possible. Less severe issues are classified as priority foundation violations, followed by core violations, the lowest category of violation.

Improper food temperatures account for many of the violations. Cold foods must be stored at 41 degrees or below, while hot foods must be held at 135 degrees or above.

In the first three months of the year, five restaurants were cited with multiple major violations, out of roughly 100 inspected. 

Greenwich health inspectors also conducted more than 100 inspections during the second quarter of 2026 and cited five establishments for serious violations. Most violations were corrected on the spot, according to reports.

The Glory Days Diner at 69 E. Putnam Ave. was cited with six priority item violations by a Greenwich health department inspector.

“A moldy bucket of food” was found in a basement walk-in, according to the report. A sanitizer bucket on the cook line did not have enough sanitizing fluid in it, and a container of chemicals was found with food products on top of a cooler, the report stated.

Raw meatballs were stored over ready-to-eat foods, and eggs were stored over baked items in a basement walk-in. An inspector also found rice holding at a temperature of 46 degrees, the report said.

Three priority foundation violations were also written up: a missing date label on a prepared food item; an “unclean ice machine” in the basement; and a missing thermometer in a cold-holding unit.

According to manager Ted Triantafillou: “Our diner has been a family-run staple here in Greenwich for over 40 years, and we’ve always taken food safety and cleanliness incredibly seriously. In four decades, we have never once been featured in a health department article, so this is a massive anomaly for us."

Triantafillou said the "inspectors were exceptionally thorough," possibly because they were training a new staff member at the time. 

"While the final report definitely doesn’t reflect our usual standards, we didn’t waste any time," he added. "Every single issue they brought up was completely taken care of right then and there, or within 24 hours. We’ve already gone over everything with our staff to make sure we’re keeping things as sharp as our customers expect them to be. We’re very proud of our history here, we’re glad to be fully squared away, and we look forward to our next routine check-in.”

At Happy Monkey, 376 Greenwich Ave., two priority item violations were cited for beef tips and vegetables holding at 50 degrees, and for sauces on a prep line holding at 58 degrees.

Chemicals were not properly labeled, and missing information on the procedures for bodily fluid cleanup resulted in two priority foundation violations, according to the inspection report. 

The restaurant did not return a request for comment.

Asiana Cafe at 68 East Putnam Ave. drew three priority item citations by a health inspector. Raw salmon was stored over leafy greens, eggs were stored over cooked noodles and improperly covered food was found in storage, the report said.

Four priority foundation violations were written up for food stored on the floor; medicine found on the cook line; a hand-washing sink that was blocked; and a ice machine had mold building up. 

Management did not respond to a request for comment.  

An inspector wrote up three priority item violations at CFCF at 118 Greenwich Ave. for improperly cooling food.

Ham and cheese were holding at 50 degrees on a prep table; turkey was holding at 46 degrees in a reach-in unit; and almond milk was measured at 51 degrees at a service counter, the report said.

Manager Kalina Katz said, “Everything was fixed right away. We stay on top of things, and we take the health department issues very seriously.”

A health inspector cited Le Peguin at 61 Lewis St. with three priority item violations.

A holding device on the cook line was measured at 59 degrees. Shrimp was improperly defrosted in water and reached a temperature of 73 degrees, the report stated, and it was discarded. The hot water in a bathroom was measured at 135 degrees, above the 120-degree limit, and created a scalding hazard, the report stated.

Priority foundation items were written up for a missing thermometer in a cold-holding unit and a blocked hand-washing sink. 

Co-owner Anshu Vidyarthi said the issues that were cited by the inspector had already been flagged by restaurant staff. A plumber had been called for the water issue, he said.

“All the issues were already on the table (and) were being resolved,” he said. A problem with a refrigerator caused some other issues for the staff that day, Vidyarthi added, before the inspector came in.

“I run a tight ship. I have a reputation to uphold,” he said. The restaurant had a good track record with the health department and customers for over 20 years, Vidyarthi added. 

July 27, 2026