Plum Tree to Reopen after Health Code Violations

Plum Tree Japanese Restaurant will reopen tonight for the first time in four days after the New Canaan Health Department had closed it last week following code violations.

According to James Nagata, the Main Street restaurant’s manager, health officials had closed Plum Tree Friday through lunch on Monday, and gave the eatery the green light to reopen for dinner tonight.

Nagata said he wasn’t certain what health code violations the restaurant had, since he wasn’t in the kitchen at the time of the failed inspection.

Restaurants fail inspections either because they are assessed more than 20 demerits during inspections or because they are cited for one or more so-called “4-point” violations (a full list of those violations as well as an explainer on health department inspections is available here).

According to the most recent inspection report from the town health department, Plum Tree on Feb. 28 was cited for 23 demerits, including two 4-point items.

Part of the inspection reads: “Miracle-Gro plant food & Raid stored in sushi prep on shelving—remove & store separately with chemicals.”

Another part reads: “Eggs stored above raw vegetables in walk-in—store eggs on bottom shelf; remove food items from floor in walk-in.”

Establishments have two weeks from the time of a failed inspection to comply with the health code. It isn't clear what violations triggered the restaurant's closing upon reinspection or when that reinspection happened. Briggs Geddis, the health department’s director of environmental health, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Here’s the text of a letter from Geddis to Nagata and Plum Tree dated March 1, from :

“Notice of Violations. On February 28, 2013, your food establishment, Plum Tree (70 Main Street, New Canaan), was inspected for violations of Section 19-13-B42 of the Public Health Code of the State of Connecticut. This inspection revealed several violations, resulting in a failing score of 77 (see attached inspection report). As noted on the attached report, the violations must be corrected by March 14, 2012 [sic]. If upon reinspection your rating score is below 80, or if there are any 4 demerit point items in violation, we shall take immediate steps to suspend your permit to operate a food establishment, per Section 19-13-B42(u) of the Public Health Code of the State of Connecticut.”