‘sNice Closed By The Department Of Health

Local favorite ‘sNice (315 5th Avenue at 3rd Street) was closed down by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Monday after failing its most recent inspection.

Though only racking up 40 violation points during its DOH inspection on December 8 (their worst, which is still not terrible, comparatively, was 59 points in July 2013, which they corrected to 19 points later that same month; however, 28 or more points is a C grade), it seems the violations were critical enough, and were issues they couldn’t fix immediately, that caused the DOH to order the closure.

Here are the violations reported on the DOH site:

1) Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours.

2) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

3) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.

4) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.

In order to reopen, a restaurant that’s been closed by the DOH has to correct those issues and be reinspected, then the DOH will determine whether the space is in compliance and can reopen.

The vegetarian and vegan cafe has been dishing up delicious sandwiches, burritos, and more, and serving as a meeting spot for friends, parents, and MS 51 students since 2008, an offshoot of the first space in the West Village — though that location closed this past spring.

We’ve reached out to ‘sNice via email and will update if we hear back; calls to the space have gone unanswered.

Thanks to neighbor Mark Forscher for sending the photo.