Two Back Bay restaurants shut over salmonella cases

NBC Boston reports Back Bay Sandwich and Café Med on St. James Avenue were shut by city inspectors. For Café Med, it's the second time this year ISD inspectors found problems there.

An inspection on May 18 found cheese and beef turnovers, spanikopita, cheese pie, chicken, rice and cooked mousaka being held at well below the 140-degree required temperature. Feta cheese, meanwhile, was being kept at 74 degrees, baklava at 83 degrees and ground beef at 62 degrees. Also:

Employee observed smoking and not properly washing hands when returning to work station. Food handlers observed multi tasking wearing gloves continuously working with food contact and non food contact surfaces and food products. Employees observed not properly washing hands before changing gloves. Employees observed touching facial hair multiple times without properly washing hands. Manager observed rinsing hands in food prep sink.

On March 7, an inspector found chicken thawing at room temperature, hot water used for hand washing not hot enough and two handwash sinks without soap or paper towels.

Inspections at Back Bay Sandwich on May 17 and 18 found the water not warm enough at sinks, salad items and cold cuts too warm, evidence of a rodent infestation, and:

Employees multitasking wearing disposable gloves (touching ready to eat food food and non food contacts and various food items without removing gloves and properly washing hands)