Saturday, June 28, 2008
Food

Ludalicious

Adam Murphy's Restaurant Report Card

Vinnet Bradshaw
Adam Murphy and Ludacris at Straits

MAY SCORECARD

Worst Scores
Carlitos Mexican Restaurant: 32 points (U)
2445 Moon Road, Grayson
Problem Areas: Tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream were at unsafe temperatures. Plus, an employee with an open cut on his or her arm was preparing food and another employee attempted to reuse containers of salsa from tables. Carlitos Mexican Restaurant received 100 points and an A on a reinspection.

Lucky China: 39 points (U)
3600 Cherokee St., Kennesaw
Problem Areas:  Shrimp was at an unsafe temperature. Plus, employees were handling food with their bare hands, and mayonnaise was a month out of date. Lucky China received an A and 91 points on a reinspection.

Uncle Sam’s American Grill: 41 points (U)
1 East Main St., Hampton
Problem Areas: An employee dumped mop water in the vegetable preparation sink. Plus, coleslaw was 55 days out of date in the cooler. Uncle Sam’s American Grill received 76 points and a (C) on a reinspection.

Best Scores
Quiznos: 100 points (A)
2 East Court Square, Newnan

Dockside Grill: 99 points (A)
6900 Holiday Road, Buford

Roma Pizzeria: 94 points (A)
8012 Cumming Highway, Canton

By Adam Murphy

He may be one of the busiest men in show business, but Grammy winner Chris “Ludacris” Bridges gladly took time to show off his new Atlanta restaurant to yours truly this month. Luda was a featured guest on my weekly Restaurant Report Card television segment on CBS 46. Ludacris made it clear from the moment we met that his restaurant Straits scored an A and 97 points on its last health inspection. Singaporean cuisine is on the menu at the popular Midtown eatery on Juniper Street, and Luda’s favorite dish is the chicken lollipops. I’m a big fan of the tamarind beef, but I have to agree the chicken lollipops are Ludalicious.  

I wish I could say the same for every other restaurant in Metro Atlanta, but I can’t. I uncovered serious health violations in May that might upset your stomach. Carlitos Mexican Restaurant on Moon Road in Grayson failed with 32 points and a U for unsatisfactory. The report says an employee with an open cut on his or her arm was preparing food, and another employee attempted to reuse containers of salsa from tables. We confronted management about it, and they asked us if we wanted to order some food. That was a no for me! Carlitos Mexican Restaurant received 100 points and an A on a reinspection.

In Kennesaw, Lucky China (on Cherokee Street) wasn’t so lucky after scoring a U with 39 points. Health inspectors found mayonnaise that was a month out of date in the restaurant. Here’s some more food for thought: Uncle Sam’s American Grill on East Main Street in Hampton struggled with only 41 points and a U. The report says coleslaw was 55 days out of date in the cooler. Fifty-five days out of date? Are you kidding me? Uncle Sam’s American Grill received a C and 76 points on a reinspection. SP
Watch Adam Murphy’s CBS 46 Restaurant Report Card every Thursday at 4 p.m. and Fridays at noon. You can also catch all of his reports in streaming video at www.cbs46.com.