$5.00 for a mouse poop and hair slice? Um, no thanks.

It’s true. I can’t believe some of the places I’ve seen with A grades. It always strikes me as odd. Still, the $5.00 a slice is enough to keep me away. It’s good pizza but not that good.

it is organic rodent poop, if that makes a difference to the foodies out there.

DiFara’s was on my walk home from work, and I’ve had dozens if not hundreds of slices from there.  I remember when slices were $2.50 or so.  I’ve never once gotten sick as a result.  I agree with Art that this is a case of the Health Department inspector not being paid off.  This is NYC, after all – I’d be surprised if there’s a single building in the city free of roaches and rodents.

Giving a bribe to a DOH guy is the same as cops fixing a ticket…come on, mmc, get off your high horse and be real…if you dont pay off a DOH guy you get screwed.

Oh, wait…there is evidence of bribery, except it’s the restaurant owners trying to pay off the inspectors: http://gothamist.com/2011/06/04/dirty_restaurant_dont_bribe_the_hea.php

I’m not saying it isn’t true, but I don’t see why asking for proof instead of just screaming conspiracy puts one on a high horse. And where were you when less beloved restaurants were shut down? C’mon, you like DiFarra’s, and that’s cool, but I know people who’ve been there who’ve commented on the less-than-sanitary conditions. 

The last time I was at Dj Fara’s garbage was falling out of the garbage cans and flies swarmed above all of the tables.  It was so bad that I wondered if I had a moral imperative to call DOH- I did not.  It may be that other restaurants are as filthy, but thankfully I have never seen them.

Di Fara’s was closed for evidence of live mice, flies, and problems with personal cleanliness.  These don’t seem to be minor technical infractions, nor do they seem to be the sort of thing that a corrupt inspector could make up. 

You’re absolutely right. You could drop a hydrogen bomb on DiFara’s and you still wouldn’t get rid of all the cockroaches. This is NYC, eternal kingdom of the cockroach. 

Regardless of whether DOH people are being paid off or the DOH is just extremely incompetent when it comes to evaluating restaurants. The end result is the same: ratings that one must take with a grain of salt. 

Not being a restaurant owner myself, I can’t comment on the competence (or lack thereof) of the DOH. Yet, just looking at this photo on the Daily News website (!) I see two violations: touching food with bare hands, and no hair net. Since I’ve heard the owner also changes money, he’s also touching the food with the same hands as he’s handling his money: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/di-fara-owner-dom-demarco-sr-pizzeria-reopen-failing-health-inspection-article-1.981545

Art, you’re a funny guy. You asked for evidence, even though I was making no claim, but I presented it anyway (see photo). You said health laws = OCD. I guess that might be true…I’ll certainly eat at a low-rated restaurant if it’s good. But I stand by my statement that it’s irresponsible to claim that, because you love a restaurant, a bad rating means the DOH was demanding bribes. I have no dog in the debate other than that I’m tired of the tinfoil hat brigade claiming conspiracy every time they don’t like something.

He wasn’t referring to you, Vandaly, but the others who were making that claim. You asked for evidence from him. You should read more closely.

Art, people have made bold accusations: that all DOH employees demand bribes or that (as in your case) they’re all incompetent. I’m merely suggesting that perhaps the violations are sometimes warranted. I apologize if this offends you. As for your troll comment, as someone else posted, it’s high irony to call me a troll when you post here anonymously. Have a nice day.

It looks like one of us should, at any rate.

That’s what I am saying —! It’s not the DOH, but $5.00 for 1 slice??? Clip joint !!!