Eating House, the Coral Gables restaurant led by chef Giorgio Rapicavoli, was temporarily closed on Wednesday, Nov. 4, after a state inspection turned up more than 30 live roaches inside an oven drawer. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation conducted the routine inspection.
According to inspection records published by Florida Food Watch, inspectors logged 12 violations, two of them high priority. The restaurant closed at 6:14 p.m. that evening. Besides the roaches, which were also found under a reach-in cooler, in dry storage and beneath a prep table, inspectors cited an expired operating license, a mold-like substance inside an ice machine, rusted utensil shelving and food containers stored on the floor.
The closure was brief. The restaurant passed a callback inspection and compliance review at 9:52 a.m. the next day, Thursday, Nov. 5, and reopened to the public.
In a statement to New Times, the restaurant said it took immediate action on the concerns and has reviewed and strengthened its sanitation procedures, preventive maintenance and monitoring. Eating House has operated in Miami since 2012 and is known for dishes such as its Cap’n Crunch pancakes.
