Italian restaurant passes health inspection, though one violation noted

An Italian restaurant in the Memorial area passed a recent health inspection, though officials did note one problem.

Piccolo Italian Cafe, located at 13505 Westheimer Road, received a regular inspection by Harris County public health staff on Dec. 28. Inspectors gave the restaurant four demerits out of a possible 100. An establishment must earn 20 demerits to be considered "of concern" and in need of a follow-up visit.

Piccolo received its demerits for an "approved systems" violation, which could mean improper time marking of food held over 24 hours or similar lapses in procedure. According to the Harris County website, this is not among the kinds of violations most associated with food-borne illness by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The score from December was about average for Piccolo. While the restaurant received zero demerits in a September 2010 visit, it rated six in August 2010 and three in May.

For more information on how Harris County conducts restaurant inspections, visit www.hcphes.org.