Fancy food doesn’t mean safe food: Ritz-Carlton edition

Diners at the Ritz-Carlton may not want to know what goes on behind the storied hotel kitchen’s closed doors.

Mathew Katz of DNAinfo reports that New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene data show the Ritz-Carlton has the second-worst kitchen in Manhattan and the 13th dirtiest in the city, getting hit with 77 violation points during a June 17 inspection. The hotel houses BLT restaurant and the Star Lounge.

It was not clear on the DOH website if the kitchen supplies one or both of the eateries.

The most recent inspection found six critical violations for sloppy and "unacceptable" conditions, including poorly refrigerated foods, evidence of flies, cross-contamination between cooked and raw meat, and poor hygiene among kitchen workers, the DOH website said.

"The health and safety of our guests in our highest concern," said David Taylor, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing. "We’ve taken immediate action to rectify the situation and are working with diligence to maintain our brand standards."