Westport's Californos hopes to reopen two weeks after health department closure

Two weeks after the health department temporarily shut down Westport's Californos, the restaurant is still closed.

But inspectors were on-site Tuesday morning conducting a reinstatement inspection.

"This was a complex investigation where there were multiple food items and multiple challenges with food temperature issues, and we had employees who were sent home sick," said Bill Snook, spokesman for the health department. "We were able to rule out a distribution issue or a national issue, like the romaine lettuce or the eggs."

He said Californos has submitted a corrective action plan but needed to pass Tuesday's reinstatement inspection and then pay a $100 reinstatement fee.

"We have ruled out a couple of things, but because we don't have stool samples it could be possible Salmonella or possible norovirus," Snook said.

The department received a complaint from someone who had attended an annual gala on March 31. According to the complaint several people said that they experienced such symptoms as vomiting, diarrhea, weakness and fever starting April 1.

The restaurant also contacted the health department after they received several complaints from that event or from those attending a catering event held at the restaurant on March 30.

Three employees also reported illness.

Californos was temporarily closed after an April 4 inspection following the complaints due to "numerous imminent health hazards." By law they have to post a health department closure sign on the door.

The heath department then focused on the two catering events and were able to interview 231 of the 400 people who attended. Of those, 126 said they were sick afterward, or about 55 percent, Snook said.

The family-owned restaurant at 4124 Pennsylvania Ave. celebrated its 30th anniversary on St. Patrick's Day.

The owners previously issued this statement: "We are fully cooperating with the city and look forward to serving customers for another 30 years."

This story was originally published April 17, 2018 at 11:52 AM with the headline "Westport's Californos hopes to reopen two weeks after health department closure."