The city’s Health Dept. inspectors stormed into Quality Italian, the new restaurant on East 57th Street, on Oct. 15 and shut down the kitchen for so long that the management picked up the check for several tables.
One party of eight that had to wait over two hours for their meals was comped for more than $1,300 in food and drinks.
A spokeswoman for owner Alan Stillman, the man behind T.G.I. Friday’s, Smith & Wollensky and a bunch of other eateries, said, “We had a few tables who waited an excessive amount of time. We took care of them.”
Restaurateurs say the unannounced Health Dept. inspections always seem to happen during the dinner rush, causing maximum inconvenience.