At the New Lighthouse Caffee in Dania Beach, co-owner Lise Dellolio was overcome with emotion when she learned about the recognition.
“My heart is beating out of my chest right now. I want to cry,” she said.
New Lighthouse Caffee is one of three restaurants in South Florida that recently earned a perfect score on their unannounced routine food safety inspection. Each passed with zero violations and for that, all three are being honored with Local 10’s Clean Plate award.
Very few restaurants manage to achieve zero violations during a routine state inspection, making this recognition especially noteworthy.
Dellolio and her husband, Carlo, operate the café together. The restaurant has only seven tables and is tucked inside the clubhouse of The Estates of Fort Lauderdale, a mobile home community located between Griffin and Stirling roads. On the wall of the dining room hang two perfect food safety inspections, now joined by the Clean Plate award.
“It is overwhelming,” Lise said. “It is a lot of work, but it is our duty.”
The couple has worked in the restaurant industry for more than 40 years. They met decades ago on Las Olas Boulevard, where she worked as a bartender and he was a chef. After finding the small clubhouse space by accident, they decided to create something of their own.
“It is difficult. It is only the two of us, so it is hard to keep up,” Lise said. “We work long hours to make sure everything is clean.”
Carlo added, “I am here seven days a week. Monday and Tuesday are cleaning days.”
The café specializes in breakfast, although the menu also features sandwiches such as a turkey club, BLT, and Philly cheesesteak. Carlo, who is from Italy, said he had never cooked breakfast food before opening the café.
“I had to teach myself everything,” he said.
It takes a lot of hard work to keep a kitchen spotless, and it matters because it is all about making sure the food we eat is safe.
In Davie, another family-run establishment was also recognized. Wings Chinese, located across from Broward College Central Campus, earned zero violations on its most recent inspection, with no high-priority violations during a check back in June either.
Sam, the longtime employee who helps run the restaurant, admitted he was surprised to see a television crew walk in.
“I thought something was wrong,” he said with a laugh. “I look at you and say, ‘What happened, man? We don’t have violations, you know what I mean?’”
Instead, Wings was honored for keeping a spotless kitchen. The restaurant has served both American Chinese and Peruvian-style Chifa dishes for more than two decades. According to Sam, everyone who works there is family.
“The first owner was my uncle. He owned it for 17 years, then retired. He sold it to my mom. My mom sold it to this guy, the new boss. I have worked for him for 15 years,” Sam explained.
Sam said the family makes it a priority to keep the restaurant clean.
“It is pretty hard. We have to clean every night,” he said. “We want to do the best we can.”
He proudly showed off the kitchen, pointing out how everything was organized and spotless.
Finally, in North Miami Beach, a familiar fast-food chain showed it can match the independents when it comes to food safety. The Arby’s at 1486 NE 163rd Street received a perfect score during its unannounced inspection.
Shift manager Sandy Bonnett was on duty when the results came in.
“I knew we passed, but I did not know it was perfect,” she said with a smile.
Bonnett said she treats the restaurant as if it were her home.
“It is not hard, as long as you treat it like it is your own place,” she said. “We make sure everything is clean inside and outside. When customers come in, they see a clean place and they feel good about eating here.”
The Arby’s, which has been operating out of the same building for 46 years, now proudly displays the Clean Plate award alongside its perfect inspection.
Three very different kitchens. A family-owned café hidden in a clubhouse, a Chinese restaurant across from a college campus, and a national fast-food chain. All proving that with hard work and dedication, spotless inspections are possible.
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