Popular pizzeria closed for health code violations

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
A Valley Street pizzeria that has been cited before remains closed for alleged health code violations that include rodent infestation, South Orange officials said.
Investigating a complaint against Frank’s Trattoria Dec. 14, the village allegedly found food improperly stored, “plumbing issues,” a lack of maintenance and sanitation, no person in charge and “temperature concerns.”
The Health Department alleged that it found dead mice, mice dropping and larger droppings that could have come from a rat.
Issued eight summonses, the restaurant closed voluntarily the same day, the village said. Fines range between $50 and $1,000 per summons.
During a follow-up inspection Dec. 29, the village said there was little improvement.
As a result, the health department posted the restaurant as unsatisfactory and later as “embargoed,” which means no food can be prepared or sold on site.
The case was scheduled to be heard Dec. 28 in South Orange Municipal Court but was moved to Maplewood because the prosecutor has a conflict, according to the village. A future court date was not available.
The village said restaurant owner Frank Elnashar is out of the country.
The Health Department said it initially went to Frank’s to investigate a complaint that a person preparing the pizza was acting unhygienically with the product before putting it in the oven.
Unable to prove that complaint, the Health Department claimed it detected the other alleged violations.
In addition, the village’s Building Department has weighed in.
Village Administrator John O. Gross, writing in an e-mail Tuesday, said, “10 violations were cited from plumbing, electrical, fire and building under the property maintenance code to the owner of the building and the tenant.”

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