After prolonged trouble with the Department of Health, Danny Bowien is closing his buzzy New York City restaurant Mission Chinese Food for a serious revamp. Eater NY reports that the Department of Health shuttered the restaurant after it failed an inspection last night. The restaurant was also shuttered by the DOH just over a month ago after racking up violation points for "critical" issues like "evidence of mice or live mice present" and "food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use." The restaurant reopened the same week, but apparently the problems were not fully corrected.
Bowien tells Eater NY that he will be keeping the restaurant closed to rebuild its back dining room and make other "big changes." "We feel like we could reopen," Bowien says, "but I don't want to run the risk the second time." He attributes the pest problem to his Lower East Side location, but adds "we had no one to point the finger at but ourselves." He also explains that "in order to make it a sustainable thing for all of us, we have to rebuild." There's not a specific reopening date yet, though Bowien confirms that this temporary closure will not delay the opening of his hotly anticipated Mission Cantina, a Mexican-inspired restaurant he plans to open in the Lower East Side on November 20.
· Mission Chinese Food Is Closed for a Major Revamp [Eater NY]
· DOH Shutters Danny Bowien's Mission Chinese Food [-E-]
· All Mission Chinese Food Coverage on Eater [-E-]