Allegro Romano. [Photo: TripAdvisor]
Political power-meal perennial Allegro Romano has to be one of the city's most vocally hated restaurants, and its detractors are about to have a field day with this one: according to Inside Scoop, owner Lorenzo Logoreci has been cited by the Health Department for allegedly slapping a city health inspector on Friday. After receiving some bad news from the inspector, Logoreci got into a heated argument during dinner service, culminating in the slap. The inspector pressed charges, and Logoreci now faces a court hearing for battery.
The inspector, whose name has not been released, popped in unplanned on the way to another appointment, after noticing that the restaurant had committed an unspecified environmental health violation. Logoreci had just been visited by the DOH the previous day, after a complaint was filed saying he'd been doing unpermitted work on the space. That report was dismissed, saying all Logoreci was up to were allowable minor repairs and painting, but clearly, something was amiss a day later. "Our inspector saw that there was work being done in that facility, more than just painting, so that's why we ordered a cease and desist," says Richard Lee, the DOH's Food Safety Program director.
Logoreci, for his part, says he's been targeted unfairly, and is considering taking legal action himself. In the meantime, the restaurateur, who scored a respectable 85 and 100 on his past two inspections, will henceforth be visited by two health inspectors, not one—and the second inspector's pay is required to come from his pocket.
· Restaurant owner cited for battery [Inside Scoop]