The Heartland Cafe (7000 N. Glenwood Ave. (7000N, 1400W)prides itself on providing "good, wholesome food for the mind and body," but public health officials shut the eatery down over concerns it could make people sick.
The popular Rogers Park spot for food and entertainment was closed Thursday after a Public Health Department inspection found three "critical" violations.
Inspectors found signs of rodent infestation, said department spokesman Tim Hadac. He said inspectors also found contamination in an ice machine, "black, slimy mold that was dripping into the water that makes the ice."
He called the restaurant's storage of food the "most serious" of the violations. Twenty-four pounds of shredded chicken, chopped vegetables and tofu in a refrigerator measured between 5 and 24 degrees warmer than the acceptable temperature of 40 degrees.
"That's the formula for food-borne illness," Hadac said.
A 311 call from a diner who felt ill after eating a meal of tofu, sauteed vegetables and spicy sauce prompted the inspection.
