Manhattan, NY — Ella's Cafe, located at 1465 2nd Avenue on the Upper East Side, received a Grade B score of 24 points during a health inspection conducted on March 6, 2026. The inspection, released by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 11, documented one critical violation related to improper food cooling procedures.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors cited the establishment for violating Code 02H, which addresses the cooling of time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods. According to inspection records, after cooking or removal from hot holding, TCS food was not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal temperature is reduced from 140°F to 70°F or less within two hours, and from 70°F to 41°F or less within four additional hours.

This violation indicates that potentially hazardous foods were not moved through the temperature danger zone quickly enough, creating conditions where harmful bacteria can multiply rapidly. The DOHMH classified this finding as critical, meaning it poses a direct risk to public health if not corrected.

Food Safety Context

NYC Health Code Article 81 establishes specific requirements for cooling procedures to prevent bacterial growth in temperature-controlled foods. The two-stage cooling process mandated by both city regulations and the FDA Food Code is designed to minimize the time food spends in the danger zone between 41°F and 140°F, where pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Clostridium perfringens can proliferate.

According to DOHMH standards, establishments must use approved rapid cooling methods such as ice baths, blast chillers, or shallow pans with proper ventilation. Simply placing hot food in a standard refrigerator typically does not cool food quickly enough to meet regulatory requirements.

The 24-point score places the establishment near the upper end of the Grade B range. Under New York City's letter grading system, scores between 14 and 27 points result in a B grade, while scores of 28 or higher receive a C grade.

Inspection History

Ella's Cafe maintained a consistent Grade A record prior to this inspection:

  • January 28, 2025: Score 8 (Grade A)
  • October 3, 2024: Score 29
  • April 27, 2023: Score 9 (Grade A)
  • March 18, 2022: Score 12 (Grade A)

The October 2024 inspection recorded a score of 29 points, though no grade designation appears in the public record for that date. The March 2026 inspection represents the first documented Grade B in the establishment's inspection history dating back to 2022.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City restaurant grades are assigned based on point totals from health inspections:

  • Grade A: 0-13 points
  • Grade B: 14-27 points
  • Grade C: 28 or more points

Critical violations carry higher point values than non-critical violations. Establishments have the right to request a re-inspection or proceed directly to the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings to contest findings.

Public Health Resources

Consumers can access current inspection results for all New York City food service establishments through the DOHMH website at nyc.gov/health/restaurants. The database includes violation details, scores, and grade cards for more than 20,000 establishments across the five boroughs.

Questions about food safety or to report health code violations can be directed to 311 or the DOHMH food safety hotline.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Ella's Cafe including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.