Metro

Avoiding ‘C’ food

Katz Deli (Lorenzo Ciniglio/Freelance)

Radio City Music Hall (David McGlynn)

Gallagher’s Steak House (
)

Some of the city’s best-known eateries are lucky that the Health Department is starting to hand out letter grades next week — instead of last month — because thousands would have ended up with a bottom-rung “C” plastered in their front windows.

Officials estimate that about 6,000 of the city’s 24,000 eateries had enough violation points in June to have earned the lowest mark on a three-letter rating scale devised by the city.

The “C” restaurants would have ranged from the Lion, a sizzling new spot in Greenwich Village, to the venerable Gallagher’s steakhouse in Midtown, to the century-old Katz’s deli emporium on the Lower East Side.

Even Radio City Music Hall’s snack bar made the “C” list.

The Health Department plans to award “A” grades to restaurants that accumulate no more than 13 violation points; “B” to those with 14 to 27 points; and “C” for 28 or more points.

Restaurant owners and managers contacted by The Post who would have faced a “C” last month were surprisingly supportive of the grading system.

“It’s for the sake of public health — I’m perfectly OK with that,” said Jake Dell, son of the owner of Katz’s deli, which accumulated 47 points on its record for such infractions as evidence of roaches and mice, as well as bad plumbing.

Like every restaurateur contacted, he said the conditions cited by inspectors have since been corrected. A reinspection July 6 brought Katz’s score down to 23 — in the “B” range.

The Lion said through a publicist that the 34 points it received for such issues as poorly maintained bathrooms and a defective dishwasher had been dealt with and said, “We are confident we will get an ‘A’ in the next inspection.”

David Etienne, a manager at Gallagher’s, said the famed steakhouse was slapped with 35 points worth of violations mainly because it had a leak in a wood panel, which is being repaired.

“Without that, we would be OK,” he said.

But city records show it was also cited for evidence of roaches.

Radio City’s snack bar ran up 32 points for such violations as having food open to contamination and inadequate hand-washing facilities.

An official said the issues were being corrected.

Dan Kass, the Health Department assistant commissioner overseeing the grading program, pointed out that restaurant operators will have at least two chances to get things right after the first inspection.

So it could be weeks — or months — before the first “C” eatery makes its dreaded debut.

Some city eateries that would have been slapped with a “C” — the lowest grade — according to a new Health Department rating system:

The Lion

62 W. 9th St., Greenwich Village

* Fare: Lobster pot pie, kosher farm chicken

* Violations included: Bathrooms not properly maintained, defective dishwasher

Katz’s

205 E. Houston St., Lower East Side

* Fare: Pastrami on rye, side of slaw

* Violations included: Evidence of roaches and mice, bad plumbing

Radio City Music Hall snack bar

1260 Sixth Ave., Midtown

* Fare: Hot dogs and popcorn

* Violations included: Food open to contamination, inadequate hand-washing facilities

Gallagher’s

228 W. 52nd St., Midtown

* Fare: Filet mignon, chops

* Violations included: Leaky paneling, evidence of roaches