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TUCSON - With a day off for a holiday, last week was a short one for inspectors from the Pima County Health Department. That meant fewer inspections, but that didn't keep the Kitchen Cops from finding a sports facility that didn't know the score when it comes to hygiene in the kitchen.

Keeping hands clean is essential in any kitchen, but just as important is where employees put their hands. In our first case, inspectors found it pays to be nosey.

Tucson Racquet Club received seven critical violations and a warning. A waitress was observed wiping her nose with her bare hand and then serving a plate to a customer. A cook was also seen wiping his nose with a gloved hand and then stirring soup. That same cook ate food with his bare hands at the cookline. Food in a cooling unit tested above the maximum 41 degrees: sliced turkey at 47 degrees, roast beef at 58 degrees.

A meat slicer, stored as clean, was encrusted with food debris. With more than 5 critical violations, Tucson Racquet Club, on North Country Club, received a provisional rating.

Assistant general manager, Adrian Korosec, said, "all of our violations were corrected in very short order. We view our relationship with the Pima County Health Department as an asset and, although we usually receive an "Excellent" rating, we are increasing the continuing education requirement for our food service employees."

This week we recognize a local Tucson resort that received multiple "Excellent" ratings. Westward Look Grand Resort received excellent evaluations for their Gold restaurant, Lookout Bar, as well as their Sonoran and Monsoon facilities.

Other establishments that scored "Excellent" ratings include: Bite Me! Éclairs, Cupcakes, etc., on South Avenida del Convento and Mimi's Café, on North Oracle.