More than half of the New York eateries listed as among the most popular by the Zagat guide had inspection problems last year.
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The New York Post reports that 29 of the top 50 were cited for such things as mouse droppings, cockroaches and even problems like cold food held at too-high temperatures and cans of food that were swollen, rusted, dented or leaking.
At Chanterelle, a lower Manhattan restaurant favored by celebrities like Susan Sarandon, inspectors found 15 mouse droppings, the Post said, as well as problematic canned goods.
Owner Karen Waltuck told the newspaper that the mice "might have been here 10 years ago.:
The city uses a point system for inspections. Restaurants pass if they get fewer than 28 points. The Post said that all the top 50 scored low enough to pass muster, although some came close to a level that would have required a re-inspection with closing as the next step.