Famous New York Restaurant Serendipity 3 Fails Health Inspections, Temporarily Closes

Serendipity 3, a landmark New York City restaurant that recently introduced a decadent $25,000 dessert has temporarily closed because it failed two city health inspections in one month.

In the latest one, this past Wednesday, the health department said in a prepared statement that its inspector found a live mouse, mouse droppings "in multiple areas of the restaurant, fruit flies, house flies, and more than 100 live cockroaches."

In the inspection before that, on October 22nd, the Health Department website says an inspector found roaches as well as "evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas." In both inspections, the department statement says its workers found conditions "conducive to pest infestation, including stagnant water in the basement."

On that October 22^nd inspection, the NYC Health Department's website says Serendipity 3 scored 41 violation points. Just like golf, in this case, points are bad. The health department says the average number for NYC restaurants is 14. You can see details of that October inspection, here.

All this talk about mice and roaches has many people joking about whether there's more than chocolate and edible gold in that $25,000 dollar dessert. According to various publications and television reports, the Frrrozen Haute Chocolate includes 28 types of cocoa from around the world and edible gold, as well as shavings from a pricey truffle. People get to eat this expensive dish with a gold spoon, decorated with diamonds. At the base of the goblet, is an 18 karat gold bracelet with diamonds. The buyer gets to keep the bracelet and the spoon, and digest the rest.

Besides the $25,000 dessert, Serendipity 3's menu includes a $1,000 Golden Opulence Sundae - which apparently is ordered by celebrities now and then. That one, and the Haute Chocolate have to be ordered (and saved for) in advance. But there are other dishes there that people can afford on a more modest budget. Their Frrrozen Hot Chocolate (not Haute) is very popular, so are their "regular" Sundaes -- three scoops of ice cream with one topping -- for $8.50. The restaurant also offers food, such as meatloaf and sandwiches, but most reviewers say the best reason to go there is for the desserts. (You can check out their website, which includes a menu here: www.Serendipity3.com)

Before shaving off any more gold, workers at Serendipity 3 have to fix the violations and get a "reopening re-inspection" before Serendipity 3 can once again sell desserts to the rich and famous, or to those who have a few dollars to spare for the less pricey confections.