Contact 13

Dirty Dining: La Scala on Desert Inn

By Loni Blandford

CREATED Mar. 21, 2012

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  • An Italian fine dining restaurant comes close to being shut down by health inspectors. Contact 13's Tricia Kean paid a visit to La Scala in this week's Dirty Dining report. Video by ktnv.com

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  • Health inspectors visited on March 6th, meaning this food was expired.

  • Strawberries had a mold like growth on them.

  • This is the outside of the restaurant.

  • The ceiling was missing tiles.

  • The ceiling was missing tiles.

Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- An Italian fine dining restaurant came close to being shut down by health inspectors. Contact 13's Tricia Kean paid a visit to La Scala, located on Desert Inn Road near Maryland Parkway, in this week's Dirty Dining report.

Raspberries and strawberries with mold-like growth on them and cheese that expired two days before shocked health inspectors.

The Southern Nevada Health District cited La Scala with 40 demerits and gave them a "C" grade. Anything more than 40 demerits is an automatic closure. As inspectors walked through the kitchen earlier this month, they also found a salad uncovered, food double stacked and a missing ceiling tile.

The report also notes hood vent filters were dripping grease and the ice machine had pink slime. So, Contact 13 headed to La Scala to ask them what they're doing to correct these violations.

The owner wasn't there but he did call us afterwards and said that since he took over two years ago, he has had nothing but "A" grades. Gonzalo Gatica emailed us a statement saying:

"We made all the necessary changes right away. This is the first time we've received a C grade since I have been owner. We provide the best quality and freshness of food. My own family eats in this restaurant and I want all my customers to know our food is safe. We have been reinspected and now have an A grade."
-Gonzalo Gatica, Owner

The Southern Nevada Health District confirms La Scala was reinspected and is back up to an "A" grade.