Sid’s is legally closed, but open

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- County health officials have ordered Sid’s Steakhouse to

close, but the popular restaurant’s eccentric owner and namesake refuses

to shut his doors.

“I’m open [but] it’s legally closed,” said owner Sid Soffer. “They can

come down and arrest my manager.”

The restaurant owner-turned-fugitive, who has been living on the lam in

Las Vegas for more than four years, said he’s going to fight the health

department’s April 10 decision.

It was City Manager Homer Bludau who first called in the troops. He

responded to a neighboring complaint “that the place had a lot of flies

and smell” and through his own observations was prompted to call the

health department.

“I walked around the restaurant and thought there were numerous code

violations based on what I saw,” Bludau said.

Ray Evans, who is supervising the matter for the Orange County Health

Care Agency, could not be reached for comment.

According to the health department’s review, which the Pilot obtained

through Soffer, inspectors found rotting food, dirty surfaces, rodent

droppings, dead cockroaches and egg sacs on the property.

In all, there were 35 violations. Until the problems are remedied, the

restaurant is legally closed, according to the documents.

Patrons of the restaurant, however, say they don’t care what health

inspectors say -- the beach bum atmosphere, great food and honest prices

will keep them coming back.

“I’m not interested,” said Mark Perrizo. “They’d probably find me in

violation if they searched my kitchen.”

Gary Reese, a Sid’s regular who said he worked in the food industry for

years, said the health violations listed in the review are present at

every restaurant in Newport, from the cheapest to the most expensive.

“I’ve toured the kitchen,” he said. “It’s not spick-and-span, but it’s as

clean as it needs to be.”

Soffer alleged that county officials violated his rights by coming to the

restaurant without permission and by revoking his food license without a

good reason.

“The full enchilada showed up -- fire, police, health and zone

enforcement,” said the baffled restaurant owner, who said he watched the

episode by remote video camera.

He said health officials had no right to close the eatery without first

having a hearing.

“I want to know when’s the last time somebody died from a cockroach?”

Soffer said.

Soffer contends that the department can only close a restaurant without a

hearing if there is an immediate health threat. He claims the action was

taken because of a backed-up drain in the kitchen, which he insisted is

not a drain but was merely water left over from mopping.

If it is actually a drain, the department’s concern would be the

immediate danger of raw sewage in the kitchen.

Soffer has requested a hearing “to end this baloney once and for all.”

In the meantime, continuing to operate the restaurant is a misdemeanor

and could result in a $1,000 fine or six months of jail time.

Soffer’s ongoing saga has become local folklore.

Back in 1995, he fought with the city of Costa Mesa over building code

violations at several of his properties. He was convicted, but failed to

show up for his sentencing date, prompting Orange County Superior Court

Judge Susanne Shaw to issue a $250,000 bench warrant for his arrest.

Soffer fled to the bright lights of Vegas, prompting Shaw to issue a

no-bail warrant for the misdemeanor offense.

However, the state of Nevada won’t extradite Soffer because the law

applies only to felonies.