The Morning News also compared scores among ethnic food restaurants with at least 10 stores.

In Salt Lake County, scores (from lowest to highest) were: Hawaiian, 20.9 points; Italian, 23.3; Mexican, 30.9; Greek, 32.2; Japanese, 32.2; Indian, 37.1; Chinese, 39.6; Thai, 40; and Vietnamese, 50.6.

In Utah County, scores on its different point scale were Italian, 10.9 points; Thai, 11.3; Mexican, 12.2; Japanese, 13.7; and Chinese, 15.6.

Lund said he is not surprised that Asian restaurants tended to have the higher scores. Their menus often are extensive and require many different types of foods to be readily available. Keeping them all at proper temperatures and properly protected can be an extra challenge.

Delegge says that doesn't deter him from eating at such restaurants.

"My wife and I enjoy ethnic restaurants, and that's usually where we eat when we go out," he said.

Counting violations

Records obtained from Salt Lake County allow counting exactly how many different types of violations inspectors found. (Utah County, however, did not have such data computerized and was unable to provide it to the Morning News.)

Analysis shows Salt Lake County inspectors found 95,910 violations in 2005 and 2006. Of them, 22,481 were considered "critical" — or most likely to cause illness if not quickly corrected.

They recorded 325 different types of health code violations overall. Some are not appetizing.

For example, they found eight instances of sick employees with "discharges from eyes, nose or mouth" preparing food anyway.

On 283 occasions, they found enough pests, such as bugs or rats, at restaurants for that to be considered a "critical" violation.

At least those findings were relatively rare.

But No. 2 among all violation types found — with 6,067 occurrences — was the "critical" violation of dirty foodcontact surfaces, such as tables, cutting boards, can openers or refrigerators.

Inspectors also recorded 2,275 instances of the "critical" violation of improperly storing food. "That could include such things as storing raw meat products in ways where they could drip on other products, such as lettuce," Lund explained.

They found 1,185 occurrences of the "critical" violation of storing toxic chemicals (such as cleaners) over food or serving equipment.

They found 912 instances of employees handling ready-to-serve food with bare hands. (They are supposed to either wear gloves, or use such things as spatulas and tongs to handle it.)