Homemade A's

Since the city Health Department started publicly grading restaurants in July, displaying letter grades in their windows, the blue letter A has become a seal of approval that every restaurant wants to obtain.

Now non-food businesses are getting in on the action.


Sparks deli in Queens got the first "A"

If you don't serve food, you don't get a grade, but non-food businesses--maybe feeling left out--have started to create their own letter cards to put on display. So far, they're making all A's.

Three Lives & Co. bookshop gives itself a "Literary Inspection Grade" of A+. This hand-drawn grade report was created by Elisha Cooper, illustrator of children's books like Beaver Is Lost and Bear Dreams.



The inspection placard at Philippe Liquors on 23rd Street in Chelsea is not as artistic, nor as accurate, but still gives a solid A to Philippe for keeping all its wines "in good shape" and the premises in "clean sanitary condition."



I've only spotted these two so far, but I suspect this will be a growing trend. Seen any homemade A's in your neighborhood?