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September 17, 2009
Two New Eateries Coming to Slope's President Street
A Mexican restaurant and a cafe are opening on President right off 5th Avenue, both coming to spaces that have hosted short-lived businesses in the past. (Hopefully this new crop will have better luck!) The Mexican restaurant, El Jalapeno, will open in the space formerly occupied by Delicious on the Slope, on the west side of the avenue. El Jalapeno's menu will have items like burritos ($9.95-$12.95), enchiladas ($7.95-$10.95) and other standard Mexican fare, most of it around the $10 mark for entrees. The owners say they plan to open by the end of next week. On the east side of 5th avenue, meanwhile, signage has gone up announcing that a place called Cafe DuCharme will open soon. The space was previously home to the Oak shoe store and, more recently, the Scandinavian Grace Kafe. GMAP
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Comments
Ive said it before - Mexican is the new sushi. All over the place especially in the South Slope.
Posted by: newsouthsloper at September 17, 2009 10:50 AM
yeah really as if that area needs more mexican restaurants. wtf? granted ill take mexican food ANY day over sushi, but there's just too many, tho i guess competition is good. the few times tho i have had mexican food in the area i always just thought it was blah and not worth the price really. i think i make much better tacos than anything ive had in restaurants anyway.
*rob*
Posted by: Butterfly at September 17, 2009 11:01 AM
It is a strange location. If the Mexican restaurant is any good at all, it will be the best Mexican option in the neighborhood I guess. The other place is also a strange location - both are kind of hard to see from 5th Avenue. I wish them luck...
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 17, 2009 11:03 AM
Mexican is the new sushi. All over the place especially in the South Slope.
Could be because the South Slope (lower near 5th) has a sizable Mexican population.
Posted by: fsrg at September 17, 2009 11:07 AM
It's amazing how many Mexican places are opening - and are really bad.
Posted by: dirty_hipster at September 17, 2009 11:09 AM
Hey DH - Off topic slightly, but I heard that The Vanderbilt (new Saul Bolton place) is scheduled to open early October.
Also since we're talking food, I mentioned it yesterday but the owners of Stone Park Cafe (and the daughter of the former Cucina) have partnered up and will be opening an upscale Chinese/Asian place in the former Tempo space on 5th Avenue...
Or so I heard...
Posted by: 11217 at September 17, 2009 11:13 AM
Why in the world would a restaurant choose to open on a side street like this? Sure, the rent may be lower, but it's like they want to fail.
Posted by: DitmasSnark at September 17, 2009 11:33 AM
Ditmas,
While these places in the past have failed, it's not totally hopeless.
You know that Cafe Du Nord that opened up off 7th Avenue on Berkeley Place a couple months ago? They said that they are doing better business than they ever dreamed. The place is incredibly successful and all of my neighbors (including me) are obsessed with the place.
It just takes the *right* thing to move into one of these spots. Something that fills a niche. We didn't have great coffee and now we do. Not sure that's the case on President with Gorilla just up the street and a couple other places nearby serving Stumptown...
We'll see...
Posted by: 11217 at September 17, 2009 11:37 AM
Sorry, it's Cafe Regular Du Nord, but you probably know what I meant...
Considering I'm there twice a day, you'd think I'd have the name straight.
Posted by: 11217 at September 17, 2009 11:42 AM
> It just takes the *right* thing to move into one of these spots.
I hear ya, and I am thrilled to hear about Cafe Regular Du Nord's success. But it's an uphill challenge, and in most cases, I don't think it's worth the lower rent.
Posted by: DitmasSnark at September 17, 2009 12:09 PM
"Why in the world would a restaurant choose to open on a side street like this? Sure, the rent may be lower, but it's like they want to fail"
Speakeasy cantina. all the rage nowadays. :-\
Posted by: dirty_hipster at September 17, 2009 12:13 PM
Did anyone see the sign that went up in Delicious on the Slope's window right after they closed. It was basically a big "F U" to the neighborhood for not supporting them. Hope the new folks have a bit better sense of perspective and understanding of what type of restaurants are successful in the area. Good luck to them.
Posted by: jimdisc at September 17, 2009 12:19 PM
Ahh, dear departed Delicious.
I remember walking past the place once and finding it uninteresting. And then, since it was not along my traffic route on 5th, I forgot about them.
Best wishes to El Jalapeno. I hope they make it work.
I wonder about these weird carpet bombing episodes of restaurants. There was the great sushi invasion. More recently there was a second wave of Italian places, and there have been casualties (Alta Voce and that other place that briefly replaced Cocotte).
How about opening something that nobody else has done in the area?
Posted by: DitmasSnark at September 17, 2009 12:43 PM
i saw that sign. that block SPECIFICALLY between 4th and 5th ave that delicious on the slope was on1 is skank bed bug city. ick
*rob*
Posted by: Butterfly at September 17, 2009 12:45 PM
Delicious on the Slope had potential and blew it. Was just another mediocre joint that easily catered to all tastes w/o standing out. If you're off the beaten path, ya gotta be big or go home. It's a great space, though...
I'm all for more Mexican - Alma is still my #1 though (perfect example of a restaurant that's flourished despite being waaaay off the beaten path).
What the Slope needs is a proper fondue restaurant. Cheese, chocolate and everything in between... Fondue can be the new Mexican.
I know finance/marketing/mgmt - anyone out there to fill the "can cook" void? MARKET NICHE!
Posted by: Bklynight at September 17, 2009 1:50 PM
11217, I didn't know Tempo had closed. When did that happen? We liked that place, but since we moved south have been trying to support those places...
I don't know what's wrong with a restaurant in a side street. If it's really good, people will go.
Posted by: denton at September 17, 2009 1:59 PM
I think it's been at least 5 or 6 months since Tempo closed. Early spring maybe...??
Have you tried the new bakery yet on 18th and 5th...Little Biscuit Company I think it's called....SOOO good!
I agree with you about the side street. If it's good, people will definitely go.
Posted by: 11217 at September 17, 2009 2:19 PM
> I agree with you about the side street. If it's good, people will definitely go.
True. But they have to already know about it to go. You miss all of the passersby you might attract if you were on 5th avenue.
Posted by: DitmasSnark at September 17, 2009 2:54 PM
Hmm, didn't post...
Now that Tempo's closed, i can write about something that happened to me there.
We went for dinner, ordered a rum toddy (I think), and when drinking it, felt something weird in my mouth. Took it out and saw it was one of those little roaches.
They had infested the cinnamon jar or something. They were very nice, comped us drinks and deserts, so never mentioned it, and went back. More observant after that.
Posted by: denton at September 17, 2009 3:25 PM
Oh God. I'll never eat out again.
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at September 17, 2009 3:48 PM
I ate lunch at Delicious on the Slope once, and I actually thought it was pretty good. Tasty Israeli/mid-eastern fare, but overpriced, and served in a terrible location. I'd have gone back if it hadn't vanished so quickly. Hopefully the new Mex joint will offer a cheap, solid Huevos Rancheros.
Posted by: dannyhellman at September 17, 2009 11:58 PM
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