Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up
Cambodian Cuisine: Should’ve Stayed in Brooklyn In March 2005, Jerry Ley, owner of the Fort Greene restaurant Cambodian Cuisine, signed a lease for a bigger space on 93rd Street in Manhattan. Many fans of the 520-square-foot neighborhood hang-out were sad to see it go, and now it’s looking like Mr. Ley wishes he stuck around….
Cambodian Cuisine: Should’ve Stayed in Brooklyn
In March 2005, Jerry Ley, owner of the Fort Greene restaurant Cambodian Cuisine, signed a lease for a bigger space on 93rd Street in Manhattan. Many fans of the 520-square-foot neighborhood hang-out were sad to see it go, and now it’s looking like Mr. Ley wishes he stuck around. The NY Times reports:
“Mr. Ley, 54, admittedly is a broken man. He is heavy-hearted as he ticks off his debts in a defeated voice. He owes $866,000 to various banks, $144,000 to a friend and co-worker who took out a second mortgage on her home, and more than $200,000 to friends and relatives who contributed smaller sums at zero interest. ‘My heart is broken and I’m so frustrated,’ he said. ‘Every corner I move into is a disaster. I’m nearly bankrupt. I do not know who to trust.'”
“Vegetarian/vegan friendly eatery The Greens is closed… The phone message promises that ‘Island Grill’ a restaurant specializing in ‘Singapore cuisine’ will be opening soon at the 128 Montague Street location.” [Brooklyn Heights Blog]
Boycotting Beer Nuts in Boerum Hill
One Eater reader is pissed off about the changes the new owners have made to Boerum Hill’s Brooklyn Inn: “Firstly, beer nuts now appear throughout the bar giving it a frat-boy alehouse vibe. Nobody, afaik, wants them there. Secondly, a broken or removed stained glass panel at the end of the bar has been replaced by a white board. Thirdly and most damningly, they’ve installed a huge A/C vent on the inside wall the full length of the front room. Its ugly and completely not in keeping with the room.”
After the jump: The best mac ‘n’ cheese in Brooklyn and bitchin’ bahn mi in Boerum Hill…
Dumont’s Got the Best Mac ‘n’ Cheese in NYC
423 Union Avenue, Williamsburg
“The one true God in mac form. The ‘DuMac and cheese’ is a blend of cheddar and gruyere, with a light parmesan crust. It comes with bacon by default (though you can request it without)… The small radiatori are so soft and tender that they fall apart when disturbed with a fork. Meltingly delicious. $12.” [Gridskipper]
Bitchin’ Bahn Mi at Hanco’s
85 Bergen St between Hoyt and Smith Sts, Boerum Hill; 718-858-6818
“Speedy delivery is the name of their game: after placing an order at 8:30 she had a bulging banh mì ($4.25 each) in hand by 8:46. The bread was still toasty warm, drizzled with precisely the right combo of butter and hot sauce, and the mild pâté, pale rounds of Vietnamese ham, and crumbly, greasy pork were topped with julienned cucumbers and carrots, and bright florets of cilantro.” [Time Out NY]
Wow, some people are harsh and I imagine not very adventurous. The eats at Cambodian Cuisine were nothing short of amazing… once I figured out 5 or 6 reliable dishes that I really liked. Many of my friends felt exactly the same, only we realized that it wasn’t the same 5 or 6 dishes between all of us.
I’m going over to the new location tonight just to see if they have finally reopened. The NYT article mentioned a deadline of Dec 2007 or they would be evicted. So sad considering none of what happened is his fault. I’m an expediter and I see it every day. Contractors and even architects who seem very professional: they will not hesitate to rip off an unsuspecting customer and jump ship when the going gets rough.
Re. fine print, yes a total non-sequitor. By the time you got the check you’d already been waiting 20 minutes, so who would stick around for another 10?
I moved back to fort greene recently after a 10 year hiatus, and was thrilled to see the cambodian place gone. even when it was one of the few restaurants in the hood, i avoided it. it was terrible, bland food, and clearly the owner’s business sense matches his taste.
1:36 didn’t know how to order the right stuff on the menu! tho to be honest, i could never learn the names of stuff, i’d just say the number.
I’ve had the mac and cheese at Dumont’s and it is bland. Admittedly, I don’t eat meat and had the baconless version, but they should hang their heads in shame for serving up such a boring plate of stodge. I can make better at home with my eyes closed. Stop the hype!
I feel bad for the guy, but man, that Cambodian restaurant was *terrible*. Incredibly bland food, with very few exceptions, and yes JP, there were bizarre stipulations on the menu.
I cant believe the Greens closed. That place was awesome. Even though we are not vegetarians, my wife and I would drive from Ft Greene once every week or two to get dinner there. It was always busy. Any word on why it closed?
We live on 92nd & 3rd and have been anxiously awaiting the opening as well as other people we’ve spoken to so once he opens business should be good. Storefront he took over was a complete disaster and needed 100% gut reno. Anyone could plainly see it was a massive job. Too bad he didn’t have good advice from day 1.
that sucks about greens
That’s a really sad story about Jerry Ley/Cambodian Cuisine. I always questioned why they left when they had such a devoted following in the neighborhood. I hope it works out for him and the business.
People always look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them this, but does anyone else remember that there was fine print on the menu saying that if you stayed at your table more than 10 minutes after the check came, they’d charge you something like $5 extra? Given how slow the service was, I think most people were very happy to pay and leave finally. Food was great though.