When Bagel Stop closed down in December, we began wondering who would take up that prime real estate next to the train station. We didn’t have to wonder long, because it was just a two or so weeks until a new tenant opened shop.
Dish D’Lish opened without a sign, and they asked us not to report until it went up. Well, it went up this Sunday. So everyone welcome our newest bagel/deli/pastry place, which has some neato sandwiches you’ll be hearing about later.
For now, we look forward to what you have to say about the new store.
(Courtesy of Lisanne Anderson)
Bagel Stop & Deli has had a rough couple of years. First Dunkin’ Donuts opened up across the street (at the former location of Bagel Station). Then Bagel Boy opened just a few blocks away. But at 1424 Sheepshead Bay Road, Bagel Stop should’ve had the advantage, since it was closer to the train station than any other bagel place could be. Yet business seemed to struggle over the past couple of years, and, finally, it has shuttered its storefront. Reader Lisanne Anderson caught this photo yesterday, and said all of the tables and counters had been removed. She said workers told her the building was sold, pushing them to close. We have to wonder, though, as this is an increasingly popular excuse.
It's a miracle! Common sense prevails in DOT sign changes at Bassett Deli
Way back in October we told you about the bad sign situation in front of Bassett Deli and Caterers on Avenue X and East 14th Street. At the time, the “Stop Sign Ahead” caution blocked the “Alternate Side Parking” sign, causing many customers to become victims of the city’s agressive ticket policies. Police stalked the intersection, waiting for unwitting violators.
Well, no longer. Local drivers and customers at Bassett Deli and Caterers won’t be victimized by this ghost sign anymore.
Early Thanksgiving week, workers from the Department of Transportation arrived to make adjustments. According to Frank Bassett, owner of the neighborhood institution, DOT sought to swap their positions, so the alternate side parking sign blocked the stop sign ahead. But an employee of the deli with a little more common sense came out and suggested that they put both signs on one post. In an amazing instance of bureaucratic clarity, they listened! They’ve removed one pole entirely, and both signs are finally equally visible. Continue Reading »
Bassett Deli and Caterers on Avenue X and East 14th Street is a Sheepshead Bay institution and community favorite. A community they’ve been serving for many years. However there’s a problem, one that rears it’s ugly head every week on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m: alternate side of the street parking.
Owner Frank Bassett says business dies down like clockwork as the rule takes effect during what would be their busy lunch rush. To make matters worse, the sign warning drivers that they can’t park there is completely obscured by a “Stop Ahead” sign. When asked about its placement, Bassett exclaimed, “It’s a nightmare!”
Bassett Deli made requests with the Department of Sanitation to change the placement of the signs in the past, but pleas for help fell on deaf ears. Bassett says predatory traffic officers routinely come and lie in wait for an oblivious customer to make a mistake and park there, hurting the famed business and local residents, too. In order to help his clientèle, Bassett puts out their own custom sign on Wednesdays to warn of the impending danger.
Meanwhile, the “Stop Sign Ahead” sign seems totally unnecessary. That particular block is very short, and the stop signs are clearly visible from as far as two blocks away. One of our local pol’s should look into the matter and help a local business out. The best we could hope for is a rescheduling of the street sweeping to a less intrusive time slot, and at least the Department of Transportation can switch the placement of the two signs so the street cleaning notice is clearly visible to all drivers. Just in case I’ll be returning to the spot on Monday and using the city’s new 311 iPhone-app to file a complaint that way.
Shortly after our post this afternoon stating that Cherry Hill Market at Lundy’s was fully stocked, though still closed, the restaurant/market – or market/restaurant – opened for business.
We stopped by this evening and found samples spread out on a table for all to try. The cash registers were cha-chinging as the first customers filed through with their purchases. Food servers at the sample table told us the establishment officially opened for business around 4pm or 5pm. Staff also informed us that this was not the “grand opening”. Instead it was a “soft opening” – a smart move given the heated controversy surrounding the store.
Speaking of which, we weren’t able to ask the owner, David Isaev, about the stop work order, but the document on the building’s front door makes it seem as if the store’s management believes that the situation has been resolved.
Meanwhile, at the Sheepshead Bay/Plumb Beach Civic Association meeting, board members were puzzled as to the status of the establishment, and hinted at the possibility of challenging Cherry Hill’s decision to open.
We’re still uncertain as to the status of the stop work order and the legality of the opening. We expect more information tomorrow.
The doors of the famed Lundy’s building were locked and the sentry posted at the front entrance in recent days was nowhere to be found. But, what was to be found?
Through the smudged window where curiosity-seekers had put their faces up to the glass to see what was going on inside, we could see all sorts of groceries and goods.
Fresh flowers on the tiered platform. Nuts in plastic bags. Chocolates. Refrigerator full of what looked like Sabra Mediterranean products. Cheerios and boxes of cereal stacked high. Oh, and yes, the baskets. Who can forget those thousands of dust collecting baskets hanging upside down from the ceiling?
There are no grand opening signs — but, there is a signed Letter of Completion issued to George Guttmann (of 2300 E 13 St) on April 4, 2009 by the Borough Commissioner of Brooklyn, though.
Maybe at tonight’s meeting, we’ll hear more about when the store will be open.
Or, maybe not. Accurate information about the store has been very hard to get. So hard, in fact, it’s beginning to look like management is not really “opening up” to the community at all.
If anyone knows when the store will open for business, please let us know.
Ocean Avenue Bagels at 2965 Ocean Avenue has passed their latest followup inspection. We’re happy to report that on January 13, 2009, inspectors found only five sanitary violations that added up to 18 points. While this number is still above the NYC restaurant average of 16, at least the bagel shop won’t have to expect the inspector for a while.
In our last write-up, we gave some recommended reading to the management of Ocean Avenue Bagels about how to cut down on some of those flying critters. This inspection doesn’t mention anything about flies, so it looks like they took some immediate action.
When I saw on EveryBlock that Ocean Avenue Bagels got 35 violation points on their inspection, I was a bit surprised. The shop near Ave Z, which is listed as Bagel Boy on Merchant Circle and Ocean Avenue Bagelette on Google Maps, looked so clean since it opened not so long ago. The whole place was airy, and well-lit — but that didn’t seem to help them on December 1, 2008 when the inspector showed up.
I had spoken to one of the owners some time last summer and she told me all about the food choices and catering services they offer. The food looked appealing in the glass enclosed display cases, but I was just looking for a cup of coffee — so I didn’t try anything.
In July, they got six points. In November, they got 23 points. In December, it was up to 35 points. This increase in points means that they will be expecting the inspector to come knocking very soon.
There was “evidence of flying insects or live flying insects present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas” listed as one of the violations. It must not be too easy in the winter weather to have a problem with flies.
Since Ocean Avenue Bagels is one of the only places left in Sheepshead Bay to get a Chock Full o’Nuts cup of coffee (sorry, Starbucks), I have a real interest in making sure they pass their next inspection.
With that said, I’d like to delicately suggest to the shop’s owners to check out this Ezine article entitled “House Flies – Unwanted Winter Guests”.
If all of Vernon Stent’s suggestions about how to get rid of those unwanted restaurant patrons don’t work, then next on the reading list is “Air Curtains & Air Doors” from the September 2008 edition of Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazine.
Ocean Avenue Bagels, get ready and start reading!
