Bao 111 at 111 Avenue C closed up shop at the end of February because of escalating rents...(Get this: the owner planned to move to the west side because it was less expensive.)
Anyway, the new owners are renovating the space, with hopes of opening by the end of the summer. They were very cordial, and told me it will be a restaurant featuring French-Carribbean fare.
Meanwhile, as the sign reads, Barnyard is open (last Tuesday was its first day, in fact), a high-end cheese and meat shop at 149 Avenue C just north of Ninth Street.
Bao 111 sucked. Long lines for mediocre overpriced food. if you want real vietnamese go to Chinatown. Much better, much cheaper.
ReplyDeleteI wish it would be a normal meat and cheese store, maybe some fish? Have I griped enough about this, why can't we have fresh food at reasonable prices in this neighborhood? At the farmer's market in front of Tompkins Square Park they sell fish for $17/pound. Yikes. More canned tuna for me.
ReplyDeleteHi Jill. I'm with you. It's a lovely little store. And the people working were so nice. They seemed really excited about the new store. Still. I looked at some of the prices...cheeses going for $25 a pound. Out of my price range.
ReplyDeleteGuys, in case you were not aware that "farmer's market" is an overpriced joke. The prices are gouged because they know east village idiots will pay those insane prices. thats why they hike all the way down here every sunday. go to east village chees the cheese there is cheap and good but you need cash. i'm sure you know about it. if not now you do its on 3rd ave.
ReplyDeleteseriously--avoid that farmer's market. its a complete joke.
another tidbit, the crowads that gather for the free soup on ave. a, you know...the mostly asian crowd? they're not poor at all. most of them live in public housing on 7th street and get the free soup cause its free. they do the same thing at tthe church on 8th and avenue b.