The idea of The Busy Chef, at 60 Henry Street, is one to be applauded. Regardless of one’s culinary prowess, real life often gets in the way of a homemade meal. The Busy Chef would like us to buy our entrees and desserts there – especially given that they stress that all their baked goods are made on premises. Like we said, the IDEA is one to be applauded. They sell pre-cooked food. Great IDEA.

The initial quagmire is a lack of heating directions. Admittedly basic, but it’s something that should be included with each entree.

In their absence, BHB put its state-of-the-art microwave in “reheat sensor,” thinking that the most logical option.

The first course for BHB included, vegetable lasagna, smoked chicken quesadilla and mini spinach quiches. The veggie lasagna brought mixed reviews from our crowd, some thought it not lasagna at all, some thought with more cooking time, it would have been fine. The chicken quesadilla offended no one, but the spinach quiche tasted too sweet as opposed to savory.

The entrees we opted for were grilled tuna steak with wasabi mayonaise and rice and an order of pulled pork. The rice was applauded by all, but the tuna steak, while presumably delicious upon its initial cooking, reheated dryly. The pulled pork received adequate reviews, but the meat in the entree was sparse and the sauce was a tad too sweet.

No complaints? The chocolate cake, their lattes, the free doggie biscuits in front of the store front and again, the IDEA. We are hopeful the execution will catch up.

Busy Chef, 60 Henry Street – 718 – 624 – 3182