Tag Archives | busted chef
Brooklyn Heights Busted Chef Reborn as The Montauk Grifter

Brooklyn Heights Busted Chef Reborn as The Montauk Grifter

We hate to say “we told you so,” but we told you so. The Notorious Busted Chef, Dan Kaufman, is up to his conning ways again. Gawker reports today that Kaufman was busted last month in Montauk by NYPD detectives:

Read BHB’s original coverage of the Busted Chef saga now.

Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 24 }

Sex, Lies, and the Busted Chef

“Awesome Slut”, whose eponymous site won the “best sex blog” award from the Village Voice this year, tells all in her confessional “the mistakes we make” about an affair with Daniel Kaufman a/k/a Daniel Kay a/k/a Daniel Katze a/k/a the Busted Chef, whose true identity she discovered through a Google link to BHB.

Caveat: the language in Ms. Slut’s post is, in Homer’s words, “very Penthouse Forum.”

Read full story · Comments { 6 }

Busy Chef Given Probation

We hadn’t seen any information about the ongoing Busy Chef/Dan Kaufman case recently so we reached out to the Kings County District Attorney’s office. We learned that Kaufman plead guilty on December 2 to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. On February 8 he was sentenced to five years probation.

Read full story · Comments { 11 }

“Busy Chef” Kaufman Goes to Trial July 23

080708bzchefInfamous Busted Chef Daniel Kaufman pleaded not guilty to two felony charges in a Manhattan court yesterday, stemming from an incident last December when he allegedly stole his friend’s credit card.

Kaufman was arraigned on charges of grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, and released on his own recognizance. His trial is set to begin July 23. Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

Busted Again: The Busy Chef Never Rests!

080708bzchefBHB has discovered charges of grand larceny and criminal possession of a stolen credit card against “Busted Chef” Daniel Kaufman in Manhattan from earlier this year.

According to the criminal complaint, Kaufman was arrested on Jan. 20 for an incident on Dec. 19 on the Upper East Side in which he allegedly stole a credit card Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 17 }

Checkers opens on Court Street

(BHB/Sarah Portlock)

(BHB/Sarah Portlock)

The fast-food joint Checkers opened on Tuesday at 111 Court St., in the former Busy Chef spot, bringing yet another hamburger option for Downtown Brooklynites. Franchise owner Shaista Siddiqui told BHB she’s excited “to become part of this community.”

The restaurant serves burgers, bacon-wrapped burgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, and delicious spicy fries. And, the milkshakes are thick and taste wonderful. Best of all, there’s a cute outdoor patio in the back if you weave around the hallway, past the bathrooms (see photo below).

Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 6 }

Text of Alan Young’s disbarment

The full text of the disbarment of attorney Alan Young — who was a part-owner in the Busy Chef empire and scandal and listed on numerous  liquor licenses — is available online here. Judges at the state’s appellate court, the Second Judicial Department, ruled on April 21 to accept Young’s resignation from the Brooklyn bar. Per the decision:

Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 1 }

Alan Young, Attorney and Busy Chef Partner Disbarred

The Brooklyn Eagle reports that Alan Young, former Busy Chef, Oven, Wine Bar at 50 Henry and Blue Pig owner (as well as other businesses at those Henry Street addresses) has been disbarred.  The eateries were shuttered last year after manager Dan Kaufman was busted on charges of credit card fraud and identity theft.  The case against Kaufman is still pending.

There has been no word on whether Young will be charged or is suspected of being involved in any wrong doing in the “Busted Chef” case.  However, the Eagle report says that he is  under investigation on another matter:

The Brooklyn Law School graduate submitted his resignation in November, acknowledging “his inability to successfully defend himself on the merits against any disciplinary charges which may be brought against him…,” according to the Appellate Division, Second Department opinion and order issued in April.

Young was being investigated by grievance committees in three separate New York judicial districts, including the Second Judicial District, for alleged “irregularities in his attorney escrow account.” The Appellate Division immediately accepted his resignation, ordered his disbarment, and demanded that he immediately surrender his attorney secure pass.

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

Sidewalk seating at Heights Wine Bar

First restaurateurs Mark Lahm and Jim Montemarano brought back the wine bar at 50 Henry St., and now they’re applying for sidewalk seating!

The new Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar filed the sidewalk café application with Community Board 2’s transportation committee this month, and will present its plans at the committee’s meeting on June 16. Lahm has said that he hopes to open the bar within the next few weeks.

According to the application, Lahm and Montemarano want to construct and operate an unenclosed sidewalk café with six tables and 12 seats, and set up at the northwest corner of Cranberry Street at Henry Street.

Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 1 }

Checkers Readies Court Street Store

checkers_exterior_mkmetzThe Checkers burger chain is hard at work preparing its new Downtown Brooklyn location.   The outlet will occupy the former Busy Chef space at 111 Court Street. [photo via McBrooklyn]

Read full story · Comments { 5 }

Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar to open in 3 weeks!

((Mark Lahm, left, of Henry's End, and Jim Montemarano, of Cranberry's, are opening the Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar in three weeks (BHB/Sarah Portlock))

((Mark Lahm, left, of Henry's End, and Jim Montemarano, of Cranberry's, are opening the Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar in three weeks (BHB/Sarah Portlock))

The owners of the new Brooklyn Heights Wine Bar were out this morning putting final touches on their new space at 50 Henry St., and owner Mark Lahm said the spot will be open within the next three weeks.

“We wished we could have opened earlier, but there were things out of our control,” Lahm said. “There’s one piece of officialdom we haven’t gotten yet,” but did not elaborate.

On Friday, the State Liquor Authority approved their application and granted them their all-important liquor license. Part of the timing delay, Lahm has explained, is because they wanted to get their own license and not be affiliated in any way with the former Wine Bar at 50 Henry spot that closed in the wake of the Busy Chef scandal last summer.

The paper curtains were down today to reveal new furniture, but Lahm said the curtains might go back up while they put the finishing touches on the completely-redone space. They are also finalizing the menu, which he said early on would be a collection of small plates of cheeses, charcuterie, soups, and “interesting salads.”

Lahm also owns Henry’s End at 44 Henry St., and is partnering with Jim Montemarano, who owns the coffee shop Cranberry’s at 48 Henry St., on the wine bar project.

Read full story · Comments { 8 }

Busy Chef Space on Henry Now a Free Agent

Looks like eviction proceedings against the many faces of the Busy Chef Empire were successful as this NYC Marshall’s notice posted at 60 Henry Street indicates.  No official word yet on whether bakery Sweet Melissa will take over the space.

Read full story · Comments { 6 }

This Just In: Checkers Moving Into Busy Chef’s Court

company_overview1

Local blog Flappy Days reports that the Checkers burger chain will be moving into the former Busy Chef Space at 111 Court Street:

Flappy Days: As I was walking to work this morning, the door was open and two men were looking over plans, so I asked them what was coming in. Ladies and gentlemen, your new neighbor is:

Checker’s Restaurant

They also mentioned they’d be serving vegan burgers, although I don’t see those listed on the corporate site.

The Busy Chef Empire crumbled last summer over allegations of credit card fraud and identity theft.   Last month, the store and its affiliates were evicted from their Henry Street location.

BHB is currently seeking confirmation on this story.

Update: Jim Nellis at Checkers tells BHB via email:

Yes, I’m pleased to confirm a Checker’s Restaurant is scheduled to open at this location. Current plans call for a June opening and more details will be available as we get closer to the opening. Looking forward to becoming a part of the Brooklyn Heights community. Thanks for your interest.

Read full story · Comments { 41 }

Busy Chef evicted at Henry St. corner

The storefronts in question (BHB/Sarah Portlock)

The storefronts in question (BHB/Sarah Portlock)

And, the eviction notices posted in the window (BHB/Sarah Portlock)

And, the eviction notices posted in the window (BHB/Sarah Portlock)

Eviction notices went up today at the former Busy Chef spot at 60 Henry St., at the corner of Cranberry Street. The four signs are addressed to “John or Jane Doe” and several shell names that the partners behind the Busy Chef empire have long used, including The Busy Chef Oven, Julia’s Blue Pig, Rue Henri Corp, and XYZ Corp.

Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 2 }

Sweet news! New Sweet Melissa’s in Busy Chef Spot on Henry?

Sweet Melissa Patisserie in Cobble Hill (photo courtesy Murphy)

Sweet Melissa Patisserie in Cobble Hill (photo courtesy Murphy)

Sweet Melissa’s Patisserie may be moving into the neighborhood by early summer — and taking over the former Busy Chef and Blue Pig spots at 60 Henry St.

Owner Melissa Murphy told the Brooklyn Heights Blog today that she’s always wanted to open in Brooklyn Heights, and that she’s had her eye on that corner at Cranberry Street for a while. She’s even scouting potential investors to help her with the expansion, she said.

“We’re trying to see if something’s possible,” Murphy said. “We’re really acting as if it’s going to happen, and we’re hoping that the universe helps us figure it out.”

Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 31 }