Tag Archives | dan kaufman
Brooklyn Heights Busted Chef Reborn as The Montauk Grifter

Brooklyn Heights Busted Chef Reborn as The Montauk Grifter

By on February 14, 2012 7:59 pm in crime

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 →

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Busy Chef Given Probation

By on April 5, 2010 2:21 pm in crime

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.

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“Busy Chef” Kaufman Goes to Trial July 23

By on June 24, 2009 5:07 pm in Brooklyn Heights, crime

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 →

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Busted Again: The Busy Chef Never Rests!

By on June 18, 2009 2:46 pm in crime

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 →

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Alan Young, Attorney and Busy Chef Partner Disbarred

By on June 16, 2009 7:00 pm in News

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.

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Busted Chef Case Still Pending

By on January 22, 2009 11:55 pm in Brooklyn Heights, crime, News

Former manager of the Busy Chef restaurants on Henry Street, Daniel “Busted Chef”Kaufman, is awaiting a trial date for 24 counts of alleged fraud after appearing in Kings County Criminal Court on Dec. 26, 2008. Kaufman, who faces seven years in jail after allegedly stealing approximately $25,000 from former customers’ credit cards, is undergoing a criminal investigation.

Kaufman, who managed former Brooklyn Heights establishments Wine Bar at 50 Henry, Busy Chef, Blue Pig Ice Cream, and Oven, was arrested in July 2008 for the alleged fraud, after which his businesses were shut down, causing dozens of workers to lose their jobs. After his arrest, Kaufman’s former partner and landlord Alan Young reportedly locked him out of his apartment. According to The Brooklyn Paper, some claim that Young was using Kaufman as a scapegoat for larger white-collar crimes.

Kaufman’s alleged fraud in Brooklyn was not the first time he has had financial troubles with restaurants. Prior to relocating to Brooklyn Heights, Kaufman owned the South Kitchen and Wine Bar in Boston. He opened the business back in 2005, and by 2006 its doors were closed. As the restaurant’s sales plummeted, Kaufman reportedly neglected to pay approximately $40,000 in rent to his former landlord, Michael Devlin. Continue Reading →

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Busted Chef, 89 Others on B’Paper’s 2009 Watch List

By on January 2, 2009 12:20 am in Brooklyn Heights

Hot on the heels of the BHB Ten, the Brooklyn Paper has named its 90 to Watch in ’09.  Coming in at number 2 is Brooklyn Heights’ own Dan “Busted Chef” Kaufman:

Brooklyn Paper: 90 to Watch…: 2. Dan Kaufman: The co-owner of the Busy Chef restaurants, who was arrested last year on charges of swindling customers out of thousands by stealing their credit card numbers. But the fun is only beginning: This year, Kaufman’s trial will start — and his lawyer is saying that Kaufman is just a “patsy” for shadowy Brooklyn Heights restaurant partner Alan Young, whose eateries fold like origami. This is going to be the trial of the century!

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New Life at Wine Bar

By on December 29, 2008 12:26 pm in Brooklyn Heights

The bright yellow exterior of the storefront at 50 Henry Street is now a more subdued shade of cranberry. According to workers at site formerly known at the Wine Bar at 50 Henry Street, an “American restaurant” will be opening there soon.

The wine bar and its sister stores Busy Chef, Blue Pig and Oven were shut down earlier this year when manager Dan Kaufman was accused of credit card fraud and identity theft.  Kaufman’s latest court appearance was scheduled for last Friday (12/26).  No further information is available at this time.

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Busted Chef Case Still Going

By on November 3, 2008 9:25 am in Brooklyn Heights

Dan “Busted Chef” Kaufman’s next day in court will be December 26, 2008 as determined at his last court appearance on October 15, according to Kings County Criminal Court records.  Contrary to erroneous reports on the Internets, no decision or plea have been recorded.

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Hooters? Not Likely

By on October 31, 2008 5:17 pm in Food, Government


We’ve heard that some people on the Internets have mentioned a “rumor” started by “someone who posted a sign” at 60 Henry regarding a Hooters moving into that space.   First, let’s just all calm down and remember the whole “Cigar Bar” hoax of 2007 (and its lame follow up Penelope’s Playspace) at that same location.   Add to that the fact that Community Board 2 has not received notification for any establishment seeking to serve alcohol at 60 Henry.  Not to mention that there’s no LPC application asking to hang, say, a giant HOOTERS SIGN at that location.  We’ve contacted Hooters PR and are awaiting a response on this story as well.

However we are grateful this “rumor” gives us the license to use this awesome clip from South Park.

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Action at Busy Chef

By on October 9, 2008 10:34 am in News

As BHB Community member “Yo” pointed out yesterday, there’s something going on at the site formerly known as Busy Chef at 60 Henry Street.   There also seems to be activity at the old Wine Bar space at 50 Henry Street.  BHB regular nabeguy commented yesterday, “I also saw the activity in the Wine Bar space. I presumed that the broker-type was Alan Young spinning his web, but may be wrong. When I asked the guy who’s been watching the places lately if something was moving in, the question was met with a blank stare.”

Busy Chef, the Wine Bar at 50 Henry and Oven were all shut down over the summer after one of its employees Dan Kaufman was arrested and charged with several counts including identity theft related to credit card fraud. The case is currently before a Brooklyn Grand Jury.

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Busted Chef’s Apartment Ransacked

By on August 7, 2008 8:22 am in Brooklyn Heights, crime, Food, News

The Brooklyn Paper reports that “Busted Chef” Dan Kaufman’s Pierrepont Street apartment – which the paper writes he rents from Busy Chef owner Alan Young – had its locks changed and was ransacked this week.  The paper’s calls to Young for comment went unanswered:

Brooklyn Paper: Busted Chef…: For the record, Brill said his client is innocent of the identity theft and credit card fraud charges, claiming instead that Kaufman was a scapegoat of larger crimes by Young and others.

The paper also steps up to the plate today and sheds light on Nasser “Nando” Ghorchian’s dealings with Alan Young and the Busy Chef related businesses.

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NY Times on the Busted Chef

By on August 4, 2008 8:22 am in Brooklyn Heights

Today the NY Times writes about the Busted Chef drama:

New York Times: Charges and Closed Shops Rattle..: Yet while the new establishments drew sizable crowds and seemed to have a promising future, there were disturbing rumblings about Mr. Kaufman. More than a year ago, commenters on the Brooklyn Heights Blog accused him of financial sleight of hand and outright fraud. Some employees said their paychecks began bouncing about three months ago.

Some also said that Alan Young, an owner of the businesses, told them within the last few weeks that Mr. Kaufman no longer worked for him and should not be allowed on the premises.

“I thought Dan was an owner — we all did, because he passed himself off as one,” said Farrah Powell, a manager at the Wine Bar. “I never met the real owners until all of this came to light. I think that was by Dan’s design, so we’d have no one higher up to talk to about his behavior.”

…Julia Horowitz, who owns the Blue Pig in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., and was a partner in the Henry Street shop, said Mr. Kaufman was a “con man who bamboozled the whole community” even as he was given full autonomy to run the shops. But Mr. Brill said that Mr. Kaufman was a victim of corrupt business practices by others and described him as “almost a patsy.”

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Wine Bar at 50 Henry Shut Down

By on July 30, 2008 5:44 pm in crime, News

The Brooklyn Eagle reports today that The Wine Bar at 50 Henry has shut down for good in the wake of the Busted Chef scandal.  As former manager/co-owner Dan Kaufman awaits indictments from a grand jury that is meeting this week, employees at the Wine Bar were told today that they were out of work and the bar was shutting down.  Yesterday, The Blue Pig, Oven and The Busy Chef at 60 Henry Street were shut down in addition to another Busy Chef on Court Street that shut down last week.  The entire Busy Chef Empire has now crumbled in the wake of the Kaufman’s alleged credit card fraud.

The Wine Bar at 50 Henry was clearly the most popular of the BCE establishments.  Its casual atmosphere and friendly staff were a big draw.   Led by restaurant vet Amanda Green, the bar opened in January and quickly won a following.  It was still growing when Green passed away in June.

Now in the shadow of alleged criminal activity,  the one light of hope in the ongoing saga of the Corner of Cranberry has been turned off.  Today, you can add the names of the BCE employees who are jobless to the list of reported victims of the alleged crimes of the Busted Chef.

What’s next for the Corner of Cranberry?

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Corner of Cranberry: What’s Next?

By on July 30, 2008 3:10 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Commercial Real Estate, Food, News

UPDATE: Sadly, it appears now that the Wine Bar at 50 Henry Street, the best by far of the lot, has closed, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.

With news that three four of the four “Corner of Cranberry” businesses have been shuttered (looks like the liquor license for the 60 Henry businesses expires tomorrow), we’re wondering what’s next for the seemingly accursed location. What will Ghorchian and Young, Brooklyn Heights’ very own wannabe Drew Nieporents and once rulers of what Gothamist called an “Empire of Feh”,  launch next? A Cigar Bar? Bring back Food Maestro? We’re hoping the Wine Bar remains, since it is really a lovely place.

It’s worth noting that trouble seems to follow Mr. Ghorchian and Mr. Young’s ventures like a bad smell. In addition to the various “Corner of Cranberry” debacles, Mr. Ghorchian was involved with Mike’s Kosher Steakhouse, which closed shortly after Mikel Domgjoni was arrested for allegedly forcing himself on an 18-year-old waitress (whatever happened to that story?). They were both involved with failed enterprises at 111 Court Street before it was Busy Chef (Cafe 111, liquor license) and at 311Henry Street before it was Tazza (Cafe del Mar, liquor license). And Mr. Young was involved in a botched, complicated scheme to open casinos on land in upstate New York supposedly held by a Native American tribe not recognized by the federal government (Young was cleared of all charges).

We applaud their tenacity, but maybe it’s time to allow some new blood in the Heights food scene.

Note: According to the Alcohol, Beverage, and Control Laws, Article 8, Section 106:

Provisions   governing   licensees   to   sell  at  retail  for consumption on the  premises.  1.  No  retail  license  for  on-premises consumption  shall  be  granted  for  any premises, unless the applicant shall be the owner thereof, or shall be in possession of  said  premises under  a  lease, in writing, for a term not less than the license period except, however, that such license may thereafter be renewed without the requirement of a lease as herein provided.

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