I am just guessing, but it could have just been all the new restaurant competition in the neighborhood. Bonfire was a "pioneer" in terms of being the first of the new wave of restaurants that have opened around Austin St. When I first went to it, I thought the food was pretty good, especially compared to some of the legacy places nearby. Then, I went again, and again, and the food's quality just noticeably plummeted to all but unedible I thought. A simple dish like chicken was just lousy. I started to stay away. Eventually I tried it again with some friends and found it better again.
All in all, I think if a restaurant is not consistently good in Forest Hills now, it just doesn't stand a chance (unless it is a legacy place with loyal customers who have been going to it for decades.)
So, a possibility is it scared people off with that decline in quality and many just decided to go elsewhere to all the new places that have since opened.
New people are coming to Forest Hills with actual TASTEBUDS!!! Queens is currently getting gentrified and thank goodness!! Tired of this borough being the butt of working class jokes...The injection of stylish (and wealthy) youth will ensure we start getting some cooler places (it's already been happening with Station House, End of Century Bar, Jack & Nellies, etc...) .
Its the owners of Jack & Nellie's who are taking this over! Seems like it's going to be a winner! http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150527/forest-hills/jack-nellies-team-open-new-restaurant-on-austin-street
Super excited for this new addition to the Forest Hills dining scene! Would be nice if that scaffolding finally came down-doesn't seem to be any actual work going on at that building.
Hopefully not Karl Rove...October surprise?
ReplyDeleteSeriously. I thought the same thing, and shuddered.
Deleteanybody know why bonfire closed? we discovered the food was good a week before they disappeared.
DeleteI am just guessing, but it could have just been all the new restaurant competition in the neighborhood. Bonfire was a "pioneer" in terms of being the first of the new wave of restaurants that have opened around Austin St. When I first went to it, I thought the food was pretty good, especially compared to some of the legacy places nearby. Then, I went again, and again, and the food's quality just noticeably plummeted to all but unedible I thought. A simple dish like chicken was just lousy. I started to stay away. Eventually I tried it again with some friends and found it better again.
DeleteAll in all, I think if a restaurant is not consistently good in Forest Hills now, it just doesn't stand a chance (unless it is a legacy place with loyal customers who have been going to it for decades.)
So, a possibility is it scared people off with that decline in quality and many just decided to go elsewhere to all the new places that have since opened.
Just a theory.
New people are coming to Forest Hills with actual TASTEBUDS!!! Queens is currently getting gentrified and thank goodness!! Tired of this borough being the butt of working class jokes...The injection of stylish (and wealthy) youth will ensure we start getting some cooler places (it's already been happening with Station House, End of Century Bar, Jack & Nellies, etc...) .
DeleteIts the owners of Jack & Nellie's who are taking this over! Seems like it's going to be a winner! http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150527/forest-hills/jack-nellies-team-open-new-restaurant-on-austin-street
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150527/forest-hills/jack-nellies-team-open-new-restaurant-on-austin-street
ReplyDeleteSuper excited for this new addition to the Forest Hills dining scene! Would be nice if that scaffolding finally came down-doesn't seem to be any actual work going on at that building.
ReplyDeleteNow if they could just take down the 10 year old scaffolding around that building maybe the business will have a chance.
ReplyDelete