Jeune's on Vandy

dh

Yep, I agree. I was really hoping Delicacies would go in the Blue Apron direction, but much of what they carried, you could get at Met Food. Now, Jeune's seems to be even more in the direction of Met Food and less "gourmet". I wish they would carry better meats and cheeses and breads that you can't get at the supermarket.

mr. tips

Peanut wrote: Lured out of lurkdom because I really want to support this place, but it really has an identity problem. I've been in twice--once, just to check it out (bought gelato), and another time looking for Parmigiano-Reggiano. (They don't have it--all of the cheese is now deli stuff.) The staff was really nice, but they responded to my request for Parm like I was asking for something totally outlandish. If they want to do this sort of shop, I wish they'd model if after Blue Apron. Otherwise, they would maybe do better to become a nice, reliable deli (and maybe lose the "Gourmet").

Parmigiano-Reggiano!!! Now I have to walk all the way to that cheese place on 7th...i forget the name, something delight? bah! They gots lots of cheese there - but its so FAR! bleh! bl-bl-bl-bleh!

zestor

I agree. I stopped by last weekend and while the people in the shop are really nice, I don't see the point of a fake gourmet shop. Boar's Head isn't going to cut it. Almost everything there you can get across the street at Met.

Delicacies had its problems and got a bit thin in its selection near the end, but it carried real bread (as well as things like croissants from Ceci-cela), and most importantly a real selection of imported and good domestic cheeses and meats. (which must have been their cash cow) In my opinion the kind of store that is going to be a real success will be one like Blue Apron, or even Bierkraft sans beer (or with beer!). I just don't see half efforts like Jeune's being very sucessful.

mr. tips

zestor wrote: I agree. I stopped by last weekend and while the people in the shop are really nice, I don't see the point of a fake gourmet shop. Boar's Head isn't going to cut it. Almost everything there you can get across the street at Met.

Delicacies had its problems and got a bit thin in its selection near the end, but it carried real bread (as well as things like croissants from Ceci-cela), and most importantly a real selection of imported and good domestic cheeses and meats. (which must have been their cash cow) In my opinion the kind of store that is going to be a real success will be one like Blue Apron, or even Bierkraft sans beer (or with beer!). I just don't see half efforts like Jeune's being very sucessful.

hehehehe, cheese and meat was their cash cow.

le chien

Subject: Jeune's

It became somewhat disheartening to witness the dearth of products at Delicacies - and even more so when the place reopened with a fancy new awning and... even less stuff. Right now, the selection is nearly nonexistent. However, it is a good sign that the owner seems to be reading the messages here and looking for ways to improve. In the interest of supporting local business I will continue to drop in and hope she takes these postings to heart. I'm not a businessperson and I don't know squat about running a food store, but I know this neighborhood cries out for a good, high-end foodshop. Here are some suggestions for "Jeune" (if that's her name):
1. Visit the Met. Anything they carry should not be on Jeune's shelves. No sense doubling up.
2. While you're making the rounds, check out some other (granted bigger) gourmet stores. Go to the Union Market. Sure, it's expensive, but look at all the great products they have. Ditto Adam & Eve on Montague. Or Sahadi's on Atlantic. This should provide "food for thought" as far as interesting items to stock. We'll pay a small premium for the convenience of having these in our neighborhood.
3. How about more organic products? Check out Perelanda on Remson Street - they do a huge business with only organic products.
4 Get back to the gourmet cheeses and meats Delicasies sold before. Check out the selection at Bierkraft on Fifth Avenue. They have a ridiculously huge (too much, in fact) selection of cheeses and other specialty foods you're not going to find in the supermarket.
5. Think about prepared foods/salads.
I know nothing about the economics of these suggestions, but I do know something along those lines would bring in more clientele, most important among them, of course, being me.
Good luck.

doctorj

zestor wrote: I stopped by last weekend and while the people in the shop are really nice, I don't see the point of a fake gourmet shop.

Well there could be a point to it. Maybe it's just a front to hide another operation -- they could be selling home heating oil on the sly, for example.

alafairnadia

doctorj wrote: [quote=zestor]I stopped by last weekend and while the people in the shop are really nice, I don't see the point of a fake gourmet shop.

Well there could be a point to it. Maybe it's just a front to hide another operation -- they could be selling home heating oil on the sly, for example.

from ... VENEZUELA?!?!?!?!

doctorj

alafairnadia wrote: [quote=doctorj][quote=zestor]I stopped by last weekend and while the people in the shop are really nice, I don't see the point of a fake gourmet shop.

Well there could be a point to it. Maybe it's just a front to hide another operation -- they could be selling home heating oil on the sly, for example.

from ... VENEZUELA?!?!?!?!

That's right. I suspect a fiendish plot by Chavez to undermine our American way of life by supplying home heating oil to the proletariat in Prospect Heights at below market prices, disguised as a "gourmet shop" right under the noses of the bourgeoisie. You heard it first here.

mr. tips

Mr. Tips wrote: [quote=Peanut]Lured out of lurkdom because I really want to support this place, but it really has an identity problem. I've been in twice--once, just to check it out (bought gelato), and another time looking for Parmigiano-Reggiano. (They don't have it--all of the cheese is now deli stuff.) The staff was really nice, but they responded to my request for Parm like I was asking for something totally outlandish. If they want to do this sort of shop, I wish they'd model if after Blue Apron. Otherwise, they would maybe do better to become a nice, reliable deli (and maybe lose the "Gourmet").

Parmigiano-Reggiano!!! Now I have to walk all the way to that cheese place on 7th...i forget the name, something delight? bah! They gots lots of cheese there - but its so FAR! bleh! bl-bl-bl-bleh!

D'Vine Taste!!! Thats the place.


EDIT: Stoopid broken img

mateo

I was going to post this in the Delicacies closing thread, but found this one. And what I was going to say is basically what has already been said.

I stopped into Jeune's this weekend and turned around after about 2 minutes. I was crushed and disappointed. I don't need bodega food. If I want a Boarshead and cheddar sandwich on a roll, the bodega across the street from me does it just fine. And for like two bucks. And frankly, I find the comparisons to the Met to be derogatory to the Met. They have a better cheese selection than Jeune's.

What do I want out of the store? Basically, the same thing that Delicacies was providing. A wide selection of gourmet meats and cheeses. The baseline selection should be something that you find at a wine bar. I would buy other things at the old Delicacies... the fig loaf I tried a couple of times was a real hit at a couple of dinners I brought them to. But I bought it because I came for the cheese counter. And because the previous owner suggested it as a good pairing for one of the cheeses I bought. In the couple minutes I was in Jeune's on Sunday, the guy behind the meat/cheese counter was asking someone if they wanted mayo. That's a different kind of pairing for a different kind of store.

It's not a difficult business model to figure out. There's tons of examples scattered across New York. There's the place that's been mentioned in Park Slope as well as Bierkraft which has also been previously mentioned. That would be the type of store that I would want to patronize and the market segment that I see currently unfulfilled. Others may disagree and I hope Jeune's is a success. But for me, I see no reason to patronize Jeune's as it is currently constituted.

doctorj

Maybe I was wrong about the home heating oil.

I checked it out expecting to be disappointed on account of the comments here, and was pleasantly surprised. They actually stock a few items that I have no idea where else to get in the neighborhood. For example: there was some real bread! And tarama. And some specialties I occasionally pick up at PSFC if I can stand it in there long enough to locate them. I think I'll actually be more likely to stop at Jeunes on the way home from the Met than I ever was with Delicacies. For some nice staples from a nice shop, rather than high end stuff for rare special occasions.

mateo

Stopped in here Saturday night. Was in a rush and needed some items for a picnic. And have to say, better than the last time I was in there. They're making an effort to bring it back upscale. At a minimum, they've earned another visit in the future.

old time brooklyn

How does this place expect to succeed when they're never open?

old time brooklyn

I guess they're permanently closed?

arches

i just walked by...they seemed to be open.

carnivore

arches wrote: i just walked by...they seemed to be open.

Me too. Definitely still open.

old time brooklyn

Hmmm, weird. They don't post their hours. Can't see a business like this lasting much longer with such capricious hours.

old time brooklyn

Based on the new real estate sign in the window, the business is for sale.

Hahahaha. That's hilarious. What are they selling exactly? A badly run business with no identity and little-to-no customer base? I'll give them 100 bucks for that dump.