Mexican restaurant Jalapeno closed suddenly this week, after about three years on Columbus between 68th and 69th streets. The restaurant will soon become “Bar Bomboloni”, a larger offshoot of the cafe next door that serves small Italian doughnuts.
Jalapeno got mixed reviews, but appeared to have developed a local following. It’s closure was a surprise to some. One reader tells us she had planned to go on Tuesday night only to find paper over the windows.
Bar Bomboloni is expected to open this spring and will serve Italian food and wine, according to a post on Bomboloni’s facebook page.
“Enjoy our famous bomboloni, an espresso or now enjoy one of our “piccolo piatti”, small plates of regional Italioan food, or savor an artisanal wine by the glass. We are still…….La Dolce Vita!!!!”
Owner David Ruggerio explained more about why Jalapeno closed in an email to us:
“It was not the failure of Jalapeno, but rather the success of Bomboloni. The store outgrew it’s space, especially during times when there is inclement weather, having so few seats hurt us.
Bommboloni is a real grass roots success. We have never done a lot of press, instead much of its success is due to word of mouth.
Besides enlarging Columbus Avenue, we are expanding to Lincoln Road in Miami and LAX Airport.”
Jalapeno was actually supposed to replace Lansky’s on 71st and Columbus (another Ruggerio restaurant), but that deal fell through.
A Jalapeno employee who contacted us by email said owner David Ruggerio had not paid the staff at Jalapeno their last paycheck. But Ruggerio denied this: “All employees were paid in full when we decided to change to Bomboloni. That included their vacation pay.”
From bad to worse. Glad to see Jalapeño gone, but not looking forward to an expansion of the heavy, grease-laden doughnuts they’re pedaling.
How is it that we suddenly find ourselves drowning in cheap wine, yet still nowhere to go for a drink?
This! –> “How is it that we suddenly find ourselves drowning in cheap wine, yet still nowhere to go for a drink?”
That -> This! –> “How is it that we suddenly find ourselves drowning in cheap wine, yet still nowhere to go for a drink?”
This and That! –> “How is it that we suddenly find ourselves drowning in cheap wine, yet still nowhere to go for a drink?”
Interesting news. This concept could be pretty successful if the wines really are artisanal and the savory food is as creative as the sweets are at Bomboloni. Best of luck.
After giving Jalapeno a number of early tries the first few months it was open, it became an inexpensive place for my husband and I to eat on a friday night when we were too tired to leave the neighborhood. We found the staff always friendly and welcoming; they knew us and we knew them. We had certain favorite dishes that we stuck to, and with a couple of cocktails, could get out of there for less than a fortune (unlike the case with all of the other places in Lincoln Square)…in short, we will miss it. We appreciated it for what it was: an affordable and flavorful addition to our neighborhood.
If I want a good doughnut, I go to the Doughnut Plant. I would have liked to have kept my Mexican.
This guy is notorious and lots of legal problems continue to follow him. Not surprised he has not paid staff. Feel free to Google him and find out for yourself.
I think most people know him by now. He was often hanging around and is quite well known.
The fact that the kitchen staff and the wait staff as well as the manager were there for the duration says something though. I don’t believe they would have stayed for the entire time the place was open if they’d been treated poorly. Though I don’t doubt them if they claim they haven’t received their last checks.
Marco Canora, bring us a Terroir. Bring us a Vin Sur Vingt! We need business owners with more passion in their hearts than dollar signs in their eyes.
I noticed they are showing an A rating where Jalopena used to be. Why is that? It was always a B. I guess they get Bambolonis A rating as they will merge the spaces. Lanskys was horrible. Jalopena not much better. Bambolonis is pretty decent. Nice staff there, but this owner has a horrible reputation. He’s a flipper, and why does he get to continually open and close shoddy places. Boycott the opening.
well i hope you all saw help me Howard went to bombaloni glenn young and david ruggerio of coure were not around I cant wait to see them arrested for all the dealings I hope howard will contact all the partners that were involved in his rest i am sure they will have alot to say…he is finnealy geting back what he has done to all his staff and investors check out the investments at TDR group his wife and others will take your funds wow
Jalepenio closed because the staff was not paid and walked out. No other reason. No one to run the restaurant.
Passed by Bomboloni today and there is a for lease sign in the window – closed in the middle of the day on a Saturday?
What happened – they had such big plans…
WE ARE ALL WAITING TO SEE WHAT HE OPENS NEXT SO HELP ME HOWARD AND HIS CREW CAN SHOW UP I CANT WAIT