Michael Huynh puts gourmet grocery with restaurant below into Third Av. space after neighbors nix gastropub.

        Michael Huynh stopped by his wife Thao’s new 19-seat Baoguette & Thao’s Noodles at 241 Third Avenue (20th St.) latish last night to rest his weary bones.  Thao, radiant in scarlet and the miniest skirt with tights, immediately slipped off her apron and slinked (or is it slunk) into the seat across from him, batting her eyelashes.

        “I own the place next door too,” said Huynh. “It’s huge.” He’s planning a gourmet grocery above a cellar eatery after the local board rejected his bid to do a gastropub. “I’m not permitted to serve alcohol after midnight,” he said.

        Meanwhile, he’s still 10 days or more away from opening DOB 111 on St. Mark’s Place. “I have to change the crazy design I did when I was crazy.  I’m calmer now. And we’re doing more because it’s going to be a real restaurant.  We’ll do lunch and brunch, dinner and late-night to make some money.”

        The Importance of Being Michael was apparent at dinner.  Except for the marvelous baoguettes – we had a classic and the spicy sloppy Joe – nothing I tasted had that oomph one finds in a Huynh restaurant, at least before he gets distracted by the next new venture.

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