With the concept of preserving Texas food culture still fresh on my mind after the recent Foodways Texas Symposium, I became aware of three losses to our local food community last week. Restaurateur Art Blondin confirmed the closure of Artz Rib House (2330 S. Lamar) but said he hopes to reopen soon in another location with the same great ribs, funky vibe, and frequent live music. We’ll keep you posted on his progress. The other two losses were more final.
Native Austinite and longtime grocery owner John Cazares, 82, died of a heart attack last week. For years before Austin became a cosmopolitan food city and birthplace of two successful specialty grocery store chains, the Green & White Grocery (1201 E. Seventh) was an East Austin institution. Cazares took over the store from his father-in-law, Roberto Lopez, in the Fifties, and the genial gentleman served his community and put his children through college with the proceeds from the busy store. When I moved here in the early Seventies, the venerable Green & White was the place to buy holiday tamales, and that was true until Cazares retired in 1996. John Cazares Jr. took over operation of the store and turned it into a Mexican-style yerberia that’s still going strong (see “In With the New,” Jan. 26, 1996). John Cazares Sr. is survived by his wife, Olga, plus children and grandchildren.
Ernest W. Bracewell, patriarch of a renowned Elgin barbecue family, also died last week at age 82. He bought Elgin’s Southside Market in 1968 and presided over the expansion from a small, downtown Elgin sausage factory to a large and successful restaurant and meat market operation, Southside Market & Barbecue, that has provided the livelihoods of three generations of the Bracewell family (see “Central Texas BBQ Dynasties,” Nov. 9, 2001). Ernest Bracewell Sr. is survived by a large extended family that will carry on Central Texas barbecue traditions.
The current owners of Jeffrey’s (1204 West Lynn) invite their patrons and friends to dine in the restaurant before it closes for renovations on April 14. Longtime proprietors Ron and Peggy Weiss are hosting a Jeffrey’s staff reunion on the evening of April 15 and hope all their former employees will attend. As we reported a few months back, Jeffrey’s has been purchased by a local restaurant group headed by Larry McGuire and will reopen later in the spring with chef McGuire himself on the range.
And a lightning round of local food and restaurant news: Jeremiah Cunningham of Coyote Creek Farm is now donating his “world’s best eggs” to Nubian Queen Lola’s Cajun Soul Food Kitchen‘s Sunday breakfasts for the homeless (1815 Rosewood)… The nutritionally complete food source Happy Hemp is now available at Wheatsville Food Co-op (3101 Guadalupe) and the locally brewed Chameleon Cold-Brew coffee is now sold at both Central Markets… Thai Fresh (909-B W. Mary) owner Jam Sanitchat reports that all the popular Thai dishes at her restaurant are now prepared to order with counter service… Buy an eco-friendly, repurposed lunch bag from Chipotle Mexican Grill‘s online store by April 14 and receive a free menu item on Earth Day, April 22.
This article appears in April 6 • 2012.