http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm Food journalism out of Austin, Texas. en-us Wed, 22 May 2013 09:11:49 -0700 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:41:00 -0700 BlogCFC http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss russell@scrumptiouschef.com russell@scrumptiouschef.com russell@scrumptiouschef.com no http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/4/30/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Lee-Hays-Chambers-Of-Luling-BarBQ-Is-Dead Born February 18, 1932 Died April 28, 2013 Lee Hays Chambers opened Chambers Grocery and Market in downtown Luling, Texas in 1969. He would remain open, vending green groceries, meats, and sundries til retirement in 1994. After 8 years of wool-gathering, Mr. Chambers stepped back into the meat world by opening Luling Bar-B-Que in 2002. His smokehouse was recognized by Texas Monthly as being one of the top 50 in the great state. Quite the accomplishment considering there are 1000s of pit rooms across Texas. Hico native Chambers had previously operated Chambers Bar-B-Que in Wimberly, Texas. Sadly, we have written dozens of obituaries for this site http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/RIP-Rest-In-Peace RIP: Rest In Peace Barbecue Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:41:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/4/30/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Lee-Hays-Chambers-Of-Luling-BarBQ-Is-Dead http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/2/21/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Rabbits-Lounge Rabbit's Lounge was one of our favorite spots to visit when it came time for El Tri to step onto the pitch. The old timers and young bucks alike would line up along the bar and holler out gritos whenever Mexico threatened to score or played some hard-nosed defense. Heaven help us if our southern neighbor put one in the net as the place would absolutely erupt. Rosalio "Rabbit" Duran's e. 6th street Chicano hot spot will be sorely missed. Obituaries http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/RIP-Rest-In-Peace celebrate Texas Independence Day http://bigbeefpopup.eventbrite.com/ RIP: Rest In Peace Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:30:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/2/21/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Rabbits-Lounge http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/2/20/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Zeds-Restaurant Rarely have we seen such a disconnect between interior design and quality of food. Zed's went all in when they hired their architect team but failed miserably when it came time to land a top flight kitchen and management staff. We hate writing obituaries even when it's for a place that offered very little in the way of a high quality dining experience. Rest in peace Zed's Restaurant. This is obituary number 78 in our series http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/RIP-Rest-In-Peace update via Eater. Zed's is claiming their shutter is "temporary" http://austin.eater.com/archives/2013/02/20/zeds-closes-temporarily-for-next-phase-expansion.php Maybe they're going to start at the top, hire a competent GM then sweep on through the kitchen with fresh cooks and what have you? RIP: Rest In Peace Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:31:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/2/20/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Zeds-Restaurant http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/30/Austin-Daily-Photo-RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Coy-Terrell I've never felt compelled to pull over on the side of the road to take a picture of a stranger sitting at a bus stop before. Til I saw Coy Terrell at JR's BBQ last summer. Then I noted on a site gadget that Mr. Terrell drove a lot of traffic our way as multiple people from around the country regularly typed his name into google to land on Scrumptious Chef. Then we received this comment on the article: RIP: Rest In Peace Austin Daily Photo Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:02:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/30/Austin-Daily-Photo-RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Coy-Terrell http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/24/Death-Of-A-Rural-Texas-Taco-Truck Sad day in unincorporated Travis County, Texas. We made a run down fm 812 yesterday to reconnoiter the rural taco truck scene and see if some of our old favorites had stood the test of time. El Asadero has gone silent. Years back, I did a lengthy series on the food carts of unincorporated Travis County. I'd been on some long bike runs down fm 812 and fm 973 and noted that there was a mysterious abundance of taco trucks littering the side of the highways. RIP: Rest In Peace Food Trucks Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:47:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/24/Death-Of-A-Rural-Texas-Taco-Truck http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/23/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Amado-Mayo-Pardo-Of-Jovitas-Restaurant Amado "Mayo" Pardo is dead at 64 years of age. We all leave a legacy. This is his: Takedown! The Feds Stun South Austin With Four Sonic Booms-Raid Jovita's Cantina And Arrest 15 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/6/21/Takedown-The-Feds-Stun-South-Austin-With-Four-Sonic-BoomsRaid-Jovitas-Cantina-And-Arrest-15?adminview=true Austin Texas:Jovita's Heroin Ring Suspects In Muerte Negra FBI Takedown Set To Appear In Court http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/6/22/Austin-TexasJovitas-Heroin-Ring-Suspects-In-Muerte-Negra-FBI-Takedown-Set-To-Appear-In-Court?adminview=true Austin Texas: Accused Mexican Heroin Drug Gang Ringleader Amado "Mayo" Pardo Out On Bail http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/14/Austin-Texas-Accused-Mexican-Heroin-Drug-Gang-Ringleader-Amado-Mayo-Pardo-Out-On-Bail?adminview=true RIP: Rest In Peace Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:22:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/23/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Amado-Mayo-Pardo-Of-Jovitas-Restaurant http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/17/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Woodpile-BBQ-Austin-Texas-FoodTrailer Hot off the Woodpile BBQ food trailer website comes some sad news. They're shutting down the food trailer to reform the business into a 3 pronged barbecue model Mail order Supper Club Private lessons We never made it out there. RIP: Rest In Peace Barbecue Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:19:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/17/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Woodpile-BBQ-Austin-Texas-FoodTrailer http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/15/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Hills-BBQ-Market Via Mike Sutter of Fedman Walking. Hill's BBQ Market has shuttered. As fate would have it I was driving through the north MOPAC region a few months ago when I heard that Hill's BBQ Market was about to open so I swung off the highway to take a picture for our Birth Notice section. Couldn't find the joint. Passing back through the area again a couple hours later I hopped back off the roadway. Couldn't find it. A couple weeks later I happened to be back in the same neighborhood and no, I never managed to spot the (fabled) restaurant. I did manage to read a couple reviews so I know that the business existed (if briefly) Hill's BBQ Market never generated any sort of buzz. No late night, excited phone calls were exchanged, no fevered tweet ups emanated from the smokehouse, no harried groups of sweaty barbecue tourists vectored in on the location. Nobody cared. And in the end what is worse than an ignominious death after a brief and unheralded life? This is Austin restaurant/bar obituary number 73. Got a death notice you'd like to send in? Let us know. Our RIP archive http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/RIP-Rest-In-Peace RIP: Rest In Peace Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:53:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/15/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Hills-BBQ-Market http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/5/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Agora-Sports-Bar-And-Grill Wild Game Pop UP Restaurant At Tamale House East Sat Jan 12 2013 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/3/Scrumptious-Chef-Restaurant-Pop-Up-7-Meet-Our-Purveyors-Part-1-Broken-Arrow-Ranch-Texas-Antelope Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant #7 and the first one of 2013! ------------------------------------------------------------------- Our first obituary of 2013. Agora never managed to find traction in the hyper-competitive Rainey Street district. From the outside, the establishment appeared to be bursting at the seams with strippers and brocaded booths featuring bottle service. RIP: Rest In Peace Sat, 05 Jan 2013 10:12:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/5/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Agora-Sports-Bar-And-Grill http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/12/31/2012-Year-End-Review-Top-5-Most-Viewed-Obituaries-We-Penned-This-Year We wrote a staggering number of restaurant and bar obituaries in 2012. Reasons for closure in a city as bustling as Austin are manifold: 1) Bulldozers. Rampant development in Austin means there will always be plenty closures relevant to increased property value. Old businesses scraping by on cheap rent are being shown the door for new, deep pocketed interests. 2) Owners that aren't highly reactive. In Travis County, with over 3600 restaurants/bars it's a dogfight on a daily basis. If you're not savvy and fast moving you can go from success to failure in a matter of months. That $23 cheeseburger that used to fly out of the kitchen might need to be re-scaled. RIP: Rest In Peace Mon, 31 Dec 2012 12:21:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/12/31/2012-Year-End-Review-Top-5-Most-Viewed-Obituaries-We-Penned-This-Year http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/12/30/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Nuevo-Leon Update: Nuevo Leon has not closed. www.nuevoleoninaustin.com Monday-Tuesday, 11am-9pm; Wednesday-Friday, 11am-10pm Saturday, 10am-11pm; Sunday, 10am-9pm The original article: 1981. That's the year Nuevo Leon opened for business in Austin, Texas. Republican Bill Clements oversaw the state's affairs from the governor's office just a few blocks away from the little wooden house on East 7th Street when Rachel Davila hung up her shingle and set to cooking #1 Tex Mex platters. RIP: Rest In Peace Sun, 30 Dec 2012 23:12:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/12/30/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Nuevo-Leon http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/12/17/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Voodoo-BBQ Writing restaurant obituaries is one of the hardest parts of this job. It doesn't matter whether we're philosophically opposed to the nature of the business, a closure means there are people who were trying to put food on the family table who are now out of work. We never made it to Voodoo BBQ up in Round Rock. We vote with our wallets and very few corporate food outlets (save Popeye's) see even a penny of our money. We eat from local owned businesses, drink craft beer from Austin breweries and if we're going to buy non-food we try to make sure the business is locally owned. It's how we were raised. Voodoo BBQ had a stacked deck against them before they'd even crossed the border from Louisiana. Texans know and love barbecue and regional variations are usually looked upon askance. Louisiana barbecue had a tough row to hoe in the great state. This is why you don't see many red beans and rice joints rise up out of Lubbock and march into New Orleans to set up shop. Authenticity. Our original article speculating on the potential success of Voodoo BBQ in Texas (spoiler:we didn't like their chances) http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/16/New-Orleans-Comes-To-Austin-Voodoo-BBQ-And-Grill-Plans-Texas-Expansion-Austin-Yawns?adminview=true RIP: Rest In Peace Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:30:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/12/17/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Voodoo-BBQ http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/12/11/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-An-Obituary-For-Felix-Stehling-Creator-Of-The-Beanburger-And-Taco-Cabana Writing an obituary for Felix Stehling of Taco Cabana fame fills me with sadness. He was a lion in the Texas food service industry. The great man's restaurants and clubs were legion: Crystal Pistol, Bombay Bicycle Club, Tequila Charlie's, Lyndy's Great Indoors Poco Loco Club Taco Cabana RIP: Rest In Peace Tue, 11 Dec 2012 13:13:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/12/11/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-An-Obituary-For-Felix-Stehling-Creator-Of-The-Beanburger-And-Taco-Cabana http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/11/28/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Jorges-Restaurant Shocked and saddened. Jorge's, the old timey Mexican restaurant on Hancock Drive is set to shutter on December 22nd. The property is set to be developed for an unnamed business. Long time manager Gilbert is hopeful to get his own place opened and is looking for investors. Any Scrumptious readers with deep pockets? Give the restaurant a call (512) 454-1980 A recent field report http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/9/6/Field-Report-Jorges-Restaurant?adminview=true RIP: Rest In Peace Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:29:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/11/28/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Jorges-Restaurant http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/11/1/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-JMueller-BBQ Just got back from JMueller BBQ. The giant, custom-built smoker has gone cold. This is an obituary that we never envisioned penning in a hundred years. The barbecue joint of the moment-for the past year-has shuttered. John Mueller, the polarizing son of Texas icon Bobby Mueller {RIP}, is out at the restaurant that bore his name. Signs indicate that the business will be back in operation this Saturday November 3rd 2012. Young pit boss John Lewis is reportedly going to be manning the massive pit. Lewis made his name as the man putting out world class briskets at Franklin Barbecue before migrating to John Mueller's joint in South Austin in September of this year. We broke the scandal down when it erupted yesterday; changing the face of Texas barbecue forever. http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/31/Explosion-In-The-World-Of-Austin-Texas-Barbecue-John-Mueller-Out-Of-JMueller-BBQ Rest In Peace JMueller BBQ twitter https://twitter.com/RLReevesJr RIP: Rest In Peace Barbecue Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:11:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/11/1/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-JMueller-BBQ http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/24/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-11th-Street-Station-In-East-Austin East Austin's soul food scene took a hit recently with 11th Street Station's closure. I went by for a quick fried catfish lunch and there was non-payment notice from the gas company on the door indicating their utility had been shut off. Peering inside, a young gentleman behind the bar took his thumb and slowly dragged it across his throat. A gesture worth a thousand words. RIP: Rest In Peace Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:30:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/24/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-11th-Street-Station-In-East-Austin http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/20/Austin-Daily-Photo-RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Big-Tex We believe we found the culprits. RIP: Rest In Peace Austin Daily Photo Sat, 20 Oct 2012 11:41:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/20/Austin-Daily-Photo-RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Big-Tex http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/15/The-Queen-Is-Dead-South-Austin-Tex-Mex-Icon-La-Reyna-Has-Been-Deposed-Kingdom-Dispersed This is a hard one. Writing obituaries is my least favorite part of this job but penning this one is gut wrenching. La Reyna, one of Austin's longest running Tex Mex diners, has shuttered. Established in 1974 by the Fernandez family, the old gal had a nigh 4 decade-long run before being purchased by Marisela Godinez of El Meson fame in 2011. Unfortunately, Godinez' Midas touch did not take hold and La Reyna has passed on into the Austin folklore of places like El Carnivore and Jaime's Spanish Village. RIP: Rest In Peace Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:39:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/15/The-Queen-Is-Dead-South-Austin-Tex-Mex-Icon-La-Reyna-Has-Been-Deposed-Kingdom-Dispersed http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/9/28/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Maria-Maria Austin's running out of places to get a $9 bowl of guacamole. Carlos Santana's joint down on Colorado, along with Zandunga on the East Side, led the charge on putting the pedal to the metal on avocado pricing. Avarice is a funny thing. They're both shuttered. RIP: Rest In Peace Fri, 28 Sep 2012 20:16:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/9/28/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Maria-Maria http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/9/23/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Arkies-Grill Local writer Alan Sudo is reporting that Arkie's Grill has permanently shuttered. A "closed for remodeling" sign went up a few weeks ago and apparently this was just a ruse as the property has changed hands. Sudo goes on to mention that the folks behind East Side Showroom and Hillside Farmacy are the force behind the restaurant coming to the space. Back in the winter of last year Arkie's briefly entered the barbecue business. They installed a smoker, bought a cord of hickory wood and took a crack at drawing in some brisket money. RIP: Rest In Peace Sun, 23 Sep 2012 23:01:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/9/23/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Arkies-Grill http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/9/18/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Barrons-Hamburger-Haven In an article titled "Dust-up In Milam County: RL Reeves Jr Eats At Barron's Hamburger Haven In Thorndale. Avoids Jail time" I related a tale of how trying to get a hot plate lunch up in Thorndale, Texas almost resulted in a visit to the Milam County hoosegow. RIP: Rest In Peace Best Hamburger In Austin Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:00:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/9/18/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Barrons-Hamburger-Haven http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/9/9/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Zandunga-Bistro We're late finding out about high dollar, East Austin Mexican outfit Zandunga Bistro's closure. Apparently they went quietly into the night a couple weeks ago. We never made it by. Generally, when a new restaurant opens up we try to view a menu online or get some first hand accounts before paying a visit. Somebody sent us a pdf of the Zandunga menu and our hearts sank. We're not afraid to pay Four Season's money for food as a once in a blue moon splurge but the pricing at Zandunga was outrageous. RIP: Rest In Peace Sun, 09 Sep 2012 13:10:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/9/9/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Zandunga-Bistro http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/8/30/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Pancho-and-Leftys Bad news coming off the tipster button. http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/contact.cfm is how folks contact us through the site with news they want to share about taco finds, burger scores, restaurant openings and sadly, dive bars that have shut down. Like Pancho and Lefty's, one of our absolute favorites. When Central Texas loses a joint with nearly a century of history we grieve the only way we know how; by hoisting a cold Lone Star beer. Field report: http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/21/Best-Dive-Bar-In-Austin-Part-Eight-Pancho-And-Leftys-Friday-October-21st-2011 Best Dive Bar In Austin RIP: Rest In Peace Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:26:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/8/30/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Pancho-and-Leftys http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/8/29/RIP-Rest-In-Peace--Jrs-Texas-Style-Barbeque Sometimes this job hurts. Back in the summer of 2006 Ben Dukes, father of Dawnna Dukes, lent a helping hand to Katrina refugee Joseph Rogers and the two of them combined forces to open VII J's, a soul food haven housed at the corner of Rosewood Avenue and Chicon in East Austin. RIP: Rest In Peace Barbecue Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:35:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/8/29/RIP-Rest-In-Peace--Jrs-Texas-Style-Barbeque http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/8/18/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Ana-Janelles-Smokehouse That was quick. Ana Janelle's Smokehouse, which opened in March of this year, has shuttered. Our field report from our sole visit: http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/3/26/Austin-Daily-Photo-Ana-Janelles-Smokehouse-Has-Opened-In-The-Former-Nuernberg-Brauhaus RIP: Rest In Peace Barbecue Sat, 18 Aug 2012 15:33:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/8/18/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Ana-Janelles-Smokehouse http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/8/5/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-European-Bistro European Bistro, the Pflugerville restaurant that features several different European countries cuisines, is shuttering at the end of this month. More later when I have time to write a proper obit. Finally got a few minutes to look back on European Bistro. They started with a bang. My first few visits to the small, quaintly appointed cafe showed a strong hand in the kitchen. The two little old ladies running the joint were there to show and prove and the proof was in the pudding. Dynamite, old-world European cuisine was their strong suit and it was all aces and eights from the get go. Then the decline came. A review of my final visit: RIP: Rest In Peace Sun, 05 Aug 2012 07:45:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/8/5/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-European-Bistro http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/7/16/The-End-Of-Austin-Texas-As-We-Know-It-Lovejoys-Is-Closing More later, but after a weekend filled with rumors that Lovejoy's Taproom is closing, the word came down from on high. Owner, Eric Wolf, confirmed that the beloved, iconic bar is indeed to shutter on August 5th 2012. Now it's later: I was there for the full ride. Back when a night on the town in Austin meant a 1000 mile motorbike ride, I didn't think too much of it. I'd head to New Orleans for a couple nights then punch through the haze and kill the final 540 miles so I could hit Lovejoys before last call. RIP: Rest In Peace Mon, 16 Jul 2012 10:23:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/7/16/The-End-Of-Austin-Texas-As-We-Know-It-Lovejoys-Is-Closing http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/5/23/Austin-Daily-Photo-A-Belated-Obituary-For-Constantine-Gus-Koutroulakis-Dead-At-81-Years-Of-Age Snapper throats at the Bright Star, broiled oysters at Lovoy's, a slice of coconut cream pie at Johnny Ray's, a hot dog all the way with a bottle of wine [Grapico] at Pete's Famous-Birmingham, Alabama has plenty iconic dishes but one went missing last year when Constantine "Gus" Koutroulakis passed away at the age of 81. As fate would have it I managed to wedge in one last visit to Gus' legendary hot dog shop just a couple months before he died. RIP: Rest In Peace Austin Daily Photo Wed, 23 May 2012 19:22:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/5/23/Austin-Daily-Photo-A-Belated-Obituary-For-Constantine-Gus-Koutroulakis-Dead-At-81-Years-Of-Age http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/5/8/Austin-Daily-Photo-Death-Of-A-Texas-Quick-Mart The bulldozers are due to arrive any day now. The Fast Stop on Airport Blvd at 53rd street is soon to be consigned to the pages of history. I never spent a lot of time in the Fast Stop. It was off my path and a little too grimy for my liking. Friends who utilized it as their corner store report that the men behind the counter were extremely nice and adept at keeping the old shed pieced together with duct tape and bailing wire. It looked as though if you gave it a good shove, you could send the whole of the structure crashing to the earth. As a last ditch effort, Fast Stop acted as home to Barbecue Heaven, an itinerant food trailer that briefly set up shop in the convenience store parking lot. Countdown to brand new Walgreens starts right now. previous obituaries http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/RIP-Rest-In-Peace RIP: Rest In Peace Austin Daily Photo Tue, 08 May 2012 09:04:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/5/8/Austin-Daily-Photo-Death-Of-A-Texas-Quick-Mart http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/4/17/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Aquarelle-And-Unfinished-Project-Chonitas Addie Broyles over at The Statesman is reporting that Teresa Wilson has sold the property that was the site of Aquarelle, the French restaurant that had a decade plus run in Austin. We wrote an obituary for Aquarelle in August here http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/11/RIP-Aquarelle-Tony-French-Mainstay-Set-For-Reinvention-As-Chonitas but were happy to see Wilson staying in the industry with a new project; Chonitas. RIP: Rest In Peace Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:34:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/4/17/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Aquarelle-And-Unfinished-Project-Chonitas http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/4/9/Death-Of-A-Texas-Food-Trailer-Court-Rest-In-Peace-East-Side-Drive-In I ran by El Milagro to stock up on fresh spices and noticed the East Side Drive In food trailer park is starting to shut down. A couple of the food trucks are already missing and apparently the rest are set to follow. Word has it that the lot on which the food trailers were parked has been sold and an apartment or condo tower will be constructed there. RIP: Rest In Peace Food Trucks Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:14:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/4/9/Death-Of-A-Texas-Food-Trailer-Court-Rest-In-Peace-East-Side-Drive-In http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/3/31/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Artz-Rib-House-Legendary-South-Austin-Texas-Barbecue-Joint Back when we lived down in the Emerald Forest neighborhood we used to love to take our double secret back route to Artz Rib House through an obscure, heavily forested neighborhood that felt like Austin in the 1940s. Back then we loved to roll in on Sunday afternoons when a band of ne'er-do-well looking cats would be sawing on some fiddles and playing it hot for a dining room filled with people eating country style ribs and periodically slipping out back to smoke weed and gossip about the Austin string band scene. RIP: Rest In Peace Sat, 31 Mar 2012 15:59:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/3/31/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Artz-Rib-House-Legendary-South-Austin-Texas-Barbecue-Joint http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/3/11/RIP-Death-In-San-Antonio-Legendary-Hamburger-Man-Chris-Madrid-Is-DeadCreated-The-Tostada-Burger Hard news coming out of San Antonio this afternoon. University of Texas grad and legendary restaurateur Chris Madrid has died at the age of 61. His eponymous restaurant regularly polled nationally when the debate turned to best hamburger in the USA. Madrid put his marketing degree from Texas to good use way back in 1977 when he opened his doors in a converted gas station on Blanco Road in San Antonio's mid town. Mr. Madrid put himself on the map with a menu of signature burgers, hand cut fries and frozen margaritas. If you're friends with somebody in San Antonio this is one of the first restaurants the locals like to take out of towners. We need, at minimum, one annual fix of the tostada burger. Perhaps Madrid's signature meal, this burger is garnished with homemade refried beans, chips, onions and melted cheddar cheese. It is a behemoth, particularly if you order it "macho". Chris Madrid you will be missed. RIP: Rest In Peace Sun, 11 Mar 2012 14:59:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/3/11/RIP-Death-In-San-Antonio-Legendary-Hamburger-Man-Chris-Madrid-Is-DeadCreated-The-Tostada-Burger http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/3/2/Austin-Daily-Photo-Rest-In-Peace-El-Dorado-Meat-Market One of the more amusing dustups in the Austin food world of the past ten years came when the now shuttered El Dorado Meat Market butted heads with next door neighbor Tamale House. El Dorado put a taqueria in the corner of their meat market and went mano a mano vs Tamale House owner Bobby Vasquez. Vasquez is the 900 pound gorilla of the sub one dollar breakfast taco scene so the outcome was predictable. RIP: Rest In Peace Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:11:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/3/2/Austin-Daily-Photo-Rest-In-Peace-El-Dorado-Meat-Market http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/2/8/University-Of-Texas-To-Acquire-Players-Restaurant-On-MLK University of Texas has tried for years to acquire Players, the tiny burger joint on MLK just north of the state capitol. Back in the mid double aughts UT tried to muscle down on the local restaurant through the use of eminent domain but eventually backed off when the hue and cry went nuclear. Lots of wheels around these parts matriculated at UT and ate their body weight in burgers from Players so there was no shortage of power brokers who know their way around the smoke filled back rooms of Austin. University of Texas chooses their battles wisely. The southern end of UT campus has seen a lot of changes since 1981 when Players opened. Property values have skyrocketed so we imagine Players owners & operators, Carlos Oliveira and Eddie Hempe are going to be trundling duffel bags filled with cash back to their homesteads when the whole affair is said and done. We've been eating at Players for years. We loved it when they were 24/7 and spent many a 3 am in the wood paneled dining room eating cheap, flame grilled burgers and plotting our next move. Rest In Peace. all Austin Texas restaurant obituaries http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/RIP-Rest-In-Peace RIP: Rest In Peace Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:42:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/2/8/University-Of-Texas-To-Acquire-Players-Restaurant-On-MLK http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/2/2/Austin-Daily-Photo-Fricanos-Deli-Shutters-Original-Location Fricano's has shuttered their original location. We loved this restaurant from the moment they opened. Yes, they were slow, toddler-like, out of the gate but once they found their rhythm they became a very good source for fat, deli sandwiches. It was touch and go from day one whether they were going to remain open. Crowds were slow to arrive and you could tell the little business was struggling to stay afloat. RIP: Rest In Peace Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:51:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/2/2/Austin-Daily-Photo-Fricanos-Deli-Shutters-Original-Location http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/1/30/The-Long-East-Austin-Nightmare-Is-Over-Red-House-Pizza-Is-Closed We don't have to ponder for very long when the subject of worst meal we ever had in Austin is broached. Red House Pizza holds that dubious honor. We were once served a pizza there that bore little resemblance to any commonly held definition of that beloved food. Red House has shuttered. Hot off the Twitter wire we just read a report from Austin Business Journal that the restaurant is no more. Whew. Rumors have been flying in East Austin for the past month that Larry Perdido, one of our town's most talented chefs is coming in fast for the takeover. Our spies have further reported that the new concept is going to involve roasted pig and copious amounts of ice cold beer. RIP: Rest In Peace Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:33:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/1/30/The-Long-East-Austin-Nightmare-Is-Over-Red-House-Pizza-Is-Closed http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/1/28/Angels-Are-Crying-In-South-Texas-Wild-Blue-Barbecue-In-Los-Fresnos-Prepares-To-Shutter Texas Monthly Top 50 barbecue house Wild Blue is preparing to close its doors. Pit boss and professional chef Abraham Avila reported that while business was strong at times the weak quarters were ultimately too poor for the joint to surmount. Can't get enough Wild Blue? You have until February 4th to get your fix. That's the day the business ceases to exist. Avila does offer a lifeline of sorts. He hopes to re-open his outfit in the next year or so but this time he'll be selling meat in Brownsville. obit out of Brownsville http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/avila-136319-barbecue-blue.html More on Wild Blue http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-30641932R-wild_blue_barbecue-i http://www.yelp.com/biz/wild-blue-barbecue-los-fresnos all barbecue coverage http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/Barbecue all restaurant obituaries http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/RIP-Rest-In-Peace RIP: Rest In Peace Barbecue Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:09:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/1/28/Angels-Are-Crying-In-South-Texas-Wild-Blue-Barbecue-In-Los-Fresnos-Prepares-To-Shutter http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/1/11/Rest-In-Peace-Dublin-Dr-Pepper-Bottling-Company Dark day in the history of the great state of Texas. Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Company is no more. It's being reborn under a new name; Dublin Bottling Works Inc. and will no longer be manufacturing its signature drink; Dublin Dr Pepper with pure cane sugar. RIP: Rest In Peace Can't Be Categorized Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:20:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/1/11/Rest-In-Peace-Dublin-Dr-Pepper-Bottling-Company http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/1/10/Technique-At-Le-Cordon-Bleu-The-Restaurant-At-Texas-Culinary-Academy-Has-Shuttered Tipster button is heating up. Thanks for helping get the word out on late breaking Austin Texas restaurant news y'all. After a reader lit up our tipster contact button with the sad news we just visited the Open Table website and read the following cryptic message "This Restaurant Is Currently Unavailable". We interpret that to mean that this restaurant is closed. We never made it by but a quick perusal of some restaurant review sites indicates that this was a good northern option for diners living on the edges of Austin. The pack of dingo dogs that restlessly circle the corral of Yelp managed to mash their paws on their keyboards hard enough to give Technique 4 stars. Nice work fellas. Mixed reports on Austin Chowhound with most reviews wearing some serious cobwebs as is the custom over that way. We expect Randall Stockton to announce the opening of Rio Rita North in the old Technique room some time before the end of the week. RIP: Rest In Peace Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:45:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/1/10/Technique-At-Le-Cordon-Bleu-The-Restaurant-At-Texas-Culinary-Academy-Has-Shuttered http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/1/3/Breaking-NewsMcCormick-And-Schmicks-In-Downtown-Austin-Is-Shuttered Just off the tipster wire we received word from one of our readers that McCormick and Schmicks in downtown Austin has closed. More later. All Austin Texas restaurant obituaries http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/RIP-Rest-In-Peace Ok, it looks like McCormick and Schmick's shuttered 10 under-performing restaurants across USA this morning. We reckon this must be shakeout from back in 2011 when the restaurant chain was purchased by Landry's Restaurants Inc. Founders Bill McCormick and Doug Schmick originally opened in Portland in 1979. More later RIP: Rest In Peace Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:50:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/1/3/Breaking-NewsMcCormick-And-Schmicks-In-Downtown-Austin-Is-Shuttered http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/12/30/Austin-Texas-Restaurant-Obituaries-Our-Year-In-Review We penned over 3 dozen Austin restaurant and restaurant figures obituaries this year. It's important to look back at these obits. These are the ones y'all found most intriguing. 1] The wildly successful Odd Duck Farm To Trailer shuttered http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/12/10/Austin-Daily-Photo-Hillary-At-Odd-Duck-Farm-To-Trailer-In-Austin-Texas RIP: Rest In Peace Austin Food Scene Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:56:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/12/30/Austin-Texas-Restaurant-Obituaries-Our-Year-In-Review http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/12/18/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Sago Never made it by. In fact, today was the first time we ever visited The Triangle. We used to love to roll down Lamar at dusk and veer off onto Guadalupe as the sun was setting behind the grove of oak and pecan trees that were bulldozed for this Dallas-esque work/live/shop hybrid complex. With Austin restaurant space at a premium we doubt that the space Sago occupied will stay vacant for long. All Austin restaurant obituaries here http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/RIP-Rest-In-Peace RIP: Rest In Peace Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/12/18/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Sago http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/12/10/Austin-Daily-Photo-Hillary-At-Odd-Duck-Farm-To-Trailer-In-Austin-Texas Splendid meal at Odd Duck Farm To Trailer last evening. Word's out; the little food cart that put Austin on the map for local sourcing is shuttering. Rumor has it that a brick and mortar may be in the works in 2012. We wait with bated breath. The importance of what Odd Duck accomplished can not be overstated. Bryce Gilmore introduced an ethos to modern Austin that had been here in fits and starts but had not been done to such extremes. RIP: Rest In Peace Food Trucks Austin Daily Photo Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:43:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/12/10/Austin-Daily-Photo-Hillary-At-Odd-Duck-Farm-To-Trailer-In-Austin-Texas http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/12/9/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Sushi-A-Go-Go Sad news off the Twitter wire. Sushi A Go Go's last day is tomorrow December 10th 2011. The owners recently opened Kome http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/25/Birth-Notice-Kome on Airport Blvd and we reckon the day to day grind of having two operations became too much. RIP: Rest In Peace Food Trucks Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:12:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/12/9/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Sushi-A-Go-Go http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/26/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Nuernberg-Brauhaus-Excellent-German-Cuisine-In-Travis-County-Texas Sometimes this job weighs a ton. We've written about the pleasures of Nuernberg Brauhaus previously and stand by those words. It's the finest German restaurant in the area and a compelling reason to make the 15 minute drive north of Austin to Pflugerville. This is where we go for our schnitzel and pancakes fix. RIP: Rest In Peace Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:16:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/26/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Nuernberg-Brauhaus-Excellent-German-Cuisine-In-Travis-County-Texas http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/18/RIP-Arancini-Food-Trailer-In-South-Austin Sometimes this job hits hard. This is one of the last obits in Austin we ever wanted to pen as we believed this food trailer to be on par with the finest Austin has to offer. Right up there with Odd Duck, Three Little Pigs, El Taco Rico and East Side King. Upper atmosphere cuisine. RIP: Rest In Peace Food Trucks Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:07:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/18/RIP-Arancini-Food-Trailer-In-South-Austin http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/11/RIP-Hard-Day-In-South-Austin-Odd-Duck-Farm-To-Trailer-Prepares-To-Shutter Details are still coming in but Odd Duck Farm To Trailer is reportedly closing their doors in December of 2011. We'll dig deeper on this story as events warrant but Austin will be a lesser city without this ground breaking restaurant on wheels. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- More news coming in. The closure could possibly be temporary. The lot that the food trailer sits on has been sold. Condo towers are going to be constructed on the site. Odd Duck may experience a rebirth at a new location. Whew. Hope to have more on this breaking story before the end of the day. Austin's food scene may have dodged a bullet. --------------------------------------------------------------------- we did not dodge the bullet RIP: Odd Duck Farm To Trailer http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/12/10/Austin-Daily-Photo-Hillary-At-Odd-Duck-Farm-To-Trailer-In-Austin-Texas? RIP: Rest In Peace Food Trucks Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:54:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/11/RIP-Hard-Day-In-South-Austin-Odd-Duck-Farm-To-Trailer-Prepares-To-Shutter http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/29/Rest-In-Peace-Texas-Barbecue-Pioneer-Huey-Nash-aka-Little-Bob 1964 Dallas, Texas looked a lot different than the current state of one of America's great cities. Jim Crow laws were just starting to relax enough to allow Black folks entrance into business endeavors that the white community had had access to since the dawn of the Great State. RIP: Rest In Peace Barbecue Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:05:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/29/Rest-In-Peace-Texas-Barbecue-Pioneer-Huey-Nash-aka-Little-Bob http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/24/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Mikes-Pub Sometimes this job hits like a sledgehammer. We did not want to believe the news that broke over the weekend concerning a possible closure of the legendary downtown institution Mike's Pub but we just drove down there and the ol gal does appear to be a goner. We featured Mike's Pub over a decade ago when we wrote "Insider's Guide To Austin Texas" and stood by our words for the ten years that followed. We loved everything about Mike's except for their mistaking Miracle Whip as an edible food substance. RIP: Rest In Peace Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:44:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/24/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Mikes-Pub http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/22/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Family-Traditon-Barbecue Hearts are heavy across Gonzales County, Texas tonight. Family Tradition served their final plates of brisket, hot guts sausage and pork ribs today. Operating decidedly under the radar over near the railroad tracks down in Waelder, Texas, Family Tradition was quietly putting out Lockhart/Taylor quality smoked meat from a 100 year old converted service station. RIP: Rest In Peace Barbecue Sat, 22 Oct 2011 06:51:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/22/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Family-Traditon-Barbecue http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/13/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Eddie-Vs-We-Hardly-Knew-Ye-Thursday-October-13th-2011 It all started with the lobster butter. Remember when Eddie V's used to sell you a softball sized hunk of crab bound with a prayer and lounging in a pool of warm lobster butter? We do. Then one night when we were in heavy courting mode and therefore at Eddie V's, it all changed. RIP: Rest In Peace Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:20:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/13/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Eddie-Vs-We-Hardly-Knew-Ye-Thursday-October-13th-2011 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/10/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Wheats-True-Texas-Cuisine Hopefully we'll be penning a birth notice on this food trailer sooner than later. We rolled up Burnet Road three times to try this carts food but never managed to find them open. Our scouts in Allandale had made mention of the little business as putting out some very fine barbecue so naturally our noses were opened up over the prospect. RIP: Rest In Peace Food Trucks Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:30:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/10/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Wheats-True-Texas-Cuisine http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/3/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Charlies We never spent a whole lot of time in the long running Austin Texas gay bar; Charlies, that shuttered over the weekend. But there was that one night. RIP: Rest In Peace Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:41:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/3/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Charlies http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/28/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Hickory-Street Back when SXSW was still tenable we used to use Hickory Street as a waystation for our Paramount movie showcases. The patio was lovely, beers were cheap and plentiful and the waitstaff would leave you alone so you could write and ponder. RIP: Rest In Peace Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:58:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/28/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Hickory-Street http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/26/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Emos Emos has been sold. Emos is dead. For a lot of people Emos died a long, long time ago. Right around the time Eric Hartman sold his eponymous club to one Frank Hendrix in the year 2000. RIP: Rest In Peace Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:39:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/26/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Emos http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/26/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Arch-Clark-West-Creator-Of-Doritos-Is-Dead-At-97 1961 was a big year in snack foods. This was the year Charles Elmer Doolin's Frito company merged with Herman Lay's chip maker and Frito Lay was born. It was also the year "Doritos" were discovered in Southern California. Now, the man responsible for this; Arch Clark West, has passed at age 97 in Dallas. RIP: Rest In Peace Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:30:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/26/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Arch-Clark-West-Creator-Of-Doritos-Is-Dead-At-97 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/24/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Graze-We-Hardly-Knew-Ye UPDATE: THIS IS THE BRICK AND MORTAR EAST AUSTIN LOCATION FOR THE NEW TAMALE HOUSE! The Austin restaurant obituaries are rolling in at a frightening pace. This week we've seen multiple closures of both stalwarts and newcomers. RIP: Rest In Peace Sat, 24 Sep 2011 01:06:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/24/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Graze-We-Hardly-Knew-Ye http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/22/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Bil-Rieger-Founder-of-Kenichi Bil Rieger is dead at age 50. He was discovered by Aspen Colorado police on Tuesday during a welfare check prompted by concerned friends. RIP: Rest In Peace Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:54:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/22/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Bil-Rieger-Founder-of-Kenichi http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/22/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-The-Belmont Has it really been four years since Prince commandeered the stage at Belmont for a rave up set with Grupo Fantasma? RIP: Rest In Peace Thu, 22 Sep 2011 01:33:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/22/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-The-Belmont http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/20/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Triumph-Cafe Spicewood Springs is as far off our path as it gets. So despite Triumph Cafe's lengthy tenure at their northwest Austin location we visited exactly once. No point in flogging the little cafe that recently closed so we'll just say that we enjoyed hanging out on the patio out back and leave it at that. The location seems prime so we reckon the building won't be vacant for long. All Austin food/drink obits here http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/RIP-Rest-In-Piece RIP: Rest In Peace Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:25:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/20/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Triumph-Cafe http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/18/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Roscar-Chocolates-Sunday-September-18th-2011 Roscar has burned to the ground. The local purveyor of truffles and bon bons was immolated by the mammoth wild fires that swept through Bastrop Texas last week. Tragedy. We loved their bon bons, particularly the horchata flavored ones. The truffles were also good, especially the tequila jalapeno flavor. Central Texas is not known for delicious chocolatiers so let's hope owner Frans Hendriks gets his business back up and starts feeding us his homemade sweets once again. all obituaries here http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/RIP-Rest-In-Piece RIP: Rest In Peace Can't Be Categorized Sun, 18 Sep 2011 23:42:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/18/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Roscar-Chocolates-Sunday-September-18th-2011 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/13/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Paradise-Cafe Stunner. Addie Broyles is earning her keep over at the Statesman with lots of breaking restaurant news these days. We just read that Paradise Cafe has closed. RIP: Rest In Peace Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:28:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/13/RIP-Rest-In-Piece-Paradise-Cafe http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/30/Austin-Daily-Photo-Rest-In-Peace-La-Morenita-Monday-August-29th-2011 La Morenita has gone quietly into the night. The fallout from the Austin Police Departments "Operation Meat Locker" was too much for the little taqueria to overcome. For those uninformed, Operation Meat Locker was an undercover sting run by APD wherein plain clothes officers posed as black market brisket ops, bringing purportedly stolen meat to restaurants on the East side of Austin. RIP: Rest In Peace Austin Daily Photo Tue, 30 Aug 2011 02:55:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/30/Austin-Daily-Photo-Rest-In-Peace-La-Morenita-Monday-August-29th-2011 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/26/RIP-Bistro-88 The restaurant obituaries are flying into our desk of late. It saddens us to report that Chef/owner Jeff Liu's nationally respected Bistro 88 out in Westlake has been padlocked, shuttered and appears closed for good. Liu has been part of the restaurant scene in Austin since the 1990's and we've eaten many delicious meals at his restaurants over the years. We loved Liu's Noodle-ism on 5th st. downtown and still fondly recall the odd but wonderful black pepper crusted hamburger the little Taiwanese kitchen put out. We're hoping Chef Liu lands on his feet so we can write a "Don't Call It A Comeback" piece soon. all Austin restaurant obituaries here http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/RIP-Rest-In-Piece 2712 Bee Cave Road Austin, TX 78746-5662 RIP: Rest In Peace Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:09:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/26/RIP-Bistro-88 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/15/RIP-Somnios-Cafe This summer strikes us as being particularly brutal for restaurant closures. Over on Austin's Eater website they're reporting the closure of Bouldin Creek neighborhood cafe Somnio's. We ate there once just as they opened a few years back and were unimpressed. If memory serves we had a version of carnitas that tasted of oranges. We were however struck by the hospitality as everyone in the house was beyond friendly. RIP: Rest In Peace Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:41:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/15/RIP-Somnios-Cafe http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/11/RIP-Aquarelle-Tony-French-Mainstay-Set-For-Reinvention-As-Chonitas We love savvy restaurateurs who keep their finger on the pulse of their business and know when the tides of consumer sentiment have shifted. We prayed that Backstage out in Spicewood would see the writing on the wall [ $23 cheeseburger? ] and reinterpret their menu to reflect changing times. RIP: Rest In Peace Austin Food Scene Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:44:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/11/RIP-Aquarelle-Tony-French-Mainstay-Set-For-Reinvention-As-Chonitas http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/8/Heartbreaking-Day-In-Austin-Texas-Frances-Stanish-Is-Dead Over on Austin's Eater website they're reporting the death of Austin's matriarch of hamburgers, Frances Stanish. The former owner of Top Notch, the internationally famous burger shop on Burnet Road, was 75 years old. We've written regularly about Top Notch for over a decade as their food has been a shining light in North Austin for 40 years. The Stanish family had previously sold the icon to the owners of Galaxy Cafe. Mrs Stanish' passing follows the death of her son James Stanish who died at the age of 50 in 2008. Here's a link to an article we recently penned on Top Notch in our Best Hamburger In Austin series. http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/5/31/Best-Hamburger-In-Austin-Part-Five-Top-Notch RIP: Rest In Peace Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:04:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/8/Heartbreaking-Day-In-Austin-Texas-Frances-Stanish-Is-Dead http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/5/RIP-Ideal-Soul-Mart-Friday-August-5th-2011 The little, forlorn quick mart diagonally across from East Side Pies on Rosewood has shuttered. It's really a shame as the family that ran it were very nice people. We loved the toddler child who always hollered "come back and see us" from his perch on the counter when we left. Looking for a new place to buy our beer. 1326 Rosewood Ave RIP: Rest In Peace Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:09:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/5/RIP-Ideal-Soul-Mart-Friday-August-5th-2011 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/4/RIP-Benhihanas-Brad-Meltzer-Goes-Out-Of-Business-The-Wrong-Way Word is trickling in from staffers at recently shuttered Japanese chain Benihana's Austin outlet of duplicitous tales management wove prior to the business' closing. RIP: Rest In Peace Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:54:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/4/RIP-Benhihanas-Brad-Meltzer-Goes-Out-Of-Business-The-Wrong-Way http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/1/RIP-Italos-Monday-August-1st-2011 Italo's has perished. The little pizza joint that replaced La India Bonita has went out of business. Earlier coverage here: http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2010/11/9/Austin-Daily-Photo-Italos-Tuesday-November-9th-2010 RIP: Rest In Peace Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:19:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/1/RIP-Italos-Monday-August-1st-2011 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/26/RIP-Iggis-Texatarian-Tuesday-July-26th-2011 We love vegan food. When we're planning meals at the house or shopping at Fiesta for groceries we always figure a vegan side dish or two to go with our brisket, pork loin, wild boar hog or country style gator ribs. A balanced plate is what we seek. But the thought of sitting down to eat only side dishes and then calling it a meal? Unthinkable. We are saddened however by the loss of one of Austin's few vegan restaurants. Iggi's Texatarian has announced that they are shuttering. This is to be their final week of business. Anyplace that has vegan buffalo on their menu will always have a bit of allure to us. Almost, but not quite cancelled out by their use of the word "sammich" or "sammie". While we always enjoy reflecting back on our vocabulary circa age 3, we quit using these words a good while ago. We imagine Iggi's food cart won't be vacant for long. The mobile food business is still totally heated up here in Austin with zero signs of abating. 1104 E 6th St Austin, TX 78702 (512) 971-4606 RIP: Rest In Peace Food Trucks Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:03:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/26/RIP-Iggis-Texatarian-Tuesday-July-26th-2011 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/22/RIP-Old-Coupland-Inn-and-Dancehall Heartbreaker. While we didn't make it out to tiny Coupland, Texas to visit the old dancehall too often, the nights we did will not soon be forgotten. With a history stretching all the way back to 1910, it's a shame to see Central Texas lose such an icon. RIP: Rest In Peace Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:13:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/22/RIP-Old-Coupland-Inn-and-Dancehall http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/19/RIP-Streat-Tuesday-July-19th-2011 Over on Austin's Eater website, the closure of Streat has been announced. We barely made it under the wire sampling their breakfast tacos only two weeks ago. They were fine. We did marvel over the vast spectrum of foods the restaurant was serving with a good 20 or so countries represented. We love a restaurant with a narrow focus so we were at loose ends while surveying their enormous menu. It will be interesting to see what opens in their location as it is beyond prime real estate. read the article here http://austin.eater.com/archives/2011/07/19/global-street-food-restaurant-streat-shutters.php RIP: Rest In Peace Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:09:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/19/RIP-Streat-Tuesday-July-19th-2011 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/12/RIP-West-End-Cafe-And-Barbecue-In-Taylor-Texas-Has-Shuttered More news to come but West End Cafe and Barbecue, the knock kneed little sister of Taylor Texas barbecue hierarchy has closed their doors. All Taylor Texas coverage here: http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/search.cfm?search=taylor+texas RIP: Rest In Peace Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:31:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/12/RIP-West-End-Cafe-And-Barbecue-In-Taylor-Texas-Has-Shuttered http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/7/RIP-TCs-Lounge-Thursday-July-7th-2011 TC Perkins is calling it a day. TC's Lounge has closed. The property has been sold to some Michiganders who will be reimagining and repurposing the ol girl. We reckon owning a juke joint in Austin Texas since 1979 has taken it's toll and it's time for Mr. Perkins to rear back and enjoy life for awhile. Best Dive Bar In Austin RIP: Rest In Peace Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:05:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/7/RIP-TCs-Lounge-Thursday-July-7th-2011 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/7/RIP-Springhill-Catfish-Airport-Blvd-location-Thu-July-7th-2011 It's with a heavy heart that I report on the closure of East Austin's finest fried catfish house: Springhill Catfish Restaurant. The catfish culture of Central Texas is a mite thin. While there are commercial catfish being raised in the area, the enormous fisheries that are common in Mississippi and Alabama just don't exist in these parts. RIP: Rest In Peace Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:15:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/7/RIP-Springhill-Catfish-Airport-Blvd-location-Thu-July-7th-2011 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/6/17/RIP-La-Monita-Mexican-Meat-House-And-Taqueria It's with great sadness that I report the closing of the best carniceria in Austin. La Monita had been in business since 1973. This was where the serious eaters came to buy prepared Mexican meats by the pound. Their barbacoa was the best in Austin, an honor they shared with El Taco Rico and miles above the competition. Walking in on a recent morning I shared conversation with the owner who was concerned for his business due to the mammoth road construction project in front of his building. I bought my standard pound of barbacoa and half a dozen tamales and wished him the best. It was the last time I ever saw him. RIP: Rest In Peace Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:38:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/6/17/RIP-La-Monita-Mexican-Meat-House-And-Taqueria http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/5/3/Austin-Daily-Photo-Mr-Bones-BBQ-Tuesday-May-3rd-2011 UPDATE:SEPTEMBER 2011.MR BONES HAS CLOSED Out near the Mueller Development Mr. Bones is the only barbecue source for the inhabitants of the vast planned community. I circle around the complex in which it resides so I can have a conversation with the old salty dog pit boss who's sure to be sitting out back on a stump near the big brick smoker drinking a Pearl, reading a Louis L'amour cowboy book and staying on top of the brisket and sausage. RIP: Rest In Peace Barbecue Austin Daily Photo Tue, 03 May 2011 01:18:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/5/3/Austin-Daily-Photo-Mr-Bones-BBQ-Tuesday-May-3rd-2011 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2010/11/22/Sad-Day-In-Austin-Dorothy-Hewitt-Is-Dead-Owner-of-Dots-Place-Pflugerville-Soul-Food-Haven Read All About It soul food RIP: Rest In Peace Austin Food Scene Mon, 22 Nov 2010 02:16:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2010/11/22/Sad-Day-In-Austin-Dorothy-Hewitt-Is-Dead-Owner-of-Dots-Place-Pflugerville-Soul-Food-Haven