October 24, 2007
Crystals instead of the Brentwood Tavern?
Thursday, Oct. 25, is the last day of business for Brentwood Tavern, the family-oriented restaurant at the former Travis Co. Farmers' Market on Burnet Road, which after only two years quickly became a community favorite in the Brentwood, Crestview, and Allandale neighborhoods. Travis Co. sold the farmers' market property this summer to English entrepreneur Paz Dhody, who has a plan for redeveloping the property that somehow will revolve around a display of "healing crystals." Kathleen Macek, co-owner of Brentwood Tavern with husband Tim Thomas, said Dhody wouldn't offer anything better than a month-to-month lease, which she said was too risky. "Were we to receive a long-term contract, we absolutely would have said yes to it," Macek said. "It's been blood, sweat, and tears for us over here. ... We worked 90 hours a week for the last three years here." Dhody said he likes Brentwood Tavern and wanted it to stay at least until next March; he also pointed out that the tavern was already month-to-month with the county, but Macek said that was due to a contract lapse of which they had been unaware. The Brentwood/Highland Combined Neighborhood Plan calls for the property to be developed as mixed-use; Dhody said that would be "an asset" to the site but that he's still "exploring what I can do." Frankly, I'm hard-pressed to see how crystals will be more healing than relaxing under a beautiful pecan tree with a burger and a beer while your kids play nearby. – Lee Nichols
Is this also bad for the Lucky Dog Almighty is My Copilot (or whatever the hot doggery up there is called)?
I was convinced that you were talking about Kristal's, in which case I would have been cautiously optimistic since I was always sort of meh on Brentwood. But crystals like healing crystals? Stupid. It's basically a push for me since the rest of the farmer's market as it is now is a waste of space. Didn't care for it then, won't care for it soon.
The Dog Almighty website doesn't even list that location anymore. Last time we tried to go at a reasonable hour on a weekday it was closed...we should have seen the writing on the wall then. It is odd that all these dog concepts are failing all over Austin.
Its not dog concepts that are failing, it is things Flip likes that are failing. Remember what he did to mustashe Pete's, Bollywood Calling, and that other place he made run out of food? :)
ND - I also thought Kristal's and was sad that I wouldn't be able to go. Hurray for healing crystals for healing my sadness.
I assume the place that ran out of food is Po' Boys -- it is not only still in business, it is well within our walking radius. Hmmph.
Speaking of Dog Almighty, they seem to have given up the ghost at the guadalupe/campus location.
On the one hand, I'm sad. On the other hand -- it's good to see the invisible hand punish the feckless.
As opposed to the Brentwood Tavern, I think most of those places did one or two things very well (like tasty food, which you might think was enough) and most everything else horribly wrong.
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Found on the Austin Chronicle's Naked City.
posted by luloutoo at 12:44PM CST on October 24