My daughter took me to a delightful little place today - the Avenue B Grocery and Market, one of Austin's oldest operating businesses. I love the fact that it's tucked right in the middle of a residential neighborhood, between two houses, and surrounded by big old trees and picnic tables to lunch at.
When I walked through the door today, I was suddenly about five years old, holding my grandmother Mimi's hand as she led me into the little corner grocery about a block down from her house in Dallas, to pick up a few things for dinner, and maybe pull a tiny bottle of pop from the cooler or buy a pack of candy cigarettes.
In case you're thinking you might like to visit this place, here are a few tips that may come in handy:
- First - do not walk through the door and start snappin' pictures.
- Second - do not tell owner Ross Mason that it reminds you of the store you used to go to with your Mimi (Blah, blah, blah, he's heard it all a million times before).
- Third - do not think you're going to just take a look around, and leave without buying anything.
- Fourth - do not expect Ross to answer a whole buch of your silly questions about the history of the place, unless you're willing to forgo this week's trip to HEB and buy all your groceries here instead, plus order up one of his freshly made sandwiches and a bottle of Dublin Dr. Pepper to enjoy out under the shade tree. He's got no time for "tourists"!
- Fifth - do not think you are going to escape without hearing about the sacrifices Ross has made over the last 25 years, to keep this bit of history alive for jerks like you.
- Last but not least, whatever you do, do not tell him that you read about his place on my blog. He prefers to be "the master of his own internet destiny", and I'd just as soon not be tarred and feathered.
P.S. Are you picturing a stoop-shouldered, grizzle-haired guy in his 90's? Boy, are you in for a surprise!
AVENUE B: DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DID
Reviewed by juragan asem
Published :
Rating : 4.5
Published :
Rating : 4.5
