Saturday, September 6, 2008

i'm cryin' in my Michelada too! Laters, Las Manitas?

Our beloved restaurant in downtown Austin has apparently closed for good. The cinnamon coffee and refried beans we awoke thinking about on Sunday mornings for the last 3 years and the Chilaquiles Verdes i've loved for over 10 years is gone. I'm so upset...

From the Austin Chronicle
"Surprise and shock coursing through Downtown workers, nearby City Hall staffers and Chilaquiles enthusiasts across town: venerable eatery and community hub Las Manitas has closed its doors, apparently "forever," with seating, equipment, and even the floor ripped up.

Texas Monthly (who's Manitas-enthused editor Evan Smith must be crying in his michelada right now) has the details, but the "closed forever" sign up at the establishment seems pretty definitive – and doesn't bode well for the eatery's plans to move up the block into the La Pena art gallery Las Mas proprietors Cynthia and Lidia Perez own.

The Monthly caught up with Cynthia Perez, who was as coy as they come:"

from the Austinist:
"Las Manitas closed forever on August 31 according to Cynthia Perez (one of the owners). The restaurant will probably be replaced with a complex of three new Marriott hotels.

City council initially tried to convince the Perez sisters to move a few doors down by providing financial assistance in the form of a forgivable loan to the restaurant, but public outcry caused some council members to attach strings to the loan and the owners backed away from the deal.

According to the Statesman, no permits have been filed to indicate that Las Manitas will move without the loan. Marriott developers have applied for demolition permits for the restaurant and other buildings on the block (except for the two landmark buildings on the northwest corner, which will stay in place). They expect to begin construction of the hotel complex next year."

For more info on the saga of Las Manitas: click here. It's pretty sad.

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