09/20/2021
Hi Friends,
It's been some time since I entered this space, and it's been a very strange time for all of us, I think. I'm going to tell you the hardest part first. Explanations come next.
Linda's Fine Foods and Catering will be closing October 15, 2021. This is so hard to say.
For 30 years we've been catering events for you-- weddings, memorials, and family reunions; brunches, dinner parties, and birthday parties.
For 15 years, we've been cooking for you in the restaurant, serving you meals in the dining rooms and from the picnic tables under the oak trees, take-out meals from the counter, slices of carrot cake and apple cake, glasses of wine, mint tea, and bottles of beer; live music from some of the best musicians we know, and all of the love and gratitude we could put into those moments.
But we're going to tie it all up next month. As some of you know, I had major surgery in late April and have not been working in the restaurant since that time. My very capable and close crew have kept the fires going in the kitchen and on the barbecue pit. With binders full of recipes and years of experience, they knew what to do and how to do it, and they did it so well.
And then, this time of COVID has been difficult for all of us. When it first blindsided our lives last year, we closed the restaurant on St. Patrick's Day. The rain pelted the oaks, seeped in through the doors, and we all took lots of Corned Beef and Cabbage home with us that night, wondering what the world would offer up next. The following day, we sold all the food we could from our walk-in cooler, then went home to stare at what waited for us there. We felt unmoored, frightened, and a little giddy with a sense of double-edged freedom.
As most of you remember, we restocked the cooler and reopened in about a week-and-a-half, running to the phone to take credit card orders, bagging up the food and setting it on the table outside, while we waved to our friends and customers through the windows. The world was filtered through gloves and masks. Lincoln, our dog, lost weight. It was frightening, dizzying. You know. In one way or another, you were all there.
When we reopened the tables outside under the oaks, you came back, brought your family, your friends, and your dogs. You fed Lincoln secret scraps and let us know when Cuchi, the cat, got too friendly--too persistent, some might say.
When we reopened the dining rooms, some of you stayed outside and some of you came in. You missed the original hours and the live music, and you let us know, but you still came for lunch and called in dinner. We also missed the music and the longer hours, but we had a much smaller crew by then and couldn't make that work.
In short, we've survived it with help from so many, and we thank you for that--for your patronage, your friendship and encouragement, your strength to walk through this with your family, your friends, and with us.
But at some point, all things run their course, and all things change. Given the surrounding circumstances, I have decided to close the restaurant. Please come see us before we close. Toast with us the hopes for reinventions, for smoother paths with brighter days.
In the meantime, we will continue to serve the foods you love until we turn off the sign.
And remember, we love you.
Linda
Linda's Fine Foods-Menu Linda Allen has been catering to the Hill Country for 20 years. We keep a few items always on the menu, while others cycle through.
