Central Market, Then and Now

You should have seen us, the first time Mignon Young and Alice Reedholm brought us to Central Market for lunch. I had no idea where the hell we were; it felt like we were in a supermarket. Why in the hell were my friends from high school taking me and my wife to a supermarket?? For a moment I thought it might be some sort of practical joke. Then I heard Mignon's younger son, Jackson, excitedly ask permission to go to the playground. Before she could answer, he was gone.



Now we were REALLY confused. So wait, we're at a supermarket. In the middle of a city. And there's a playground? What gives? Jeanette and I exchange a look and I consider asking Mignon if she's not a bit worried about letting Jackson run off like that, while we go to order our food at the supermarket. As New Yorkers, we are suspicious, but then we go out back to get the full effect of the picnic area. There are shade trees everywhere, and barefoot children running and cris-crossing, so that you have to dodge them on your way to your table. In the distance there is a small pond with geese and ducks floating around, and a giant live oak tree with children adorning it like Christmas tree ornaments.



The food was delicious, much to my surprise. And sure enough, Jackson found his way to our table, ate some pizza and zoomed off again to climb something somewhere. When we got back to our hotel, Jeanette and I discussed how freaked out we both were. Though it turned out to be a pleasant dining experience, we both found it completely foreign and well, weird, to borrow a phrase.



Today, nearly three years later, Central Market on North Lamar has become a haunt of ours. My friend Seth Levin has a blog ingeniously called "Dadventures in Beantown" in which he features all the cool things he does with his two sons in the Boston area. I would consider submitting this blog as a guest piece -- a "Dadventure in the ATX" -- or something, because we spend many a Saturday or Sunday there, Jeanette doing the shopping for the week, while I sit by the playground reading, emailing and drinking Shiner Bocks, and the boys do what boys do best -- run in merry circles, playing tag with total strangers and defying gravity on playground equipment.

It is now so familiar that I'm convinced my car could find its way there on its own if it had to. (I won't try it, so don't worry.) We are no longer concerned for even a second about letting the boys go and be on their own as we sit and guard our food from the grackles who swoop in at the first opportunity when you turn your head. There's live music on a regular basis, because this is Austin, after all. And there's even a really cool cooking school where Jeanette and I have taken a couple of classes, as have the boys.

If you come and visit us here in Austin, we may very well take you to Central Market, and although you may at first wonder why the hell we're taking you there, give it a chance. You'll understand, and you'll enjoy.