La Holly sits on the corner of Pedernales and East Sixth Street

Change is inevitable. But with change comes a bit of trepidation. Simon Madera, owner of La Holly, knows this feeling well. He took over Kellee’s Place last summer, yet kept the longstanding Tejano bar open as he worked on his project because he wanted the original building to stay intact. The outcome of Madera’s efforts is a modern cantina that respects east Austin’s history and aims to retain the neighborhood’s core essence.

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Asian-inspired tipples and morsels are on the menu at Ah Sing Den

After a seven-year run, East Side Showroom bid adieu last July, after owners Trudy and Mickie Spencer announced plans to revamp the bar and lounge completely. A few weeks later, an Asian-inspired concept called Ah Sing Den rose from the metaphorical ashes, in East Side Showroom’s place on East Sixth Street.

The Spencers’ vision for Ah Sing Den came from the venue’s namesake, an opium den in East London that was famous in the Victorian era. In the den, it was said both Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle found creative inspiration. I was invited to stop by recently to sample Ah Sing Den’s new menu and find some inspiration of my own. [Read more…]