April 29, 2005

Viva Les Amis. A documentary about a cafe in Austin, Texas that served as a focus for the Austin arts scene and general weirdness. Replaced by a Starbucks in 1998.

Not a unique tale by any means (the documentary itself mentions several other victims of Austin's growth), but this doesn't make it any less sad. The cafe was the setting for a couple of scenes in Slacker, for those who have seen the film.

posted by patita 18 years ago
  • Oh wow, I remember Les Amis. Best bowl of French onion-soup for under $4. Good place to hang out and gawk at girls and drink coffee for hours on the patio. One more reason to resent Starbucks. Every time I go back to Austin, I lament the changes and the old hang-outs that no longer exist. On the other hand, I usually soon found out that they have been replaced by other cool spots, and that the flavor of Austin still remains. I usually walk away with an understanding that Austin hasn't really changed... just me.
  • This had a particular resonance for me, as it was sitting at Les Amis at sunset one March evening that convinced me that moving to Austin would be a good thing. I was under the influence of their homemade potato chips at the time. I'd argue that Austin has changed... some cool spots have migrated or been replaced, but it's not the same. The tech boom really hurt the city in a lot of ways.
  • Compared to most major cities, Austin seems to be very unique in that while it has been affected by the 90's, it still retains a lot of its earlier identity... which is more than can be said about most cities. which is why i love it. that being said, i wasn't around in the glory days of Austin, and so i can understand why the old guard probably doesn't think it's all that anymore. maybe i'm missing something.