Where Good Books and Even Better Food Meet
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For those seeking a good book and a great cup of Joe, Austin’s Cookbook Bar and Café is here to deliver. Housed inside the Austin Public Library on the bustling Cesar Chavez Street, Cookbook is a counter-service venue serving seasonal fare in a cozy, library-themed setting.
Committed to showcasing fresh local cuisine, the café offers a menu that boasts a variety of culinary styles, incorporating organic, farm-to-table ingredients wherever possible. Staying true to its name, the Cookbook Café collaborates with touring authors and local chefs, promoting education and hosting periodic cooking demonstrations in coordination with the Austin Public Library.
According to Chef Drew Curren, curator of the café’s rotating menus, recipes are pulled directly from the cookbooks of the nation’s most revered chefs, paying special homage to the culinary traditions of Mexico and the American South.
“It is important that Cookbook Bar and Café is not only an amenity to the new Austin Central Library, but an extension of it,” says Curren. “I wanted there to be an educational piece that tied back to the menu and the books from which the recipes were published. Not to mention, our guests will enjoy an ever-changing menu with no boundaries.”
Cookbook offers dynamic lunch and dinner menus alongside an all-day breakfast spread, featuring dishes such as their Granola (how long does granola last?) Parfait, inspired by the Commander’s Palace Cookbook by Ti Adelaide Martin and Jamie Shannon. What’s more, their Farmer’s Breakfast Grilled Cheese draws inspiration from Grilled Cheese Kitchen by Heidi Gibson. The café’s morning beverage selections include matcha, assorted coffee drinks, and iced toddy.
Designed by the LA-based company VeroKolt in partnership with architects from Lake Flato, Cookbook Bar and Café has 50 indoor seats and 75 additional outdoor spots, surrounded by calming hues of white, brown, and blue. On the library’s outdoor rooftop, guests can enjoy an additional taste of Cookbook by sampling items from the café’s mobile cart, which offers fresh pastries and drip coffee alongside breathtaking views of the Texas capital’s skyline.
In addition to its delicious cuisine, the Cookbook Café proudly spotlights a sprawling 500-piece collection of cookbooks belonging to the late Virginia B. Wood, storied food editor for the Austin Chronicle and champion of Austin’s culinary culture. An avid cook, Wood operated her own wholesale dessert and catering company before moving on to self-syndicate a newspaper column known as At Home on the Range, entirely dedicated to the colorful world of Texan cuisine. Upon Wood’s passing in March 2018, Cookbook Café was chosen as the new home for the Virginia B. Wood Memorial Cookbook Collection, granting visitors access to hundreds of publications spanning from the early 1950s to today. The collection is free for guest use, and includes dozens of books centered on Texan authors, recipes, and more.
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