Maricsa Trejo, the James Beard Award-nominated chef behind one of the city’s most respected bakeries, La Casita Bakeshop, says she hopes to open her cafe and restaurant in Half Price Books soon.

Half price books. Photo by Renee Umsted.

As announced at the beginning of the year, the La Casita team is “ready to go” in the former Black Forest Coffee premises and is waiting for the city’s permits. 125 square meter store will initially open with coffee and pastries from La Casita’s flagship bakery Richardson.

“We also have another location in Uptown that will open in November,” Trejo said. “We’ve tried not to mix up the dates, but they’re getting closer and closer, and that’s a little scary.”

Trejo, a self-professed “book freak,” says she is thrilled about the opening of the legendary book retailer’s flagship store.

“I’m walking into a building that’s a piece of history of the city I live in, which is really cool,” Trejo said. “But it’s like Narnia there because all the others are smaller. When you walk into this one, there’s so much to see and do in all areas.”

After the cafe opens, Trejo will wait for a liquor license before she can open the planned tiki bar and restaurant. She says she’s already developing a cocktail menu and working with established bar managers to set the future tiki joint up for success.

She says the menu when it opens will feature an eclectic mix of cuisines.

“It’s going to be kind of a mix of Pacific Island food,” Trejo said. “Asian food, Vietnamese, Korean and Mexican food.”

A possible menu feature mentioned was a whole Mexican-style chicken cooked in a clay pot, wrapped in banana leaves and served with tortillas.

“We’re doing all these different things,” Trejo said. “But we’re making it a little more interesting. So we’re excited. I’m looking forward to people trying the food and the drinks. People already know we make good pastries, and with our coffee, we’re well on our way there.”