I just returned from lunch to see Arnold Wayne Jones’ report on Dallas Voice: He spied a goodbye message from Monica on her Facebook page.
Dear Friends:
Whether change is by choice or imposed, negative or positive, personal or professional, it’s always a challenging fact of life. With any major changes there are actions we can take to ease the process. And I have. The rumors were true. I haven’t been a part of Monica’s Nueva Cocina for about a month now.
For the moment the restaurant still carries my name, I hope that changes soon. I believe that the owners of this restaurant still committed to serve great Mexican Food. I wish them the best.
Monica’s have been a dream that I hoped to bring top reality. For me, it was so much more – a chance to return to the Oak Lawn area, and a chance to take an exciting concept to fruition. Since I had to help earn the reality of this dream, I treasured it every day in a unique way. I always gave it “my all.” Even after a tough year as this past one, I look back with the wisdom of hindsight and I have to recognized that I enjoyed help create a good restaurant. To each of you who supported the restaurant and me. Thank you. Monica.
I just wrote a review of Monica’s new place. It pained me to have to write a less than stellar review of the place since I have known her for a long time. I hadn’t heard from Monica so I sent her an email this morning to check on her. She said nothing about leaving the restaurant. The only thing she said in the email was she was injured by my review which was published three weeks ago.
Monica Greene has been a magnificent restaurant operator in Dallas for a long time. I think the last year of trying to open first Tajin and then reconcepting when the Sushi Axiom space opened up have been hard on her. I also feel the decision to add the Sushi Axiom space was a bad business decision as it doubled the number of seats she had to fill. I can only image the pressure she put herself under. She’s used to instant success and Monica’s Nueva Cocina was not.
