THE KITCHEN IS BACK

Cottage Kitchen returns in fully restored Cock House Museum

After a hiatus of several years, Cottage Kitchen lunches have made a long-awaited return to the Charles S. Cock House Museum. A tradition carried by the Heritage Association of San Marcos for almost 50 years, these lunches provided a gathering space for the community within a centrally-located San Marcos landmark.

In 2020, COVID-19 temporarily paused the traditional Cottage Kitchen lunches. However, this did not mean the Cock House sat idle all that time. HASM used that time to make several necessary improvements to the property. Now, four years and significant improvements later, Cottage Kitchen returned on Wednesday, April 3 with a special Grand Opening celebration.

“It was phenomenal,” Renee Graham, HASM president, said. “Beyond expectation. I love the support of the community that attended. Everyone had kind words to say about Heritage, and about being about to go to a place in your own backyard and sit with your friends and family. It was very heartwarming.”

By opening time on Wednesday, a line had already formed out of the doors of the Cock House to Hopkins Street. As part of the welcoming celebration, Germer Insurance paid for 50 of the first lunches as patrons came through. Heritage Guild volunteers served a catered Tri-Salad lunch featuring pasta salad, chicken salad and fruit salad with a croissant, tea or coffee and a homemade dessert for the cost of $10. Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., the Guild made around 100 lunches in total, running out of croissants in the end and nearly depleting their supply of chicken salad.

“The community loves to sit there and have a nice catered lunch,” Graham said. “Ten bucks a person is very affordable these days. You can’t even go through the fast food line in your car for that much. Then to open up the Cottage Kitchen with all the new Cock House renovations was …the whipped cream topping on the Jello of life.”

Cottage Kitchen lunches will continue with three more Wednesdays in 2024 — May 1, Sept. 4 and Oct. 2 — with a return to more frequent dates starting in 2025. As it was before the quarantine, different businesses and organizations will host the Cottage Kitchen luncheons from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., with the menus posted ahead of the date.

In addition to the Cottage Kitchen, the Cock House is open for rentals through HASM.

“I have been getting so many phone calls to rent the place,” Graham said. “It’s got a full kitchen, a full bathroom and a brand spanking new interior. It’s a great space for baby showers, wedding receptions, family reunions, you name it. We’re stewards of the [Merriman] Cabin, the Cock House, the Gazebo and the fountain. We take great pride in maintaining it.”

The Heritage Association of San Marcos is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation and beautification of buildings, historical sites and archives within San Marcos. Funds raised with the Cottage Kitchen lunches go to support preservation projects around the city, including the Cock House renovations.

Next up on the HASM agenda is the Vintage Bungalows and Old Buggy Trails Historic Homes Tour set for May 4 - 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets online are $25 each at HeritageSanMarcos. org or at the door for $30. Check the HASM website for more information about the homes tour, various preservation projects, upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.