We're sad. Drink beer. Eat a salad.

Austin’s culinary scene loses big with the announced departure of Cathy Cochran-Lewis. Most recently the community relations guru for the flagship Whole Foods Market as well as their North Austin store, Cochran-Lewis helped turn this one-horse food town into the developing foodie lab it is today. If any of you nerdier food geeks remember Alton Brown coming to town, or Alice Waters, or Deborah Madison, or Martin Yan, or Paul Prudhomme, or Caprial Pence – you get the picture – Cathy deserves tons of the credit. In addition, she's been a driving force behind the development of Texas Culinary Academy, the Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, Les Dames d'Escoffer, and is an officer of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Whew! She’ll be resettling in Colorado, where we hope the lucky food fans there are ready for a big influx of creativity, passion and talent.

It wasn’t easy getting him to give up his secrets, but summertime beverage authority Roman Caudillo from the Materials Science Laboratory at the University of Texas has put down the magnetic carbon nanoparticles long enough to perfect the Chelada (condiment-spiked beer.) His proven scientific method? Lime, ice cubes, Modelo Especial, and a salted rim. In that order. Want to spice it up and enjoy a Michelada? Caudillo says he adds, “A little chile … Tobasco … stuff like that.”

In other news, it’s hot. Eat a salad.