Café Raven commemorated Tuesday
May 24—More than 100 members of the Huntsville community assembled to reminisce upon the time one of the earliest dining establishments in the area.
In 1930, Abe Dabaghi helped establish The Café Raven, named for General Sam Houston's spirit-animal. The Raven offered Walker County French cuisine, a ballroom and the first air-conditioning of any restaurant in the corridor between Dallas and Houston.
The soirée took place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, at Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Presidential Library, as the grand opening to an exhibit chronicling the history and cultural significance of the Raven to this city's .
Images, trinkets, and newspaper clippings covered the walls of the lower floor of the museum. The collection, curated by Jude Routh, Curator of Exhibits at Sam Houston Memorial Museum, comprehensively covers the periods of time The Raven was in active service.
"Bill (Debaghi) wanted it, and I simply put brainpower to it," said Routh. Routh sprinkled small details about the exhibits and history on display.
"We had two ravens added to the museum collection: one glass, and one mounted with a little assist from the Smithsonian in finding a preserved specimen for mounting," said Routh.
Routh explained that mounting ravens in taxidermy is difficult in the United States, as the birds are a protected species here. Fortunately, a university in New Mexico preserved a raven that had been accidentally shot.
Attendees streamed by the gallery, and then ascended to the main dome section of the museum, to hors d'oeuvres made from adaptations of the Debaghi's restaurant menu. Gourmet desserts crafted by Monique Font Delacroix, CEO/Founder of ArtPie of Miami, Florida, were also enjoyed. Delacroix is a descendent of one of The Raven's legendary chefs.
Matt Bethea, SHSU's Vice President of Advancement, opened the event up with words of welcome, followed by an introduction to the exhibit by Derrick Birdsall, Director of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum. After introductions, Bill Debaghi began identifying some of the descendants of important figures from The Raven.
Children of Bishop Mays, Sr. and Richard Watkins, along with Delacroix and several branches of the Debaghi family, all were named and celebrated. After recognizing a number of people present with connections to The Raven, Debaghi expressed surprise that so many people could be found.
"Hey, I found them all in an obituary," said Routh to a room full of laughter.
A glass statue of a raven by David Gappa was unveiled, and words of thanks and remembrance were offered by (Ra)Shad Dabaghi. Shad spoke of how the restaurant drew its name, and drew parallels between Sam Houston and his father.
"My father chose the name Raven, instead of calling it Houston's, because of its connection to Sam," said Shad. "Ravens are charming, curious, and witty, as were Sam Houston and my father."
The event came with museum staff members dressed in era appropriate uniforms, and acted as official ushers for the opening of the exhibit. As Sam Houston State University music students provided live jazz music, locals shared wine and stories of memories from many meals at The Raven. Marjean Creager, a retired theatre educator, recalled eating at The Raven, "on very special occasions."
"They would serve the cream in these very nice little glass cups, and my mother would order coffee just so I could have the cream," said Creager.
In addition to food memories, Shad reflected on both his parents, from his mother's recipes, to how Bill and Shad's father thrived, despite his immigrant origins from Lebanon.
Abe Dabaghi, born into a Presbyterian family, would flee his homeland, then governed by the Turks, during a time of global conflict, and landed in Mexico.
After a brief stay, Dabaghi would say, "adios Mexico," according to Shad. Abe would next arrive in Huntsville, where he set the restaurant up.
The gallery also covers some of the racial history that captured Huntsville and the nation's attention. A notable incident of protest at The Raven by HA-You in the 1960's would result in a court case going all the way up to the Supreme Court of the United States. The final result would uphold state laws, considering The Raven's racial accommodations adequate.
Also celebrated on the walls of the museum were special bonds, like those between the Dabaghi's and Richard Watkins.
Watkins, a retired TDCJ Senior Warden and former President of the Walker Trinity Counties NAACP, worked as a youth for The Raven. He'd become a trusted extension of the Dabaghi family.
"Mr. Dabaghi only trusted me to transport his family," said Watkins. "Mr. Dabaghi was one of the hardest working people I knew, being first in and last out of The Raven."
"My father really trusted Richard, because he was the only person allowed to be around when my father counted money at the end of the day," said Shad.
The gallery for the The Café Raven will remain on display until Sept. 1 at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Presidential Librart, 1836 Sam Houston Avenue. To get more information, call (936) 294-1832.
