Burkablog »
And now a discussion that really matters (Fri Nov 20 at 5:02 PM)
In the Pink »
The Wrecking Coup (Fri Nov 20 at 1:33 PM)
Page Break »
Supreme Court to Rehear Exxon Case. Yes, That Exxon Case. (Sat Nov 21 at 1:45 PM)
Eat My Words »
Talking Tamales (Thu Nov 12 at 11:12 AM)
Alan says: I am in favor of limiting the governor to two consecutive terms. But blacklisting someone after eight years altogether, regardless of how good or bad they did their job, can needlessly force an effective public official out of public service. Many state governors throughout history have served well over eight years without their constituents regretting it. I would point out that such a system is wholly unworkable in twenty-first century America: we live in the era of the permanent campaign and the 24-hour news cycle. A governor facing re-election every other year would essentially do nothing but fundraise (which is close to what most do anyway even with four-year terms). (November 19th, 2009 at 11:09pm)
Stories on Food
The Bernadette Babies »
A prayer for pagan souls and finding redemption in almond cake.
by Donna Xander [December 2009]
Pecan Artists »
The best way to go completely nuts this Thanksgiving is with this five-part meal featuring the bounty of our beloved state tree.
by Patricia Sharpe [November 2009]
Fly Away Home »
A prayer of thanks (and some cranberry stuffing) for those that don’t give up hope.
by Donna Xander [November 2009]
It Takes a Texas Village to Raise Spinach »
How a local Asian community came together to fight for their way of life.
by Lauren Wolf [November 2009]
A Prayer (and a Recipe) for Cowgirls »
The queen of the rodeo may not have been mother of the year but her pecan pralines were to die for.
by Donna Xander [October 2009]
Go Texan Restaurant Round-up With Chef James Robert of Eddie V's »
Scampi-style Texas Shrimp
by [October 2009]
Cooking With Chef David Garrido »
Carrot Soup With Shrimp Pico de Gallo
by [October 2009]
Why Are Tortilla Chips So Damn Good? »
Is it the crispiness? The crunchiness? The saltiness? Thankfully, a small cadre of researchers in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M has spent much of the past thirty years munching on this question.
by Karen Olsson [September 2009]
A Springtime Feast in Chef David Bull's Backyard »
Grilled Salmon With Brown Butter Cauliflower Purée and Spring Onions
by [September 2009]
Celebrity Cravings »
A few notable Texans tell us about the burgers they can’t do without.
[August 2009]
The Biggest Burger Ever »
It may well be at Arnold’s, in Amarillo. Think twenty pounds of unseasoned meat and some forty slices of American cheese (if you please). Can anyone say “supersize”?
by Katy Vine [August 2009]
Garrido’s »
The end of the Great Austin Restaurant Drought.
by Patricia Sharpe [August 2009]
The 50 Greatest Hamburgers In Texas »
On our first-ever quest for the state’s best burgers, we covered more than 12,000 miles, ate at more than 250 restaurants, and gained, collectively, more than 40 pounds. Our dauntless determination (and fearless fat intake) was rewarded with a list of 50 transcendent burgers—and you’ll never guess which one ended up on top. Check out our Best Burger section.
Rena Behar, Nate Blakeslee, Jordan Breal, Cathy Casey, Ken Cluley, Pamela Colloff, David Courtney, Megan Giller, Lisa J. Grissom, Leanne B. Hedrick, Stacy Hollister, Charlie Llewellin, Margaret Y. Luévano, Patricia Busa McConnico, Fern McDougal, Wendy Moncada, Brad Perkins, Kaitlin N. Petersen, Tony Privett, Ronn Reeger, Emily Rosenthal, Patricia Sharpe, Sandy Sheehy, Jake Silverstein, John Spong, Mimi Swartz, Brian D. Sweany, Andrea Valdez, Katy Vine, Amy Weiss and Lois Wischkaemper [August 2009]
Famous Texans on Their Favorite Burgers »
As told to Pamela Colloff, David Courtney, Katharyn Rodemann and John Spong [August 2009]
Whatastory »
How a modest Corpus Christi burger stand became a Texas icon.
by Jordan Breal [August 2009]
The World’s First Hamburger »
The world’s first hamburger was served in Athens, Texas, no matter what Mr. Cutlets says.
by Gary Cartwright [August 2009]
Burger King »
The singular—and gloriously greasy—quest of Noel Kersh.
by Wendy Moncada [August 2009]
Thrill of the Grill »
How to cook the perfect burger.
by Katharyn Rodemann [August 2009]
The Manual 2.0 »
The experts from Austin-based Sweet Leaf Tea Company teach Andrea Valdez how to brew sweet tea.
by [August 2009]
The Battle of the Burger »
A slide show of images depicting our first-ever quest for the state’s best burgers.
[August 2009]
On the Grill at Cover 3 »
Chop-House Burger With Parmesan Chive Fries
by [August 2009]
Soul Food »
Julie Powell, the author, blogger, and inspiration for the film Julie & Julia, discusses living in New York, missing Austin, and seeing her life on the big screen.
by Laura Kelso [August 2009]
Mobile Eats »
In the hip city of Austin, trailer food is fast becoming übercool.
by Leigh Patterson [August 2009]
That’s the Spirit »
Not that you’re looking for an excuse, but these five original cocktails concocted by Texas bartenders using local liquors are a thoroughly acceptable reason to pour yourself a drink. Or three.
by Jordan Breal [July 2009]
Vineyard Hopping »
by Patricia Sharpe [June 2009]
How to Eat Well in Hard Times »
It’s easy, really. Just go get yourself some shrimp tacos, a beef-and-cheese cachapa, grilled pork with green papaya, fried chicken, gourmet Frito pie, or any of the 25 finds on this list of my favorite dishes in Texas under ten bucks.
by Patricia Sharpe [April 2009]
Ace of Cakes »
Wes Hurt makes people happy—one cupcake at a time.
by Jena A. Williams [April 2009]
Where to Eat Now 2009 »
How perfect is this: The best new restaurant to open during the Year of Financial Meltdown is located in the lobby of an old Houston bank. What better place to invest your money than in the soul-nourishing flavor combos of chef Michael Kramer’s beautifully composed plates?
by Patricia Sharpe [February 2009]
Valentines and Vines »
[February 2009]
The 40 Best Small-Town Cafes »
Our exhaustive, exhausting, strictly scientific (and lamentably fattening) survey of the finest home cooking around, from Maxine’s on Main, in Bastrop, to El Paraiso, in Zapata.
by Leslie Baldwin, Caleb Bennett, Sarah Bourbon, Jordan Breal, Paul Burka, Amber Byfield, Marilyn Carter, Cathy Casey, David Courtney, Libby Farris, Megan Giller, Freddy Gottesman, Ross Green, Lisa J. Grissom, Melissa Guerra, Michael Hall, Steve Harmon, Stacy Hollister, Irene Kosela, Stacey Van Landingham, Patricia Busa McConnico, Missy Colbert Nichols, Brad Perkins, Tony Privett, Ronn Reeger, Katharyn Rodemann, Emily Rosenthal, Patricia Sharpe, Sandy Sheehy, Jake Silverstein, Eileen Smith, Alison Sterken, Brian D. Sweany, Kim Todd, Amanda M. Trimble, Andrea Valdez, Reese Vaughn, Katy Vine and Lois Wischkaemper [December 2008]
Your Bird Here »
Turkey, shmurkey! This Thanksgiving, when your mother-in-law gets ready to serve up boring old tradition as a main course, you should cry fowl and turn her attention to these other fine, feathered, delectable friends.
by Patricia Sharpe [November 2008]
Keeper of the Flame »
Need someone to create a menu for the ultimate backyard feast? Paul Petersen, the executive chef at Marathon’s Gage Hotel, is ready, grilling, and able.
by Patricia Sharpe [July 2008]
BBQ08 »
Eighteen hungry reviewers. 14,773 miles driven/flown. 341 joints visited. Countless bites of brisket, sausage, chicken, pork, white bread, potato salad, and slaw—and vats of sauce—ingested. There are only fifty slots on our quinquennial list of the best places to eat barbecue in Texas. Only five of those got high honors. And only one (you’ll never guess which one in a million years) is the best of the best.
by Jordan Breal, Paul Burka, Pamela Colloff, David Courtney, S.C. Gwynne, Michael Hall, David A. Herron, Stacy Hollister, Patricia Busa McConnico, John Morthland, Katharyn Rodemann, Chester Rosson, Patricia Sharpe, Jake Silverstein, John Spong, Brian D. Sweany, Andrea Valdez and Katy Vine [June 2008]
Where To Eat Now 2008 »
Yes, the setting is ritzy and the food remarkable. But what really makes the state’s best new restaurant sizzle is something less tangible: the (Dean) Fearing factor.
by Patricia Sharpe [March 2008]
Eat Their Words »
What will dining, both out and in, be like in decades to come? We asked the state’s top chefs and food folk, from Dean Fearing and Hugo Ortega to David Bull and Charles Butt.
by Patricia Sharpe [February 2008]
Meat Your Maker »
From city to country, fancy to down-home, the state’s 38 best steakhouses. Plus: the Japanese beef that everyone should be eating, our favorite butcher shops, and how to grill a ribeye that even your father-in-law will love.
by Patricia Sharpe [December 2007]
Great Bar Food at Home »
Reviewed by Ashleigh Whaley [September 2007]
The Art of the Meal »
Five of the best museums in the state have cafes designed to tempt the most refined tastes and sophisticated palates. A few have masterpieces on the menu; others are works in progress.
by Patricia Sharpe [July 2007]
From Husks Till Dawn »
Even cowgirls get the munchies, which is why Paula Disbrowe came up with these great recipes for migas, blackberry blue-corn muffins, and other breakfast staples.
by Patricia Sharpe [March 2007]
Where to Eat Now 2007 »
Well, first and foremost, Dallas, since four of the year’s ten best new restaurants—including the top three—are there. But if you’re hip and hungry in Houston, Austin, or San Antonio, my list won’t disappoint.
by Patricia Sharpe [February 2007]
The Greatest Tacos Ever Sold »
Sixty-three of them, to be exact: from picadillo in Dallas and brisket tinga in Houston to carne asada gringa in San Antonio and chorizo-and-jalapeño in McAllen. Be sure you don’t leave this earth without trying each and every one.
by Patricia Sharpe [December 2006]
The Chop Is in the Mail »
You want to send your granny a grapefruit this Christmas? Your bro a brisket? Your pop a pie? We’ve taste-tested more than four hundred foodstuffs that Texas companies will happily ship to your door, and more than forty are first-class.
by Patricia Sharpe [November 2006]
Peas Be With You »
This farm-to-table feast will make you thankful for the Texas growers who still work the land and for at least one hip chef who gives new life to the fruits and vegetables of their labor.
by Patricia Sharpe [July 2006]
A Desert Feast »
How to make black bean soup, cactus cornbread, and other mouthwatering dishes from Melissa Guerra’s South Texas kitchen.
by Patricia Sharpe [May 2006]
75 Things We Love About Texas »
Including: the sopa azteca at El Mirador, in San Antonio; the spring-fed pool at Balmorhea State Park; the humidity; elbow room; free advice at White Rock Lake, in Dallas; county courthouses; boots-and- jeans-clad Academy Award–winner Larry McMurtry; and—seriously— quail hunting.
[April 2006]
Where to Eat Now 2006 »
Our favorite new restaurants of the year—and a few more that almost make the cut.
by Patricia Sharpe [February 2006]
Directory »
All restaurants accept major credit cards.
by Patricia Sharpe [February 2006]
Runners-up »
Just because a restaurant didn’t make the top ten doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile. Here are six worthy runners-up in three cities.
by Patricia Sharpe [February 2006]
Southern Comfort »
Fabulous fried chicken, marvelous meat loaf, great greens, outstanding okra, perfect pie, and more: where to find our favorite staples of home cooking.
by Patricia Sharpe [November 2005]
Fried Chicken »
by June Naylor and Patricia Sharpe [November 2005]
