Elmo Henderson’s entire life story can be summed up in a single moment: when he stepped into the ring in San Antonio one night in 1972 and knocked out Muhammad Ali. At least that’s the way he tells it. And tells it.
AUSTIN The city’s best ceviche is the platter at unfussy Polvo’s, with its avocado slices and impeccably fresh, lime-marinated tilapia—if you don’t care for a dollop of cocktail sauce in the middle (a Mexican touch), ask the kitchen to omit it. Big chunks of tender tilapia zapped with Bermuda
AUSTIN “Flauta” means “flute”—implying something long, round, and slender—but some of Austin’s finest flautas challenge the definition. Manuel’s does splendid, and unusual, grilled flautas: Toasty-crisp, these folded-over corn tortillas are filled with chicken and served with verde or ranchera sauce and a splash of sour cream; the blocks of
ENCHILADAS: Runners-upAUSTIN At El Chile’s jazzy little converted house, the tomatillo sauce on the chicken enchiladas has ample flavor and a touch of sweetness, and the chile con carne sauce on the Tex-Mex cheese enchiladas is made from real red chiles, not commercial chili powder; but the restaurant’s best
7000 B.C. Indigenous peoples in Mexico and Central America gather and eat wild chiles, paving the way for enchiladas, salsa, and jalapeño poppers. Because corn grows wild and is thus pebbly and stunted, their major food, besides meat, is roasted agave hearts.3500 B.C.Indigenous peoples cultivate chiles for food.1200 B.C. Native
AustinCilantro’s, 1025 W. Stassney Lane, 512-707-1207Curra’s Grill, 614 E. Oltorf, 512-444-0012, and one other locationDos Gringos Tamales, 512-249-5947 or dosgringostamales@yahoo.com; no credit cardsEl Chile Café y Cantina, 1809 Manor Road, 512-457-9900Fonda San Miguel, 2330 W. North Loop Boulevard, 512-459-4121Güero’s, 1412 S. Congress Avenue, 512-447-7688Las Manitas, 211 Congress Avenue, 512-472-9357Las
AUSTIN Fonda San Miguel welcomes you to a world of its own through a pair of massive wooden doors. The rustic stenciled walls and artfully faded colors could pass for a centuries-old estate in the Mexican interior. Dignitaries visiting the capital city are invariably dragged (quite happily) to rollicking
EL PASO Recently opened Yum Balam already ranks among the state’s premier seafood restaurants, its look is as sleek and chic as its seasonal menu. Among perfectly executed entrées, the seared ahi tuna was moist yet firm, its pistachio mole sauce a bold combination of traditional and experimental. With
AUSTIN Two distinctive takes on migas tie for the city’s best. More like scrambled eggs, the version at Manuel’s two stylish locations is almost fluffy; spiked with not-too-many bits of fried tortilla, serrano, cilantro, tomato, and crisp onion, it is topped with a discreet grating of Monterey Jack cheese.
Senior editor Gary Cartwright on Norma McCorvey (a.k.a. Jane Roe) and how abortion has divided the country.
Chicken Broth and Meat2 whole chickens, excess fat removed and split lengthwise 2 carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into about 4 pieces 2 celery ribs, cleaned and sliced on the diagonal into about 4 pieces 1 medium onion, coarsely sliced 5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Candied Walnuts1 cup walnut halves 3/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedPreheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-size bowl combine all ingredients with 2 tablespoons water and toss or stir until nuts are well coated. Spread nuts on a cookie sheet lined
Note: This recipe makes about a gallon of mole sauce, which is enough for 32 half-cup servings.Spices and Seasonings2 1/2 raw white onions, halved 1 tomato, roasted and coarsely chopped 2 heads of garlic, roasted and peeled 3/4 cup sesame seeds 3/4 cup almonds 1/2 cup peanuts
Salmon4 six-ounce salmon filets, skin and bones removed, sliced into thin layers and then cut lengthwise into strips between 1/2- and 3/4-inch wide and as long as possible (the strips will ultimately be curled into rosettes) 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, stems and leaves (save 16 leaves for garnish) sea salt
Associate editor John Spong on former boxer Elmo Henderson, who still reminisces about his days in the ring.
Senior editor Patricia Sharpe, who wrote this month’s cover story, talks about Texans’ love affair with Mexican food.
Hockey’s popularity is growing among pint-size Texans with the help of Stomp, Fang, and friends.
Houston-based Continental Airlines has survived the deregulation of commercial flights, two bankruptcy stints, and 9/11.
A day trip to the little town of Bandera was just what I needed to understand the cowboy spirit.
Contributing editor Turk Pipkin on his new book, The Old Man and the Tee.
Senior editor Pamela Colloff on how cuts in the taxpayer-funded Children’s Health Insurance Program have resulted in a health care crisis.
Jeff Mccord Those around Austin in the eighties heyday of what came to be cynically labeled the “New Sincerity” movement probably recall an omnipresent gawky kid thrusting his cassettes into their hands. If you got through the amateurish musical skills on DANIEL JOHNSTON’s homemade recordings, your patience was
Not a blues, reggae, alternative rock, or children’s CD, not a TV-special soundtrack of endless hackneyed duets nor a just-another-night-on-the-road live tape but an honest-to-god WILLIE NELSON recording. You’d have to go back to 1998’s Daniel Lanois—produced Teatro or, better yet, 1996’s Spirit to find a time when Nelson
BLAZE FOLEY, the itinerant Austin songwriter immortalized by Lucinda Williams (“Drunken Angel”) and Townes Van Zandt (“Blaze’s Blues”), was a caring soul whose spare and simple songs drilled to the core of human emotions. He was also, um, colorful, from his unusual lodging habits (the BFI logo on city
What’s in a name? Irony, humor, and nostalgia for the seedy traveling shows of old in the cases of Circus Contraption, Zamora the Torture King, and the Yard Dogs Road Show—just three of the ten or so alternative circuses masterfully profiled in FREAKS & FIRE: THE UNDERGROUND REINVENTION OF
Maggie Clary misses her womb. After 58 whole-bodied and even-keeled years living in the Hollywood bungalow where she was raised, a hysterectomy has dumped her into a state of quiet despair. None of life’s usual pleasures—shopping with her best girlfriend, Connie, Bloody Marys at Musso & Franks, or looping
AUSTINColorful, casual El Chile’s roasted-jalapeño salsa is the best in town, dark as chocolate and just the right thickness to coat a chip; while not terribly hot, it’s not for wimps. A few months ago, Las Manitas created a terrific spicy salsa that blends chile de árbol, tomatillo, garlic,
AUSTINThe race for best garlic shrimp in Austin is a tie. Fonda San Miguel’s version is for those who want to taste the flavor of shrimp first, garlic second; the restaurant’s beautifully cooked crustaceans give serious meaning to the word “jumbo,” and its colonial-style dining rooms define “handsome.” For
AUSTINConnoisseurs favor the dimly lit nooks of Fonda San Miguel’s bar for sampling some of its 25 to 30 tequilas, the best of which—such as Patrón silver and cult-favorite Chinaco añejo—should be sipped slowly, like fine brandy. If you aren’t up to the hopping happy-hour bar scene at Manuel’s
AUSTINCurra’s giant tamales are two or three times the normal size, with great, fluffy masa and ample filling. The savory pork is best, followed closely by the vegetarian (zucchini, yellow squash, and onion), refried-bean, and raisin-and-pineapple. Order well in advance from this popular casual cafe; $9.95—$10.95 a dozen. No
AUSTINIs it deliriously sweet? Is it dripping with the requisite three milks (cream or whole milk plus sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk)? If the answer is yes—and it is at lively, pastel-painted El Chile—you have the best tres leches cake in the city. A close runner-up, the no-froufrou
AUSTINThere’s a tie for Austin’s best mole: The cooks at Las Manitas once took a class in mole-making from Diana Kennedy, and a version of the famous cookbook author’s own recipe—lush with chiles, chocolate, and spices—is offered at the laid-back cafe Friday through Sunday, atop enchiladas or by the
AUSTINA spacious bakery and counter-order cafe, La Mexicana is a home away from home for Mexican expatriates, who eat breakfast or lunch, watch Spanish-language TV, and send money to the folks back home while the kitchen churns out multicolored sweet buns, churros (skinny squiggles of fried dough), and much
AUSTINTexas’s best Mexican Sunday brunch is the lavish spread at gracious Fonda San Miguel, with numerous regional dishes like the Yucatán’s achiote-seasoned pork pibil served in beautiful Talavera pottery bowls. Small, brightly painted El Mesón puts out some seriously good interior dishes, as well as tacos al pastor, with
AUSTINThe guacamole at unpretentious El Mesón is the best in Austin—avocado scooped from the shell, lightly mashed, and mixed with chopped onion, tomato, and jalapeño and ample quantities of lime juice; it’s eat-by-the-spoonful good. At El Chile, a repurposed bungalow, the cooks do a nice job with a chunky
AUSTINThere are chiles rellenos, and then there are chiles rellenos en nogada, a classic variation with a sweet, luxuriant walnut cream sauce. The city’s best relleno is the nogada version served at Manuel’s, both the limestone-walled dining room downtown and the flamboyant place up north; the rich sauce has
AUSTINAt exuberantly eclectic and casual Evita’s Botanitas, the finest beef fajitas in town come on a sizzling platter with strips of grilled onion and bell pepper plus guacamole, sour cream, grated cheddar, and jícama matchsticks. Don’t miss the beef fajitas at dark, sultry Vivo, which come with the restaurant’s
FORT WORTHFresh from the roasting spit at this north side gathering spot, Esperanza’s tender baby goat falls apart at the touch of your fork. Fill hot, fresh corn tortillas with generous shreds of meat and dab them with the restaurant’s nubby, dark-orange salsa. HOUSTONIf you can’t make it to
Make an authentic margarita. It couldn’t be simpler. Just combine one ounce each good tequila and triple sec with the juice of one Mexican lime (see Respuestas). This is the best—and strongest—margarita you will ever taste. ¡Salud!Squeeze a Mexican lime. To keep pesky seeds out of your
Austin, Dallas, El Paso | Fort Worth, Houston | Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio AUSTINCilantro’s, 1025 W. Stassney Lane, 512-707-1207Curra’s Grill, 614 E. Oltorf, 512-444-0012, and one other locationEl Caribe, 5610 N. Lamar Boulevard, 512-452-6207El Chile Café y Cantina,
achiote to divorciado(a) | dulce de leche to migas | mojarra to zarzamoraachiote (ah-chee-oh-teh): Nothing to sneeze at, achiote is a dark red paste made from the crushed seeds of the annatto tree. It has a mild, paprika-like flavor.adobado(a) (ah-doh-bah-doh): seasoned with adobo.adobo (ah-doh-boh): a red
Bell: Strips of sweet bell pepper are ubiquitous on fajita platters. Mild. Caribe: Also called güero (blond), this slightly sweet chile is good for sauces and for pickling. Mild. Chiltepin: This is known as the bird pepper, because birds eat it and disperse the seeds;
What would possess a person to eat a prickly pear cactus? Well, they’re abundant and cheap—and free if you gather them yourself. Called nopales, the pads have a mild vegetable flavor with a lemony zing. The taste of the fruits—called tunas—varies widely and can resemble anything from watermelon
Gene Autry’s reindeer games.
One groundbreaker, one Ranger. A story from Texas Ranger Christine Nix in her own words.
San Antonio politics, it ain't what it used to be—which is why it could be time for a grown-up at city hall.
A passionate, pointed, and in retrospect, pot-induced defense of Austin.
“It isn’t about cheap. You can make a pizza so cheap nobody will eat it. You can make an airline so cheap nobody will fly it. It’s about the product.”
For several months, TV shrink Dr. Phil McGraw has been picking apart— in full view of his national audience—the life choices made by residents of the Central Texas town of Elgin, who are apparently too fat, too horny, and too domestically violent for their own good. The diagnoses have not
Flan8 ounces El Rey chocolate (61 percent chocolate, or your preference) 4 ounces Ibarra plain chocolate or Abuelita cinnamon-flavored chocolate, available at H-E-B, Central Market, and Fiesta (if you prefer, use all El Rey) 4 cups milk 8 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon chocolate liqueur, such as Godiva
