Patricia Sharpe grew up in Austin and holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin. After working as a teacher (in English and Spanish) and at the Texas Historical Commission (writing historical markers), she joined the staff of Texas Monthly, in 1974. Initially, she edited the magazine’s cultural and restaurant listings and wrote a consumer feature called Touts. Eventually she focused exclusively on food. Her humorous story “War Fare,” an account of living for 48 hours on military MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat), was included in the anthology Best Food Writing 2002. Many of her stories appear in the 2008 UT Press collection, Texas Monthly on Food. In 2006 her story about being a restaurant critic, titled “Confessions of a Skinny Bitch,” won a James Beard Foundation award for magazine food writing.
Sharpe has contributed to Gourmet, Bon Appétit, Saveur, and the New York Times. She writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Articles by Patricia Sharpe
King Creole
I walked into Underbelly the other night and straight into a bear hug from chef-owner Chris Shepherd. And I wasn’t the only one. Every woman that the extroverted Houston chef had ever met before, plus random strangers who were looking a little jealous, also received a hug. I’m not sure…
The Birding Drive
The Birding Drive By Patricia Sharpe ROUTE: Mission to South Padre IslandDISTANCE: 89 milesNUMBER OF COUNTIES: 2WHAT TO READ: David Allen Sibley’s The Sibley Guide to Birds Hugging the U.S.-Mexico border in far South Texas, the sultry stretch of land known as the Lower Rio Grande Valley…
Oxheart
FOOD GURU MICHAEL POLLAN would be a fan of Oxheart. Admittedly, I haven’t asked him, but his famous imperative—“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants”—squares with the philosophy behind the highly anticipated vegetable-centric restaurant from husband-and-wife chefs Justin Yu and Karen Man. (In case you find yourself a…
SXSW: Where to Find Cheap Eats
A guide to the city's best restaurants that won't blow your wad.
SXSW: Where to Eat
The definitive guide on where to grab a hangover taco, a soul-satisfying plate of ’cue, a beautiful piece of sushi, a see-and-be-seen table, a killer margarita, and more.
SXSW: Where to Eat Late Night
A guide to the city's best places to go when when you get out of a show—or just have the munchies.
SXSW: Where to Get Trailer Food
A guide to the city's best mobile eateries that are cranking out everything from Italian street food to funky gourmet doughnuts.
SXSW: Where to Eat Vegetarian
A guide to the city's best restaurants that offer vegan tacos, gluten-free options, smoothies, and fresh alternatives to beef, chicken, and the other white meat.
SXSW: Where to Eat in Central ATX
A culinary guide for navigating your way through the city, from a casual Ethiopian spot to a classic burger joint.
SXSW: Where to Eat Down South
A culinary guide for navigating your way through the city, from a funky French Vietnamese spot to a local hangout for people-watching.
SXSW: Where to Eat in Downtown ATX
A culinary guide for navigating your way through the city, from a late-night taco truck to a modern tequila bar.
SXSW: Where to Eat on the East Side
A culinary guide for navigating your way through the city, from a hipster hangout to a vegetarian grocery.
SXSW: Where to Get Away to Eat
A culinary guide for navigating your way around and outside the city, from a rustic barbecue joint to a sunset-watching venue on the lake.
SXSW: Where to Eat on the Water
A culinary guide for navigating your way around and outside the city, from a tropical waterfront cafe to a barbecue joint with a deck.
SXSW: Where to Eat Up North
A culinary guide for navigating your way through the city, from a beautiful hacienda to a hipster coffee bar.
SXSW: Where to Eat on South Lamar/Barton Springs
A culinary guide for navigating your way through the city, from a famous live music joint to a frozen banana food cart.
SXSW: The Top 10 Places to Eat in Central ATX
The gotta-have-it list of restaurants you simply must hit.
SXSW: The Top 10 Places to Eat in Downtown ATX
The gotta-have-it list of restaurants you simply must hit.
SXSW: The Top 10 Places to Eat on the East Side
The gotta-have-it list of restaurants you simply must hit.
SXSW: The Top 10 Places to Eat on South Congress
The gotta-have-it list of restaurants you simply must hit.
SXSW: The Top 10 Places to Eat on South Lamar, Barton Springs, and Down South
The gotta-have-it list of restaurants you simply must hit.
Where to Eat Now 2012
White tablecloths. Street food. Small portions. Lots and lots of innards. The only thing the ten best new Texas restaurants have in common is a willingness to prove that there is no such thing as a “Texas restaurant.” But when the escargots with fennel purée are this good, who cares?
The Monterey
I don’t know about you, but when I grab the menu at a beer garden and cafe, the last thing I expect to find on it are dishes like octopus with white curry, smoked fish with sriracha mayo, and chocolate pudding with lime curd and caramel popcorn. But at the…
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.
Home Plates
The heritage, splendor, and proper preparation of the ten dishes every Texan should be able to cook from scratch, from smoked brisket and migas to fried catfish and bacon-wrapped dove. Skillet and shotgun not included.
Bacon-wrapped Dove
Crisp bacon wrapped around meaty, pepper-spiked dove breast, with cream cheese oozing decadently around the edges.
Feature
A Big Splash
The biggest blue catfish ever caught in Texas—121.5 pounds—was hauled flipping and flopping out of Lake Texoma on January 16, 2004, by Howe resident Cody Mullennix. Contrary to iron-clad tradition, Mullennix did not eat the critter, stuff it, or hang its head on a rural fence post. He donated it,…
Dean Fearing, Mansion On Turtle Creek, Dallas
“People are fascinated with intricate, exotic preparations, but they love comfort food. What we’re doing is giving homey, Texas food a kick and serving it in our Mansion style.” My dad was an innkeeper, which is how I got into cooking. He was with the parent company of Holiday Inn,…
Where to Eat Now 2011
Jalapeño sausage–stuffed quail, lemon-pepper-marinated fried chicken: The trend for most of the best new restaurants last year was comfort food with pizzazz. But then along came Uchiko to wow us with its mouthwatering take on Japanese fusion. Who says you can’t buck a trend?
Sea Student
Bryan Caswell, the chef-owner of Reef, in Houston, has your backyard summer picnic all figured out.
Where to Eat Now 2010
You had to be brave to open a restaurant last year. Or you had to be a genius. Or, like Robert Del Grande, whose revamped Houston eatery tops our list of the ten best gastronomical debuts of 2009, you had to be both.
Let’s Have Mex-Tex
Where’s the best place to get a perfect plate of enchiladas? A chile relleno to die for? A salsa you’ll never forget? Come along on our tour of the fifty greatest Mexican restaurants in Texas, from Hugo’s, in Houston, to Tacos Santa Cecilia, in El Paso. This is not your father’s Tex-Mex.
The Joy of Mex
From La Valentina in Dallas to Casa del Sol in Juárez, 75 Mexican restaurants that will leave your taste buds begging for more, plus seven great recipes.
Round and Round
Tortillas have been with us since the heyday of the Maya and the Aztecs. Now these simple small cakes are big business-but some are still made the old fashioned way. Includes extra tortilleria listings.
Some Like It Picante
Actually, most of us do, which is why we’ve visited Mexican restaurants and taquerías all over the state in search of the best enchiladas, guacamole, cabrito, and other classic dishes; pilfered three great restaurant recipes for you to make in your own cocina; answered every frequently asked question we could think of; collected expert tips and techniques; and compiled a glossary of terms you’re likely to find on a menu. Sound like the last Mexican food story you’ll ever need to read?
¡Viva Tequila!
How it’s made, the secret of cooking with it, the truth about the worm, and everything else you ever wanted to know about Mexico’s favorite drink—and ours.
State Fare
Shakespeare deemed music the food of love. We beg to differ. These normally humdrum breakfast staples have been glamorized by chef Kenneth Mills of Dallas’ Natura Cafe. His trick? He enriches the pancakes with yogurt and lightly beaten egg whites before grilling, then pours on generous quantities of warm syrup;…
State Fare
Pity poor Santa: Everywhere he stops during the wee hours of Christas morning, he gets a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. This year, do him a gavor and put out something different at your house, like a slice of satiny lemon tart and a cup of liqueur-laced…
Who’s Next?
San Antonio's Marshevet Hooker is not just any old high school sprinter; she's an Olympic gold medalist in the making. Meet her and nine other women we're betting will lead the new Texas—and the world.
Wild Turkey
Here’s something to be thankful for: chef Grady Spears’s holiday feast, with a deep-fried bird and all the trimmings.
On the Beach
It’s time for grillin’ and chillin’—and we know just where to buy fresh seafood and have the perfect picnic on the sand.
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.
Styles and Styles of Texas
The thirty Texans with the most iconic, unforgettable, eye-popping looks, from Davy Crockett to Beyoncé.
Great Escapes
From a boutique hotel in hip South Austin to a bed-and-breakfast across the Mexican border, from fly fishing on the Llano River to bathing in the Chinati Hot Springs, 33 getaways the guidebooks don’t tell you about, courtesy of our intrepid staff of weekend warriors.