Where are the best places to eat barbecue in Texas? Six years ago we published a highly subjective—and hotly debated— list of our fifty favorite joints, and now we’ve gone back for seconds. Ten intrepid souls drove more than 21,000 miles in search of 2003’s worthiest ‘cue. Here’s what they
MELLOW YELLOW Remember when “truffle” more often referred to a candy than to the now popular fungus? When arugula was still a mysterious green? Meet the squash blossom, another of the young guns of produce currently making its way into the mainstream. The versatile, light flavor of fresh squash blossoms
On Track Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser, Jr., will be competing in the Bombardier 500K with the Indy Racing League at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on June 7. texasmonthly.com: You’re doing some of the best driving of your career these days. What’s made the difference? The
Unless otherwise noted, all places take credit cards.ABILENE: Harold’s Pit Bar-B-Q We didn’t catch pitmaster Harold Christian singing gospel songs to his customers, but we’re told that isn’t an unusual occurrence. This cozy little room, packed with nine picnic tables, seven booths, and a congregation of athletic trophies, is where
STEP OUT James Brown once said that any problem in the world can be solved by dancing. So this seems like a particularly good time to slip on the footwear of your choice and start practicing those fancy steps—whether they be of the boot-scootin’, foot-stomping, or smooth-sashaying variety. In addition
CALL OF THE WILD You might like to think of yourself as the rugged outdoorsy type, more interested in a challenging hike than in remaining incredibly still for long periods of time just to catch a glimpse of a flickering feathered mass—but just wait. This could happen to you: While
On a recent trip to the Huntsville area, I came across a wonderful new museum, some great barbecue, and the perfect campsite.
THIS BUG’S FOR YOU Thanks to plenty of rain last summer, Cajun country should be crawling with crawfish this year. The good news for Texans is that we don’t have to go all the way to Louisiana to get our fix of mudbugs. There are plenty of Cajun-oriented restaurants in
POLITICAL PARTY Ready for a break from television news-talk shows? This month, instead of tuning in to Face the Nation, you can get out and listen face-to-face—without interruptions from the talking heads—to several distinguished public figures who will speak around the state on everything from the economy and the military
Edited by Katy Vine and Eileen Schwartz
CHOC TREATMENT Lisa Fox, co-owner of Austin’s Asti Trattoria and a pastry chef in her own right, talked to us about the most coveted sweet treat for Valentine’s Day. What makes a good cooking chocolate? It should contain nothing artificial. Also, no added sugar or cocoa powder. I usually cook
VOICES OF CHANGE Two of the state’s women’s rights pioneers—Dallas attorney Louise B. Raggio, known as the “mother of family law in Texas,” and Vivian Castleberry, the first woman to serve on the editorial board of the Dallas Times Herald, will be among the featured guests at Southern Methodist University’s
CABIN FEVER Call us affected big-city snobs, but we never thought we’d see Hawaiian lomi lomi salmon on a small-town East Texas menu. Actually, the cevichelike dish was a special on our first visit to the Homestead on 19th in Huntsville. A fine nut-crusted wahoo filet was another, as was
“YOU A REAL COWBOY?” Debra Winger asked that question of John Travolta more than twenty years ago in the film Urban Cowboy. Today, with a couple more decades of urban sprawl under our big, shiny belt buckles, it’s even harder to find one. But this month, if you look for
She was a country music sensation at age 13. Now, Tanya Tucker, a native of Seminole, talks about her life and her love of music 30 years later.
They may not be songs about Texas, but Tony Joe White wrote Rainy Night in Georgia and Polk Salad Annie while living in Corpus Christi. Currently on tour opening for Joe Cocker, the Louisiana native chats about old times, his new record label, and the Texas musician who first inspired
Yes, you can really take your kids skating outdoors in Texasplus other ways to keep them busy (and yourself sane) when school's out.
PUMPED UP Douglas Brown, the 29-year-old executive chef of Dallas’ Melrose Hotel and its Landmark restaurant, has some great pumpkin ideas for fall as well as tips for cooking with the real thing. His recipe for pumpkin gnocchi with apple-cider brown bbutter and pumpkin seeds takes this orange relative of
DRUM UP SOME FUN Whether you’re a folk art lover, a foodie, or just ready for a fall frolic, here’s an itinerary that should make your mouth water. Head to San Antonio November 1 and begin with First Friday, a monthly art walk that takes over the funky Southtown neighborhood’s
Losing your breasts but keeping your dignity.
HOT WHEELS Whether you like to ride low and slow, in high style, or with the wind in your face, this month offers several events that will get your motor running. Start your engines at San Antonio’s Low and Slow Classic Car Show, where more than two hundred flashy vehicles
THE GUY CAN’T HELP IT Little Richard, arguably one of the greatest performers in rock and roll history, is playing in Texas this month at Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House on September 28 and 29. So you’re coming to Galveston. Have you ever been to that part of Texas before?
DO, RE, Sí San Antonio loves a fiesta. And during the Diez y Seis de Septiembre holiday, which celebrates Mexico’s independence from Spain on September 16, 1810, there is plenty of evidence of that. On September 14 the streets of the Alamo City will be filled with music and dancing
SAY “AMEN!” Our quest for the quintessential roadside cafe ended happily on a rural stretch of Texas Highway 21, four miles west of the hamlet of Lincoln. So many times before, we had been led astray in similar surroundings by a sign with the words “country kitchen,” “home cooking,” or
LEAVE IT TO DIVA What do Cher and Dolly Parton, two of the most recognizable performers in the world—one for her outlandish outfits and the other for her, well, smile—have in common? Not much—on the surface, that is. Other than the obvious (they are both singers, actors, and blondes; yes,
COLD COMFORT Soup, by definition, is comfort food. But it can also be sexy, especially in the summer, when chefs devise recipes that call for ripe fruit. Or it can be edgy, with the imaginative use of fresh herbs. It can even be bracing when it’s served chilled. Houston’s Mockingbird
TALK TO ME Rock and roll crooner Chris Isaak, known for his signature rootsy, soul-stirring sound, is currently on tour with a new CD, Always Got Tonight, and will be making stops this month in Austin, Dallas, and Houston. Meanwhile, The Chris Isaak Show, the Showtime series in which the
Tony Curtis stars in a new version of Some Like It Hot, the musical based on the 1959 Billy Wilder movie. The show premieres in Houston.
