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.
Executive editor 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. She eventually focused exclusively on food. Her humorous story “War Fare,” an account of living for 48 hours on military MREs (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. Her story about being a restaurant critic, titled “Confessions of a ‘Skinny Bitch,’ ” won a James Beard Foundation award for magazine food writing in 2006.
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.
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.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
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
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
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.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Shakespeare deemed music the food of love. We beg to differ. For a romantic Valentine’s Day breakfast in bed, the true food of love is a stack of pancakes with raspberry-maple syrup and a lavish helping of oatmeal pudding doused with fragrant vanilla sauce. These normally humdrum breakfast staples have
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Recipe from Cattle Kings Grill, Houston.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
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.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Evan Smith is the cofounder of the Texas Tribune, a senior adviser at Emerson Collective, and the former editor in chief and president of Texas Monthly.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
Here’s something to be thankful for: chef Grady Spears’s holiday feast, with a deep-fried bird and all the trimmings.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
It’s time for grillin’ and chillin’—and we know just where to buy fresh seafood and have the perfect picnic on the sand.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
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.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
The thirty Texans with the most iconic, unforgettable, eye-popping looks, from Davy Crockett to Beyoncé.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Skip Hollandsworth specializes in long-form narratives.
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.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Our favorite restaurants from around the state.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Seven restaurants from Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Recipes for the state’s best breakfasts, including empanadas from Joe T. Garcia’s Bakery in Fort Worth, smoked-salmon omelets from benjy’s in Houston, and gingerbread pancakes from Austin’s Magnolia Cafe.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Staples of Provençal cuisine, such as olive oil, goat cheese, and honey, are being produced in Texas? Mais oui.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Recipe for a great new cookbook: Combine a celebrated chef, a veteran food writer, and an innovative approach to contemporary Tex-Mex; serve.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Fabulous fried chicken, marvelous meat loaf, great greens, outstanding okra, perfect pie, and more: where to find our favorite staples of home cooking.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Our guide to finding Texas wildflowers that stand out in their fields.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Up-and-coming Southwestern chefs.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
How to cook up a culinary craze: Mix talented chefs, native ingredients, classical techniques, and good publicity. Name result “Southwestern.” Let spread across globe.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
A guide to hot spots in Texas and around the country.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
“In the past few years I have tried to simplify what we do and not trump it up too much. I’ve never strained the sauces—I leave bits of chile in there to give a more rustic look.”
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Fort Worth
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Our 31 researchers were given rigorous training and dispatched to the field with packets of wet ones, bottles of Tums, and a scientific score sheet (the one pictured at right is from the Cove, in San Antonio, whose Texas Burger ranked number five on our list).As soon as the burger
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Location: Hill CountryWhat You’ll Need: Road map, spittoonTexas runneth over with wineries; more than 160 are scattered from the Panhandle to the Piney Woods. But for a doable weekend that blends good wine and well-run tasting rooms with wonderful scenery, side trips, varied shopping, and restaurants both
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
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?
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Even without fancy dressing, this showy Mediterranean-style salad makes a spectacle of itself. Chef Timothy Keating of the Omni Houston Hotel’s La Rèserve restaurant (4 Riverway), created the “intense” salad, as he calls it, for a fundraiser last year on a Hollywood soundstage, where he was “elbow-deep in roasted vegetables,
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Salads, they do get weary, wearing that same shabby dressing. And when they get weary, Thai Spice says, try a little tenderloin.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Tired of talking turkey? ‘Tis the season to feast on a bird that’s all it’s quacked up to beand other dishes created by five of the state’s hottest chefs.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Panhandle Cope’s Coney Island, CanyonAt Cope’s, the lunch counter with swivel stools will make you nostalgic for the fifties. All-American eats include chicken-fried steak, one-third-pound burgers, barbecue, grilled steaks, and, of course, hot dogs. On Saturdays, chow down on fried catfish and shrimp. 2201 Fourth Avenue, 806-655-1184. Lunch and dinner
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
• Tell me if this idea is not totally Dallas: a restaurant with a conjoined clothing boutique. At Cretia’s on McKinney, both sexes can peruse trendy garb while the kitchen whips up their food. To be honest, I prefer lunches here because the damage to my pocketbook is less if
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
What’s on the menu this year? Not the best new restaurants of all time, perhaps—but you’ll still love the veal shank at 17, the Texas quail at T’afia, the Guinness stout cake at George, and the fusion of French and Mexican cooking at Lanny’s Alta Cocina Mexicana. And don’t forget
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
• Beso, – Closed• Cretia’s on McKinney, 4438 McKinney Avenue, Dallas, 214-252-9300• El Chile Cafe y Cantina, 1809 Manor Road, Austin, 512-457-9900• Fireside Pies, 2820 N. Henderson Avenue, Dallas, 214-370-3916• George, – Closed• Hector’s on Henderson, 2929 N. Henderson Avenue, Dallas, 214-821-0432• Julia’s Bistro, 3722 Main, Houston, 713-807-0090• Lanny’s Alta
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
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
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.
John Spong writes primarily about popular culture.
Mike Hall writes about criminals, musicians, the law, and barbecue.
The traditional way to prepare Texas barbecue is in a pit, the more smoke-infused and grease-encrusted the better. The word “pit” harks back to the days when meats were cooked over smoldering coals in an earthen pit or trench, especially for large gatherings. Nowadays, such buried ovens are extremely rare,
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Don’t bother going in the front door. You’ll end up in the parking lot behind the boxy brick building anyway, doing the Smitty’s shuffle: At peak hours, the lines invariably stretch out the back door. Patiently, you inch your way forward, passing the waist-high brick pits and perusing the list
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Start your New Year’s Day dinner with ruffles and flourishes—specifically this flaky, frilly tart of filo leaves containing an earthy mix of exotic mushrooms and leeks, from the elegant Conservatory at Dallas’ Hotel Crescent Court.Says executive chef Jim Mills: “Our customers are always surprised by this dish. They tell me,
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Former San Antonio paralegal Debra Auden is a law unto herself when it comes to baking—she learned by trial and very little error. Three years ago, she made her first loaf of Italian peasant bread. It turned out so well that she started selling bread to friends before opening a
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
The lowly onion gets glamour lessons from Davasha Stalarow, the executive chef at Houston’s new 8.0 restaurant (3745 Greenbriar, Houston). The Dallas-based 8.0 has long prided itself on being a bastion of home cooking away from home, specializing in healthful food to nourish both body and soul.The Houston outpost keeps
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
At Austin’s Majestic Diner, co-owner and chef Mick Vann gives the royal treatment to even the simplest entrée. Vann has been cooking for twenty years (the last seven at Clarksville Cafe in Austin), and he still has a knack for the unexpected: whole leaves of spinach in spanakopita and a
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
This vigorous melding of ricotta, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses with assertive herbs epitomizes the free-and-easy style of EZ’s, Cappy Lawton’s newest San Antonio restaurant. The Lawtons’ dinnertime joke was, “Let’s go someplace easy,” but few nearby restaurants fit that description. So when the Waitz Model Market relocated, Cappy nabbed
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Stephan Pyles’ sweet mascarpone polenta has a corn-ucopia of flavor.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Houston’s Tony Ruppe’s has got your goat cheese.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Be the king of all that you sorbet with a passion-filled dessert from Anthony's in Houston.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Ginger Crisps1/2 cup butter at room temperature 1 cup sifted powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 3/4 cups sifted flour 1/2 cup milk, warmed to room temperature 1/4 cup very finely chopped candied gingerPreheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter. Sift sugar again and beat with butter until smooth.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
At Houston’s La Réserve, you can have yourself a merry little Christmas tree—for dessert.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
From Tila’s in Houston: three Mexican appetizers that are, well, appetizing.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
From Austin’s Eastside Cafe come three soups that will bowl you over.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Don’t steer clear of the chocolate mousse iceberg from Dacapo’s on the Parkway in Houston.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.
Mesteña’s apple sorbet and walnut-apple flautas are delicious to the core.
Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pat’s Pick, for Texas Monthly.