From CNN: According to a CNN/ORC International survey released Friday [10/26], President Barack Obama holds a four point advantage over Republican nominee Mitt Romney in the contest for Ohio’s much fought over 18 electoral votes. Fifty-percent of likely voters questioned in the poll say they are backing the president,…
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In each of the following swing states, I looked at the ten latest polls as aggregated by the Huffington Post. This is the source of the data that I used. The decision on whether a state is a swing state is mine, not the Huffington Post’s. Here are the results:…
I have no credentials as a statistician, but it seems evident to me that the three Ohio polls serve to reinforce each other and enhance the probability that Obama is ahead in that state by at least +2.
Yesterday, I revealed that I would feature three unique chicken fried steaks on the blog in celebration of Texas Chicken Fried Steak Day. So, who are the lucky honorees? Congratulations to Olivia in Austin, Beaver’s in Houston, and Bone Daddy’s in Dallas.
From the Huffington Post: In 2008, 90 percent of gamblers correctly forecast an Obama victory. They were also on the money with 48 of 50 states. Gamblers’ success in this arena is nothing new. In presidential races beginning in 1896, the New York Times, Sun, and World…
Time/SRBI — Obama 49, Romney 44 Lake Research — Obama 46, Romney 44 Rasmussen (automated) — Obama 48, Romney 48 Survey USA (automated) — Obama 47, Romney 44 HuffPost Pollster (aggregate) — Obama 48.4, Romney 45.8 * * * * I would not go so far as to say that…
Ready your gravy boats, fellow Texans; Tomorrow – Friday, October 26 – is Texas Chicken Fried Steak Day. This culinary holiday honors one of the most famed dishes in the Lone Star State, and in celebration of Texas Chicken Fried Steak Day, different restaurants across the state are offering chicken fried steak specials…
For October, Pat Sharpe selected Boulevardier, a modern French bistro in Dallas, as Pat’s Pick. I spoke with Nathan Tate, executive chef of Boulevardier, about his brand new restaurant, French food, and his favorite dishes on the menu. (In case you haven’t heard, Pat’s…
This was the best of the debates. Both Obama and Romney were at the top of their games. Romney’s camp positioned him as reassuring and, to the extent it was possible, presidential. This was very smart; it smoothed the rough edges that emerge whenever Romney goes on the attack. Clearly…
1. Romney will renew his criticism of Obama’s muddled explanation of the attack on the consulate at Benghazi. Obama will respond with an attack on Romney’s ill-timed press release critizing the White House’s performance. Romney will not repeat his previous (false) accusation that it took Obama two weeks to call…
Austin chef Sonya Coté, executive chef of Hillside Farmacy and former chef of East Side Show Room, has been named one of Marie Claire’s “Women on Top,” an award that celebrates women under forty who are creatively reinventing their industries. Coté earned the distinguished honor for her valiant support of…
On Friday, Pat Sharpe wrote about Hugo Ortega’s new cookbook “Hugo Ortega’s Street Food of Mexico,” which will be featured at the Texas Book Festival this Saturday and Sunday (October 27-28) in Austin. To give…
From the Express-News: In the home stretch of a crucial election effort to pass his pre-K education plan, Mayor Julian Castro is being drafted for a different race, two years away. Bexar County Democratic Party Chairman Manuel Medina launched a social media movement last week to draft…
From the Houston Chronicle: The Food and Drug Administration has informed the Sugar Land company involved in Gov. Rick Perry’s adult stem-cell procedure that it is illegally marketing an unlicensed drug. In a warning letter, the FDA gave Celltex Therapeutics Corp. 15 business days to submit a plan to…
One of the most respected authorities on Mexican cuisine in this country is an author and culinary tour leader from Washington State named Marilyn Tausend, and she has recently published her latest cookbook, La Cocina Mexicana: Many Cultures, One Cuisine. Strangely enough, Tausend has a strong Texas…
Exciting news for all the Houston foodies out there: the city is hosting a myriad of chef-organized, chef-led culinary tours in 2013. The “Where the Chefs Eat” Houston Culinary Tours started in 2010 as a means of teaching diners about the Houston food scene and all its intricacies and diversities. Proceeds from the tours benefit…
I’m told by sources who heard it from the horse’s mouth, that the light gov has decided on his top priorities for the 2013 session, issues he would like to see designated as “emergencies.” (They would have to be designated as emergencies by the governor.) This is what my list…
When Hugo Ortega was a small boy shining shoes and selling freshly made flan in the marketplace in Mexico City, no doubt it never crossed his mind that one day he would be teaching Americans to cook the foods of his homeland. But that was a long time ago,…
Two days ago, I featured a post on Naomi Duguid’s new book “Burma: Rivers of Flavor.” Before I talked to the Duguid, I asked her to send along a Texas-esque recipe from the book that I could feature…
Right this minute would be a good time to scoop up some fun food-related bargains and help out a good cause at the same time. The Austin chapter of the nonprofit women’s culinary group Les Dames d’Escoffier is holding an on-line auction of culinary goodies, and…
Dear barbecue buffs, fans, mavens, hounds, fanatics, cognoscenti, nuts, addicts, maniacs, aficionados, zealots, enthusiasts, devotes, groupies, and lovers: Do you have a barbecue destination that you think is worthy of being on Texas Monthly’s “The Top Fifty BBQ Joints in Texas” list? Now’s the time to tell us!…
Bryce Gilmore has announced plans to open a brick-and-mortar location of the food trailer that propelled him into local fame: The Odd Duck. Bryce Gilmore The 120-seat Odd Duck restaurant will re-open in Spring 2013 in its original location at 1219 South Lamar Boulevard with “a rustic and casual atmosphere…
From the KTRK story: “Mario Gallegos was the first Mexican American elected to the Texas Senate from Harris County. He served two terms. Gallegos was a firefighter and a senior captain for 22 years. In 2007, he was elected “Governor for a day,” an honorary position awarded to…
From October 27-28, the Texas Book Festival will take place at the State Capitol in Austin. A number of talented, award-winning culinary authors will be attending the literary gathering, including Naomi Duguid – contributing editor of Saveur magazine and author of the recently…
The university says that it cannot build and operate its proposed new medical school without a permanent source of funding. It is seeking an increase in local property taxes (amounting to $107.40 per homeowner for the average home), the revenue from which would help fund the medical school. Austin historically…
When he spoke to TEXAS MONTHLY back in May, Larry McGuire mentioned he was working on a new oyster bar on West Sixth Street. Just before the Austin City Limits Music Festival, McGuire opened Clark’s Oyster Bar – a “little brother” restaurant to the highly revered…
The Austin Film Festival will host their 10th annual Film & Food Party on Wednesday, October 17 at The Driskill Hotel from 7-10 p.m. The culinary event kicks off the 19th annual Austin Film Festival, which takes place from October 18-25. The honorary chair…
On Friday, I began looking into how different food vendors and restaurants were gearing up for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. So far, I’ve spoken with Second Bar + Kitchen, Torchy’s Tacos, and The Salt Lick; today, I finish off my inquiry with Pâté Letelier and Tiff’s Treats. Read…
Yesterday, I reached out to a few food vendors and restaurants to find out how they’ve been preparing for the Austin City Limits Music Festival, which attracts thousands of avid music fans from all over the world. To start things off,…
The first question from moderator Martha Raddatz was about the attack on the consulate in Libya: “Wasn’t this a massive intelligence failure?” Biden could only say, “What it was, was a tragedy.” Ryan: “It took the president two weeks to say this was a terrorist attack.” Biden said Ryan’s answer…
The Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) kicks off today, and it isn’t just the music scene that is attracting hoards of attendees to the festival grounds. The food lineup is just as alluring as the assortment of bands scheduled to play this…
From TPM [Talking Points Memo] A panel of federal judges ruled on Wednesday that South Carolina’s new voter ID does not have a discriminatory effect, but they also blocked it from going into effect in November. South Carolina had many of the same problems Texas encountered in trying…
So I’ve been MIA from the blog lately, but I think I have a pretty good excuse, as I’ve been busy putting the finishing touches on a Texas travel feature for our November issue. For the latest installment of “Where To Stay…
Not long ago, I spoke with Houston chef David Guerrero shortly before Samba Grille – where Guerrero worked as head chef – unexpectedly closed. When I reached out to Guerrero after Samba Grille’s closing,…
The 23rd La Dolce Vita Food & Wine Festival that sponsors the AMOA-Arthouse will take place tonight from 6-9 p.m. at Laguna Gloria. Food will be served from several Austin restaurants including East Side Showroom, Foreign & Domestic, Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill, Olive &…
Here is some analysis from SCOTUSblog on the day’s proceedings: Analysis Affirmative action is alive but ailing, the idea of “critical mass” to measure racial diversity is in very critical condition, and a nine-year-old precedent may have to be reshaped in order to survive. Those were the dominant…
The Amarillo Globe-News recently published a story suggesting that lawmakers might contemplate raising the tax on draft beer. The tax was the suggestion of Dick Lavine, a senior policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities. The beer tax hasn’t been touched for some thirty years–and it…
This piece ran in the Washington Post on October 5. The author, Valerie Martinez-Ebers, is a professor of political science at the University of North Texas and is co-editor of the American Political Science Review. Her article follows: At their recent national conventions, the Democratic and Republican parties…
This morning the Supreme Court will hear the case of Fisher v. UT, which I wrote about in our April issue. SCOTUSblog has a thorough discussion of the case, parts of which appear below: America’s Constitution embraces the cultural ideal that all persons are equal, and that…
Texans elect the judges on the state’s two courts of last resort: the Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals. Except for the legal community, voters often don’t know much about the candidates. In a contested race, they tend to vote based on the party, not on the individual.
East Side King‘s new food truck will reopen at 6 p.m. on Thursday (October 11) at the Grackle with a revamped menu. “The food is surprisingly refined for a food truck,” Qui told TEXAS MONTHLY. “We have items like saba (mackerel), quail,…
With a handful of successful bars on Rainey Street, Bridget Dunlap has become a force to be reckoned with in the Austin nightlife scene. Recently, however, Dunlap announced that she is done with Rainey Street bars and is now ready to move forward with a few culinary projects. To commence her plans “to take on Austin,” Dunlap and…
It was a very good debate involving two strong candidates. Romney was in top form; Obama wasn’t. He recited his lines, but without fire or passion. It was very much like his acceptance speech at the Democratic convention, which was just cheerleading. He had run out of useful things to…
Yuck. That was one ugly debate between Cruz and Sadler. There was no winner, and the loser was the audience watching on TV. Moderator Brad Watson spent most of the debate trying to stop Cruz and Sadler from speaking at the same time, without much success. Sadler was unrestrained. He…
At the third annual Texas Monthly BBQ Festival on September 23, one person was amazed by the spectacle of the species Carnivorus texensis engaging in its defining behavior. That person was Takis Würger, 27, a visiting writer for the German magazine Der Spiegel, which is published in Hamburg. Würger has…
In the October issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray – on stands now – the El Naranjo food trailer is mentioned in “From Wheels to Walls,” a feature article that showcases a handful of food trucks that have added a brick-and-mortar space to their concepts. In case you don’t rememeber, El…
Image Courtesy of Austin Food & Wine Alliance Tickets are now on sale for the Austin Food & Wine Alliance’s 2nd Annual Wine & Swine. The hog-centric event will take place on Sunday, November 4 at Pioneer Farms in Austin. A…
Robert Draper, my former colleague at TEXAS MONTHLY, has written a piece about redistricting in the current issue of the Atlantic. One of the main characters in his story is Tom Hofeller, the former redistricting director of the Republican National Committee, now a paid consultant and a master…
On Sunday, Texas Monthly threw its third annual BBQ Festival, in Austin, on the open air terrace of the Long Center. Twenty-one barbecue joints handed our samples to an estimated crowd of 3000, who listened to live music, swigged beer and other adult beverages, bought T-shirts, got tips from…