Inside Temple’s New Massive Lettuce-Growing Facility
April 19, 2024 | By
Plates
Longtime North Texas Chain El Chico Serves Warm Memories
February 23, 2024 | By Eric Webb
Chorizo de San Manuel Remains a True Taste of the Rio Grande Valley
February 16, 2024 | By Daynara Gutierrez
The South Texas-Inspired Pizzas of Chef Janet Zapata
January 15, 2024 | By Luis G. Rendon
San Antonio’s Delicious Tamales Lives Up to Its Name
November 21, 2023 | By John T. Davis
How Amarillo Became a Mecca for International Cuisine
October 24, 2023 | By Claudia Kolker
Lubbock’s Culinary Evolution Brings Something New to the Table
October 24, 2023 | By Cynthia J. Drake
Restoring Gulf Coast Barrier Reefs One Oyster Shell at a Time
September 19, 2023 | By Cynthia J. Drake
The Enchiladas at Armadillo World Headquarters Were Shrimply Irresistible
August 22, 2023 | By Michael Corcoran
Recipe: Armadillo World Headquarters Shrimp Enchiladas
August 22, 2023 | By Michael Corcoran
(Makes 12 enchiladas)
Ingredients
24 medium to large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 corn tortillas
1 cup chicken stock
1 avocado
For the stock
1 clove of garlic (peeled and chopped fine)
12 tomatoes
6 onions
1 pound canned green chile strips
Juice squeezed from half a lemon
1⁄3 pound butter
Cut the vegetables in half and then in quarters.
A New Daiquiri Bar Brings the Frozen Fever to La Grange
June 27, 2023 | By Katey P. Outka
This Amarillo Bakery Is Helping Citizens in War-Torn Ukraine
May 30, 2023 | By Claudia Kolker
Learn to Make Artistic Dumplings with Houston’s Dumpling Dudez
May 30, 2023 | By Karthika Gupta
Get Cooking Around the Campfire with These Tips and Tricks
May 2, 2023 | By Abigail Rosenthal
Diego’s Food Truck Combines Local Ingredients and International Flavors in McAllen
March 28, 2023 | By Cat Cardenas
Wander the Ruins of This 150-Year-Old Brewery in La Grange
March 28, 2023 | By Ruvani de Silva
Nonprofit Hugs Café in McKinney Offers More Than Sandwiches and Cookies
December 23, 2021 | By Cynthia J. Drake
Knolle Dairy Farms Has One of the Largest Jersey Cow Operations in Texas
October 28, 2021 | By Ruvani de Silva
Hill Country Spring Water is the Secret Ingredient in Nine Banded Whiskey
September 23, 2021 | By Pam LeBlanc
Cowboy-Up Chocolates Pays Homage to San Angelo’s Frontier History
August 26, 2021 | By Becca Nelson Sankey
Barton Springs Mill Brings Previously Unavailable Grains to Texas Bakers
April 29, 2021 | By MM Pack
People Across the Country Flock to San Antonio for Elevated Caribbean Flavors
March 25, 2021 | By Steven Lindsey
Fort Worth’s Hao & Dixya Share Their Cultures Through Virtual Cooking Classes
February 25, 2021 | By June Naylor
In the refrigerated section of Fort Worth food market The Table sits a powerful testament to friendship.
ROAM Ranch Aims to Heal a Battered Parcel of Hill Country
September 24, 2020 | By Susan L. Ebert
Forage for Rare and Pricey Chanterelle Mushrooms in East Texas
August 27, 2020 | By Jill Coody Smits
Family-Run Wildflower Caramels Sources Locally for Its Confections
April 30, 2020 | By Laurel Miller
Global Meets Local at Chef Monica Cobb’s Beaumont Restaurant
January 30, 2020 | By MM Pack
SRSLY Chocolates Bring the Bean-to-Bar Experience to Taylor
December 27, 2019 | By Susan L. Ebert
In Castroville, This Antique Gas Station Has Transformed into a Happening Cafe
December 27, 2019 | By Shari Biediger
Hutch’s Fried Pies Has Been Serving Weatherford for More Than 80 Years
December 27, 2019 | By Amanda Ogle
5 Unexpected River Walk Restaurants for Your Next Visit to San Antonio
November 27, 2019 | By Paula Disbrowe
These 3 Restaurants Give Modern Takes on Pre-Columbian Cooking
November 27, 2019 | By Daniel Blue Tyx
From Red Rio Grapefruit to Aggie-Colored Carrots, How Farmers and Scientists Invent Truly Texas Produce
November 27, 2019 | By E. Dan Klepper
What It’s Like to Judge a Famous Chili Cookoff
October 31, 2019 | By Laurel Miller
T he judging of the International Frank X. Tolbert-Wick Fowler Memorial Championship Chili Cook-Off in Terlingua is underway. There are 10 of us seated at a long table, and to the casual observer it would seem we’re performing an ancient religious rite. We plunge spoons into the numbered, 24-ounce Styrofoam cups of brick-red chili in front of each one of us, and raise them to our lips.
Find Plump Pierogi in League City
October 31, 2019 | By Heather Brand
At Pierogi Queen in League City, the menu of unfamiliar words like bigos and golabki might confound those new to Polish cuisine. Fortunately, regulars and Polish expats who frequent the restaurant are always around to offer pointers. And of course owner Eva Sek has recommendations at the ready. These are not just the foods of her homeland, but the dishes of her childhood.
Miller’s Smokehouse Brings Barbecue and Coffee Together
October 31, 2019 | By Dan Gentile
Brisket is an easy sell in small-town Texas, but try adding a $5 latte to that three-meat combo plate, and you’ll likely never hear the end of it from the locals. At Miller’s Smokehouse in Belton, though, no one complains much.
This Fredericksburg Restaurant Features a Rare All-Texas Wine List
September 30, 2019 | By John Lumpkin
Asign above the door to Cabernet Grill in Fredericksburg tells patrons what they need to know about the restaurant: “Texas Wine Spoken Here.” Fluently, in fact. Cabernet Grill has landed on Wine Enthusiast’s “America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants” two years in a row with an all-Texas wine list—a feat even the most Texas-centric restaurants haven’t achieved.
5 Mouthwatering Chef-Inspired Eats at Texas Stadiums
September 24, 2019 | By Phil West
Root, root, rooting for the home team works up a mighty hunger. At some stadiums around the state, the snacks have become bigger, bolder, and more ridiculous—take for example the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Park in Arlington, which debuted a 2-pound chicken tender on its 2019 menu. But some arenas attempt to make their offerings ambitious in a different way, even scoring notable Texas chefs to create menu items.
Russian Banya in Carrollton Is the Only Spa-Restaurant of Its Kind in Texas
August 21, 2019 | By Veronica Meewes
While traditional bathhouses are much less widespread this days, there are still places where you can take part in the age-old tradition of not just getting clean but also being cleansed. At Russian Banya in the Dallas suburb of Carrollton, a Slavic feast follows intensive sauna sessions. The bathhouse and restaurant is the only one of its kind in Texas.
How Pioneer Foods Shaped Texas’ Cuisine
August 21, 2019 | By E. Dan Klepper
F ood has always been instrumental in establishing a sense of place—especially during Texas’ journey from settlement to statehood. Between the 19th and 20th centuries, Texas cuisine was shaped by the variety of ethnicities arriving into the territory as well as those who were already here. Ingredients, and the meals they composed, were determined by what could be locally gathered, raised, or hunted, then prepared in manners that had been used for generations or replicated the flavors of home
Mesquite Cookies Recipe
August 1, 2019 | By
Makes 12 to 16 cookies.
Cream butter and sugar with a wooden spoon, then stir in vanilla and egg until just incorporated. Stir flours, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl and then combine with wet ingredients. Add in rolled oats and mix-ins. Scoop small balls of dough onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
This Native Bean Can Be Made Into Gluten-Free Flour, Jelly, Coffee, And More
July 31, 2019 | By Cynthia J. Drake
Though mesquite beans haven’t become a staple of modern American diets, they were a major food source for indigenous communities in the Southwest and Mexico for thousands of years. The beans are harvested summer through early fall.
Enjoy A Slice Of Pie At The Halfway Mark Of Route 66
July 30, 2019 | By Joe Nick Patoski
Location is important for practically any dining establishment. For Midpoint Café in Adrian, location is everything. The restaurant would likely not exist if
it wasn’t precisely 1,139 miles from Chicago and 1,139 miles from Los Angeles—the halfway point on storied Route 66.
Pendery’s in Fort Worth Has Been Creating Exotic Spices and Chile Blends for 150 Years
July 24, 2019 | By Susan L. Ebert
Step beneath the top hat logo gracing the dormer over the front porch of Pendery’s World of Chiles and Spices in Fort Worth, close your eyes, and breathe deep: Intermingled fragrances from exotic lands flood your olfactories—perfumed Sri Lankan cinnamon; pungent Iranian cumin; sultry Jamaican allspice; smoky Spanish paprika; and chiles, lots and lots of chiles.
Elk Store in Fredericksburg Models Itself After a Prohibition-Era Speakeasy
July 1, 2019 | By Kimya Kavehkar
The Elk Store Winery & Distillery traces its lineage to a Prohibition-era Central Texas moonshiner. Owner Todd Smajstrla named his spot on Fredericksburg’s Main Street after the old general store in Elk, just northeast of Waco, where his great-grandfather, John Cyril Smajstrla, made clandestine moonshine.
Cisco’s Keeps Up With a Rapidly Changing East Austin
June 24, 2019 | By Paula Forbes
Austin’s East Sixth Street has seen quite a bit of change in recent years. This once-scrappy strip of bars and music venues is now a corridor of expensive condos and trendy restaurants, sleek and packed with tourists. Longtime Austinites—or those who visited in earlier eras—might be excused for thinking they were in a different city altogether.
Cucumber Gin and Tonic Recipe
June 19, 2019 | By
For scorching July temperatures, it doesn’t get more refreshing than Elk Store’s Cucumber Gin and Tonic. Bartender Nia Gramatikakis developed this recipe using Elk Store’s signature gin, which features 11 botanicals and has been distilled eight times.
Learn How to Make the Perfect Brisket at This Adults-Only Summer Camp
June 19, 2019 | By Wes Ferguson
On the first morning of Camp Brisket, professor Davey Griffin begins to sharpen his knives before a rapt audience of barbecue aficionados. Griffin is wearing thick safety glasses, blue Kevlar gloves, and two aprons tied around his waist—a white apron on top of another one made of chainmail. On Griffin’s head is an Aggie-maroon hardhat.
Safety first, brisket second.
Agave Festival Marfa Dives Into the Plant’s Historical and Cultural Significances
May 31, 2019 | By Shawna Graves
Now in its third year, the mostly free event features panel discussions, tequila tastings, art exhibits, live music, and reservation-only pairing dinners—all celebrating the plant that has contributed so much to the region’s culture.
How Chef Mary Bass Gives Back to Galveston
May 23, 2019 | By Hannah J. Phillips
A Galveston native, Bass started her career by launching a bakery business, Viva la Cake Balls. She later became executive chef at Haak Vineyards & Winery in nearby Santa Fe in 2013, before becoming executive sous chef at BLVD Seafood when it opened in 2015. In 2018, Galveston.com named her “Best Chef on the Island” for the fourth consecutive year.
Shiner’s Sunken Gardens Blends History with Healthy Dining Options
May 8, 2019 | By Michael Corcoran
From its opening in 1936 until the late ’50s, when the advent of air-conditioning moved the party to indoor venues, Sunken Garden made Shiner the swingingest small town in Texas. All the big Texas swing and polka bands, including Houston’s Blue Ridge Playboys, played here to capacity crowds of 500, according to the Lavaca County Historical Commission. But these days, dining, not dancing is the draw.
The Licon Family Has Been Making Asadero Cheese in San Elizario for Four Generations
May 1, 2019 | By Matt Joyce
On the outskirts of the Spanish presidio town of San Elizario, Licon Dairy has been perfecting its signature cheese since the 1950s. That’s when Soltero and Isabela Martinez moved to the El Paso area from California, acquired a couple of dairy cows, and started selling asadero made from a family recipe, says Gene Licon, the third generation of his family to run the dairy.
James Beard Award-Nominated Chef David Ugyur Conjures the Spirit of Italy at Lucia in Dallas
April 25, 2019 | By June Naylor
At Lucia, one of the most coveted dinner reservations in Dallas, Jennifer and David Ugyur conjure the spirit of their journeys through Italy. If you look closely, you’ll notice David’s international driving permit from one of their trips framed on the wall. Beyond inspiring the décor, a laid-back, European sidewalk café vibe permeates the Bishop Arts District space.
Where to Pick the Best Texas Produce for Canning
March 29, 2019 | By Susan L. Ebert
As a child, one of the first things I did upon arriving at my Mamaw Grace and Papaw Dorsey’s rambling fieldstone farmhouse in Kentucky was to open the cellar door off the main dining room. Slowly, I crept down the wooden stairs, allowing my eyes to adjust to the dim light. A single shaft of sunlight from the cellar window illuminated the far stone wall—or what would have been the wall had it not been obscured from floor to rafters by glistening glass-encased riches in every color of the rainbow.
Houston’s Antone’s Po’ Boys Go Statewide
March 27, 2019 | By Erica Quiroz
Jan Norris remembers when customers sat on fig and olive barrels when they dined at Antone’s Import Co. in Houston more than half a century ago. Norris moved from Vivian, Louisiana, in 1957 and ordered his first Antone’s po’boy at the location on Taft Street a few years later.
Fire Street Pizza Brings Neapolitan Fare to Belton
March 1, 2019 | By Julia Jones
The road to Fire Street Pizza seems more likely to lead to nowhere. As you wind around cedar trees and open, mostly empty ranch land on FM 439 near Belton, you might think you’ve gotten lost. But the red laser-cut sign hanging over the restaurant’s driveway will put hungry travelers at ease: “There’s no place, quite like this place, anywhere near this place, so, this must be the place.”
Ben Milam Whiskey Honors a Texas Revolutionary
March 1, 2019 | By Gene Fowler
Texian revolutionary Ben Milam may not be as famous today as James Bowie, Davy Crockett, and William Barret Travis, but he should be. After all, Milam led the Siege of Bexar in late 1835 that drove Mexican forces out of San Antonio and the Alamo and set the stage for the Republic of Texas to win its independence the following spring. Felled by a sniper, Milam gave his life to the cause.
5 Texas Restaurants That Will Change Your Mind About Vegan Food
February 19, 2019 | By Robyn Ross
If the thought of vegan food conjures images of a giant plate of alfalfa sprouts, it’s time to revisit the concept. These days, vegan restaurants in Texas tend more toward soul food than rabbit food, and they use creative stand-ins for beef (protein-rich seitan, made from vital wheat gluten), cheese (soaked and pureed nuts), and pork (the shredded flesh of the giant Asian jackfruit) that can satisfy even die-hard carnivores. While Austin has long been considered the capital of Texas’ vegan scene, other cities now offer stiff competition in the way of veggie-forward, animal-free fare.
How to Make Chile Macho
January 31, 2019 | By Shawna Graves
A longside traditional barbecue sauces and fixins, an unusual accoutrement kicks things up a notch at Come and Take It BBQ in Alpine. A salsa with origins in Northern Mexico known as chile macho graces the eatery’s
tables, as it does many across West Texas. Owner Scott Turner uses a chile macho recipe he learned from his childhood best friend’s mother, Terlingua resident Dominga Acosta.
6 Texas-Size Eating Challenges
December 21, 2018 | By Laurel Miller Illustrations by: Shaw Nielsen
Texans are never ones to back down from a challenge—even so, these six food competitions from across
the state are pretty daunting. From 4.5-pound steaks to 20-scoop sundaes, Texas has enough gut-busting contests to keep competitive eaters and curious, hungry folks satisfied—or potentially sent into a food coma.
Consider the following restaurants and festivals worthy of a detour the next time you’re feeling a bit peckish.
Jose Andres’ Frisco Restaurant Zaytinya Shines at The Star
December 19, 2018 | By June Naylor
Frisco’s entertainment complex at the Dallas Cowboys’ headquarters, The Star, exudes all the glitz one expects from a Jerry Jones-adjacent operation. One boutique, for instance, sells a kid-size sparkly blue Ford F-150 emblazoned with a silver star for $15,000. But Zaytinya, the Mediterranean restaurant from chef José Andrés, shines in a different way.
Delia’s Tamales Define Christmas in the RGV
November 29, 2018 | By Kelly Stocker
Delia Lubin, the namesake of this holiday season staple, started her tamale empire—which includes six restaurants, a food truck, and a mail-order business—with just 5 pounds of masa and the need to provide for her young family.
Executive Chef Gerard Thompson Embraces Biscuits and Frito Pie at the Lauded Rough Creek Lodge
November 1, 2018 | By June Naylor
Gerard Thompson wields a large, sharp knife with one hand and carries a wooden stand holding a cured hog’s leg in the other. He moves quickly to greet tables of newcomers and regular guests at Rough Creek Lodge. Thompson, the lodge’s executive chef, shaves off paper-thin slices of prosciutto from the ample pig trotter and hands them out as appetizers.
This South Texas Olive Orchard Feels Like a Mediterranean Oasis
November 1, 2018 | By Jen Hamilton Hernández
Visits to Italy in 1994 and Spain in ’99 inspired
Winokur to recreate that Mediterranean setting in her home state, just south of San Antonio. After living in Manhattan for 14 years, taking art classes and illustrating children’s books, she had returned to Texas to help take care of family. “I’m a sixth-generation Texan, and most of my folks ranched, so certainly I wanted to have cattle, but I also wanted to do something else,” she says. “It seemed to me that olives could be a good crop for Texas.
What the Heck Is Sotol? Visit This Hill Country Distillery and Tasting Room and Find Out
August 27, 2018 | By Kimya Kavehkar
Desert Door’s sandstorm margarita combines its signature sotol with lime, peaches, rosemary, and jalapeño.In 2016, graduate students Judson Kauffman, Brent Looby, and Ryan Campbell stood around in a college parking garage drinking Mexican sotol from the bottle before class.
Ever Tried Texas-style Seoul Food?
July 25, 2018 | By Michael Corcoran
The “Lip Locker” cheeseburger, alongside a heap of “Oriental fries,” is the restaurant’s star attraction. Korean food joints are popping up all over Texas, but when Kitok Moore opened her first and only restaurant in Waco in 1975, she wasn’t sure the townsfolk were ready for cuisine from her native land.
Historic German Eatery Krause’s Cafe Returns to New Braunfels
July 25, 2018 | By Kimya Kavehkar
At Krause’s Cafe and Biergarten in downtown New Braunfels, the writing’s on the wall. But rather than an ominous warning, the sausage recipe painted on the building’s exterior, along with murals of Krause family members, reflects New Braunfels’ German heritage and how this restaurant, established in the late 1930s, plays a starring role in that history.
Who Wouldn’t Love a Buckarita in the Company of a Crossbred Longhorn-Buffalo?
June 27, 2018 | By Gene Fowler
The “Buckarita” at San Antonio’s Buckhorn Saloon serves up the kick you’d expect from a mix of Cuervo 1800 Tequila, Grand Gala, and prickly pear juice.
History, Hushpuppies, and Seared Salmon at Salado’s Stagecoach Inn
June 27, 2018 | By June Naylor
Salado’s Stagecoach Inn, founded in 1861, was one of the state’s oldest continually operating hotels until it closed for restoration in 2015, although it may be known best for the hushpuppies served at the inn’s restaurant.
You’ll Find Great Comfort Food and a Few Friends at Rockport Seafood Standout GLOW
May 23, 2018 | By Michael Corcoran
“This has always been a gathering spot, a place to make memories,” Karey said of the 32-seat eatery, designed to be intimate but also social, like a European bistro. The tables are so close, conversations spill over and friendships develop. If you’d like a little room and a nice view of Little Bay, there are six well-spaced picnic tables outside, in addition to patio seating.
3 Places to Eat Barbecued Crab in Texas This Summer
May 23, 2018 | By June Naylor
Barbecued crab, a coastal delicacy born in a tiny corner of Southeast Texas, is tender, juicy, and laced with spice. This misnamed meal isn’t barbecue, though, which I realized some years ago when my friend Carolyn invited me home from college to visit her family in Beaumont, promising we’d eat something not found anywhere else.
Looking for Fine Dining That’s Not Stuffy? Peggy’s on the Green in Boerne Has It Figured Out
April 25, 2018 | By
We are burrowed at the bar at Peggy’s on the Green, the Boerne eatery that’s taken the town to a new culinary frontier, and he’d just cut into a prime rib about 2 inches thick, a steak for which Chef Mark Bohanan is renowned. “I feel like a Michelin-starred restaurant has come to Boerne!” he pretty much shouts to everyone in the room.
In Downtown Marshall, Wednesday’s Are “Boogie Woogie” Nights
April 25, 2018 | By
Through the front window, the blond-brick Harrison County Courthouse sits atop a raised oval of lawn. To the north are the railroad tracks and the historic train station. It’s a regular evening in Marshall, but as I sip a glass of iced tea, the question in my mind seems outlandish.
Why Summer is the Perfect Time to Give Campfire Cooking a Try
April 25, 2018 | By
That was more than a decade ago, when my husband David Norman and I moved from Manhattan to a staggeringly beautiful property in the Hill Country. But what we lacked in frontier skills, we made up for in enthusiasm. So we drove our truck over the cattle guard and dove in.
Tour 2 Award-Winning Bourbon Distilleries in Texas
March 20, 2018 | By June Naylor
Blame it on Tito’s. The craft vodka from Austin, which grew from obscurity 20 years ago into one of Texas’ most popular spirits brands, has inspired a widespread passion for Texas-made firewater.
Austin’s Famous Green Pastures Restaurant Is Reborn as Mattie’s
March 20, 2018 | By
The first time I visited Green Pastures Restaurant, as a new Austin resident in the early 1980s, it felt like going to dinner with relatives—if mine had been well-to-do. That feeling came from the restaurant’s setting in a grand 1890s home on spacious, oak-shaded grounds as well as the warm atmosphere and general good mood of everyone there.
In Texas City, Boyd’s One Stop Goes Bonkers for Crawfish
March 19, 2018 | By Susan L. Ebert
True to its name, Boyd’s One Stop sells just about anything you might need for a day of fishing and relaxing on the Texas City Dike, a roughly 5-mile-long dike built in the early 1900s to protect the Texas City Channel from silting in and crosscurrents. You’ll find drinks, snacks, caps, sunscreen, sunglasses, flashlights, rain slickers, fishing rods, fillet knives, and spice blends.
They Had Us at Jalapeño-Infused Bacon
February 13, 2018 | By
Unlike its coastal cousins, the city of Pasadena to the immediate southeast of Houston is not usually considered a getaway destination. Thanks to its association with the 1980 film Urban Cowboy, Pasadena tends to conjure images of industrial refineries and roughnecks cutting loose on honky-tonk weekends, testing their mettle on a mechanical bull.
Head to the Garden Company in Schulenburg for Salads, Soups, and Other Healthy Fare
February 13, 2018 | By
Taking a Much-needed respite from highway driving, I exit Interstate 10 in Schulenburg at US 77 and head south for several blocks in search of lunch. Here, at the corner of Kessler Avenue and College Street, a restored white farmhouse with the Garden Company Marketplace & Café logo emblazoned on its side attracts my attention.
Where to Find the Best Chargrilled Rib-Eye in Fayette County
January 17, 2018 | By Michael Corcoran
There’s not much to do in Winchester, population 50, on the western lip of Fayette County. So when someone in neighboring Bastrop or Lee Counties says, “Let’s go to Winchester,” they’re talking about eating at Murphy’s Steakhouse.
This One-Of-A-Kind Chocolate from Hico Is Sure to Please Your Texan Valentine
January 12, 2018 | By Cynthia J. Drake
I’m standing inside the Wiseman House chocolate-making studio in downtown Hico, and the chocolatey, slightly salty aroma reminds me of a mug of hot cocoa. A few blocks away, the Wiseman House retail shop sells chocolates and chocolate-themed gift items, but here is where the real chocolate magic takes place.
Aw, Shucks. At Gilhooley’s, Kids Aren’t Allowed, but Good Times Are
January 12, 2018 | By Heather Brand
Oysters have the reputation of being an expensive delicacy—high-end fare offered at fancy eateries with prices to match.
Burgers, Airplanes, and Chicken-Fried Steak at Uvalde’s Hangar Six Cafe
December 14, 2017 | By Susan L. Ebert
For most of us, it wouldn’t occur to drive out to a town’s airport just to eat.
Texas’ Only Caffeinated Plant Makes a Buzzworthy Tea
December 14, 2017 | By Susan L. Ebert
With his interest in native plants, it’s small wonder Ellis grew fascinated with North America’s only naturally caffeinated plant—yaupon holly, which grows prolifically in Texas east of I-35 and is considered by most ranchers to be a nuisance. Ellis began reading everything he could about it and soon spread his enthusiasm to two friends who shared his social, environmental, and locavore sensibilities. The three eventually formed the business that would evolve into Lost Pines Yaupon Tea.
Belton’s Gin at Nolan Creek serves comfort food with side of history
June 14, 2017 | By Paula Disbrowe
When the rumbling of your stomach becomes louder than the 18-wheelers roaring past, options for an interesting meal along the interstate are challenging at best.
Music, food and craft cocktails (no worms) at Blackie’s Bait Shop
June 14, 2017 | By Kathryn Jones
The first time I walked into Blackie’s Bait Shop and spotted the blue marlin replicas hanging on the walls and a surfboard standing up in the corner, I turned to my husband and said quizzically, “Dan, we’re not in Walnut Springs anymore.” We weren’t in a bait shop, either.
You Know You Want One: San Antonio’s Famous Puffy Tacos
June 14, 2017 | By Veronica Meewes
Anyone who’s been to a Spurs game in San Antonio can attest that the city is filled with red-hot, habanero-grade pride. The iconic Alamo and its sister missions, a lively Riverwalk, and plenty of community-wide celebrations like Fiesta all give the historic Texas city its flavor—and no place captures the city’s character better than Ray’s Drive Inn, the West Side icehouse where the locally famous puffy taco was born.
