Get in-depth coverage of news, reviews and conversations about Texas barbecue. It's basically Christmas every day for barbecue-lovers.

To hear Whoopi Goldberg tell the story, there is no way a person could grow up the way she did, as a little girl listening to AM radio in New York City in the sixties and seventies, and not become a musical omnivore. Still, the breadth of the artists she cites as formative finds for her young ears—the list ranges from Glen Campbell to the Four Tops to English song-and-dance man Anthony Newley to Willie and Waylon—is impressive, not to mention well-informed. On this episode of One by Willie, she details the exact moment she went from being a casual Willie fan to an abiding devotee.It came a few years later, when she was a young mother scraping by in San Diego’s avant-garde theater scene…

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Get in-depth coverage of news, reviews and conversations about Texas barbecue. It's basically Christmas every day for barbecue-lovers.

When I was growing up in Shreveport in the nineties, there were these little groceries everywhere that were also restaurants, like Maxwell’s Market and Cush’s Grocery & Market, or Stein’s Deli in New Orleans. I don’t know if it’s that common anymore, but that was on my mind when I opened Épicerie. The space was small, just sixty-five seats, in a converted house with a courtyard in a north-central Austin neighborhood, but we designed the dining room with shelves along two walls, with packaged specialty foods and wines, and a cheese case in the back. I cooked and we also made and sold pastries, jams, pickles, pâtés, and rilletts to go. The restaurant menu was eclectic—lots of Louisiana influences, obviously.  We did really well, and…

The post How This Austin Restaurant Got Franklin’s Brisket Into Its Buttery Croissants appeared first on Texas Monthly.

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Get in-depth coverage of news, reviews and conversations about Texas barbecue. It's basically Christmas every day for barbecue-lovers.

Driving into Government Canyon State Natural Area is like entering a time portal. In this 12,244-acre preserve on the northwestern fringes of San Antonio, visitors can walk alongside 110-million-year-old dinosaur tracks, an 8,000-year-old rock midden left by ancient Texans, and a 140-year-old cottage built by German settlers—all on the same trail. Hikers wander across forty miles of trails atop the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, which is responsible for providing half the city’s drinking water. The aquifer stores water underground in its spongy limestone and is central to Government Canyon’s distinction as a natural area (not a state park), with a focus on protecting its resources. That means fewer crowds and more pristine nature than you’ll find at a state park.It also means your visit may…

The post Most Dinosaur Tracks Are Hidden on Private Land. At Government Canyon, You Can Stroll Alongside Them. appeared first on Texas Monthly.

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Get in-depth coverage of news, reviews and conversations about Texas barbecue. It's basically Christmas every day for barbecue-lovers.

Awards season is in full swing and, as usual when trophies are involved, you can’t count us out. Seven Texan musical acts were nominated for Grammys this year: Willie Nelson (Best Bluegrass Album), Travis Scott (Best Rap Album), the Black Pumas (Best Rock Performance), Pentatonix (Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album), Edgar Barrera (Songwriter of the Year), Seth Parker Woods (Best Classical Instrument Solo), and Kacey Musgraves (Best Country Duo/Group, alongside Zach Bryan). East Texas native Musgraves won her award, but the rest of the group is coming back to the Lone Star State empty-handed. We’ll get ’em next year. But even without a bunch of golden gramophones added to our state’s collective shelves, our style continues to reign supreme. Taking in the red carpet as a…

The post Grammys Fashion Roundup: All of Y’all Wanna Be Country appeared first on Texas Monthly.

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Get in-depth coverage of news, reviews and conversations about Texas barbecue. It's basically Christmas every day for barbecue-lovers.

Let’s get this out of the way: I don’t really know who’s playing at the Super Bowl this year. I have a vague notion Taylor Swift will be there, and I’m aware Usher is slated to entertain us at halftime, but otherwise I’m drawing blanks. No, for me, Super Bowl Sunday is not the grand finale of a season of sport. Instead, it’s a deeply American holiday during which we gather ’round the snack table to worship at the altar of creamy dips and grilled protein. The “bowl” then refers to vessels of guac, bean dip, and corn relish and containers of Fritos, chips, pretzels, and more.The following recipes will get you well on your way to a filling spread of the most premier game-day bites.…

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