Plates

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.

Cajun Goes Coastal

April 17, 2017 | By Melissa Gaskill

A saltwater-scented breeze tugs at the end of a roll of paper towels planted in the middle of our wooden picnic table.

Big Beers in Big D

April 17, 2017 | By Bill Tucker

The craft beer scene continues to thrive in Texas, and Dallas is no exception. Twenty-seven of Texas’ 189 breweries and brew pubs call the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex home, according to The Brewer’s Association, a national organization dedicated to promoting independent American brewers.

Working Up an Appetite

April 17, 2017 | By Heather Brand

Texas has a score of rock-climbing gyms, but only one boasts an eatery that has earned kudos for its food on a national level.

To Dine For

March 22, 2017 | By Kathryn Jones

Since my husband and I moved from Fort Worth to a ranch south of Glen Rose a decade ago, we’ve be-come impromptu tour guides to friends visiting the area for its hilly scenery along the Paluxy River, numerous bed-and-breakfasts, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, and other nearby attractions.

Crushing it at Messina Hof

March 22, 2017 | By Cynthia J. Drake

On an uncharacteristically cool and overcast August morning, rows and rows of Lenoir grapes grow fat on the vines at the Messina Hof vineyard in Bryan.

Hot off the Griddle

January 12, 2017 | By Melissa Gaskill

Like many Texans who have a fondness for pancakes, I keep a list of favorite places to eat them.

Comfort Awaits

January 12, 2017 | By Caroline Gnagy

Inside the modest painted-brick building that houses Huntsville’s Farmhouse Cafe, comfort awaits—both on the plate and in spirit.

From Peach Stand to Food Company to Cooking School: Inside Das Peach Haus

December 16, 2016 | By Cynthia J. Drake

Inside Das Peach Haus’ weathered wooden storefront off US 87 in Fredericksburg, the shelves lining the store’s perimeter overflow with dozens of brightly colored jars of salsas, jams, and jellies.

More to Ponder

December 16, 2016 | By John Lumpkin

My dining party is enjoying our cobbler when a clang pierces the hum of lunch conversations at Ranchman’s Cafe in Ponder, a small North Texas town 10 miles west of Denton.

Eat to the Beat

December 16, 2016 | By Michael Corcoran

Music has drawn people to the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas since the 1920s, when Leadbelly, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and other country-blues guitar greats played for tips on street corners, and ebony divas Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, and Lillian Glinn sang in the clubs and theaters.

Party with a Purpose

November 13, 2016 | By Lori Moffatt

For five days in January, in the recuperative lull between New Year’s and Valentine’s Day, San Antonio hosts a smashing soiree that both raises money for children’s charities and celebrates the craft cocktail movement.

Sweet-tooth Solutions

November 13, 2016 | By Melissa Gaskill

I push open the weathered metal-and-glass door of Naegelin’s Bakery and immediately face a dilemma. On one side of the narrow room, bakery cases display an array of goodies—kolaches, cinnamon rolls, colorful cupcakes, candies, brownies, cakes, and pies.

Leave it to Bevers

October 14, 2016 | By Melissa Gaskill

When in need of sustenance on my frequent travels around Texas, I seek out local places—establishments where I know the food will be fresh and I can count on a few locals hanging around to make me feel welcome.

Make Time for Tea Cakes

October 14, 2016 | By Lori Moffatt

In her new cookbook From Tea Cakes to Tamales: Third-Generation Texas Recipes, journalist and former Texas Highways editor Nola McKey returns to her roots as she explores how recipes, cooking, and food bring families and communities together.

Got Matcha?

October 14, 2016 | By Veronica Meewes

Just when it seemed like coffee couldn’t get any hotter, a green alternative started to emerge in cafés all over the country—matcha, a type of green tea that has been popular in Asia for centuries.

What’s Brewing in the Hill Country?

September 16, 2016 | By Melissa Gaskill

Texas boasts a strong German heritage, which naturally includes a long history of breweries and beer.

Some Like It Hot

September 16, 2016 | By Sallie Lewis

Few places embody the spirit of a city more convincingly than The Boiling Pot, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary in the coastal village of Rockport.

The Doctor Is In

May 11, 2016 | By Helen Anders

The door opens, and in strides a woman in dark blue scrubs. The doctor is in.

Sister Act

May 11, 2016 | By June Naylor

“You need a dose of Farley Girls,” came the recommendation from a wise Galvestonian that Saturday morning.

Return to La Carafe

May 11, 2016 | By Jane Wu

Let’s face it: The city that produced the Astrodome and the Space Center has a reputation for focusing on the future.

A Moveable Feast

October 13, 2015 | By Robb Walsh

After cooking gumbo for 30 years, I’ve developed some rituals when it comes to tailoring my recipe to the seasons.

A Century of Seafood

August 6, 2015 | By June Naylor

Not even 10 years old when my parents treated me to my first meal at Gaido’s, the famous restaurant on Galveston’s Seawall, I figured that the giant crab perched on the roof meant this was a very special place.

Way Out West

July 22, 2015 | By June Naylor

Just a few hours into our first visit to Rancho Loma, it was clear that my husband and I were destined to return again and again.

A Dark & Stormy Twist

May 13, 2015 | By Robb Walsh

On my first visit to the Railean Distillery’s new Buccaneer Bar—which opened the weekend of September 19 last year to coincide with International “Talk Like a Pirate Day”—I ordered the bar’s version of my new favorite summer cocktail, the Dark & Stormy.

European Flavor in Bay City

May 13, 2015 | By Sarah Rudy

Soft recessed lighting and exposed brick walls, smooth jazz on the sound system, and the mouthwatering aroma of butter and grilled fish transport me to the romantic City of Lights.

Hico Hideaway

March 17, 2015 | By June Naylor

For my husband and me, Hico has become a hideaway destination when we seek rest and relaxation.

Wild West Wine Bar

January 16, 2015 | By

Imagine yourself in Fort Stockton’s adobe Grey Mule Saloon, around 1894. Sidle up to the bar and order a shot of whiskey, but keep an eye out for trouble while you imbibe. Cowboys, sodbusters, and hot-headed gunslingers—drinking, smoking, cussing, gambling, and spoiling for a fight—pack this Wild West saloon.

Slow and Steady

January 16, 2015 | By June Naylor

How Sweet It Is!

December 12, 2014 | By Eileen Mattei

People tasting fresh-squeezed orange and grapefruit juices from the Rio Grande Valley often use adjectives such as “luscious” and “ambrosial.” With its heavenly taste, aroma, and color, Texas citrus reaches tree-ripened perfection.

Marshall Sparkles

November 19, 2014 | By Lori Moffatt

On the Northeast Texas town of Marshall—where I’m closer to the borders of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma than the state capital of Austin—strangers call me “darlin’” and “honey,” and sometimes even “sugar.” And I like it.

Fun Fare

November 18, 2014 | By Clayton Maxwell

These days, whenever I bump into someone from my hometown of Victoria, the conversation inevitably turns to Bloody Mary shrimp shooters.

The Great, Grape Plains

October 18, 2013 | By Kathryn Jones

A  six-foot steel sculpture of a corkscrew marks the entrance to McPherson Cellars in downtown Lubbock.