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User’s Guide to Tacos
a. Classic Mexican: Close to what you would find in Mexico, these tacos—sometimes called street tacos—are usually made with one or two thin corn tortillas. Traditional fillings include pollo (chicken),...
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How to Grill the Perfect Ribeye
No doubt you have cattle where you come from, but the Lone Star State has many, many more. “In this great staple article of food supply,” wrote newspaperman George H. Sweet in 1871, “Texas has a mine...
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The Glory of the Grapefruit
It’s not entirely clear where grapefruit originated, but one thing is certain: Ruby Reds are native Texans. Back before the Roosevelt administration (the first one), all grapefruit was of a paler...
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What the Texanist Drinks
Beer: Time was, when a Texan had a hankering for a cold beer, he would pop a top on a frosty Lone Star, Pearl, or Shiner. Nowadays, thanks to a thriving craft-brew industry, the possibilities are...
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The Ultimate Texan
Just moved to Texas? Congratulations! You can now claim the same home state as Beyoncé. Born and bred in Houston, the 33-year-old tour de force is the world’s greatest performer—and arguably its most...
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The Ultimate Game
You may not recognize Kyler Murray’s name, but don’t worry, you’ll be cheering for him in no time. The electrifying quarterback just finished up his career at Allen High School, winning...
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What I’ve Learned
Alot has happened since October 1, 1974, my first day of employment at Texas Monthly. I remember the unbridled joy I felt joining the magazine and leaving behind the Texas Senate after several years of...
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Texas History in 601 Words
The story of Texas can be reduced to one sentence: somebody has something somebody else wants and will put up a fight to get. In the beginning, these fights were over land. The Spanish explorers came...
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How to Survive the Summer
When I was a teenager growing up in Wichita Falls, which is regularly hailed as one of the hottest cities in the state (and sometimes the country), I spent my summers smelling like roadkill. The moment...
View ArticleDrive a Pickup Truck (or Don’t)
I drive a truck. It is a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado, Texas Edition, in Summit White, running on a 5.3-liter Vortec V8 engine. It has twenty-inch chrome wheels and chrome trim on the bumpers, grill, and...
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How to Drive 85 Miles per Hour
The fastest road in America does not cross the Mojave Desert or the big sky country of Montana. Instead, it cuts through an unexceptional stretch of farmland southeast of Austin, where the posted speed...
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The Prettiest Li’l Drive You’ll Ever See
Want to see some of the roughest, most scenic terrain in the state? Head to far West Texas and start in the remote desert village of Terlingua, in theory a ghost town but in reality home to a couple...
View ArticleCelebrate the Spurs (in Haiku)
Jaunty hats, cold beers Section 20, Baseline Bums Your new life goal, set White hair and cool glare Sometimes beard, mostly frowning Popovich watches Down by two for win Ginóbili sinks a three...
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Don’t Move to Texas
They asked me to write 1,500 words on why I would never move back to Texas. “Only fifteen hundred?” I replied, but that was a joke. I would move back to Texas, for a home next door to George II and...
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Where to Become an Art Patron
Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth With its original building designed by Louis Kahn and its recently opened pavilion designed by Renzo Piano, the Kimbell first astounds visitors with its architecture....
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The Media Guide
Van Cliburn, Moscow 1958 How a pianist from Kilgore fostered the first thaw in the Cold War. LBJ Daisy Ad One of the first—and still the most notorious—televised political attack ad. It aired exactly...
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Where to Be a Tourist
The Capitol, Austin Everyone loves this building, even if they don’t love politics. Luckily for you, the Legislature meets in regular session for only 140 days every other year, leaving you plenty of...
View ArticleEat Well Wherever You Are
Franklin Barbecue, Austin Aaron Franklin’s stupendously popular 2009 venture helped turn Texas barbecue into a national phenomenon. 900 E. 11th, Austin; 512-653-1187 Fearing’s, Dallas “Texas cuisine”...
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The Playlist
“See That My Grave Is Kept Clean,” Blind Lemon Jefferson (1927) One of the great old blues songs, by one of the greatest blues artists; as a guitarist, Jefferson influenced everyone who came after...
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Cover to Cover
Austin FICTION The Gay Place, Billy Lee Brammer An acute portrait of the capital city’s politics and social mores, circa the fifties. NONFICTION The Duchess of Palms, Nadine Eckhardt The “answer...
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They Weren’t Born Here
Bernardo Nolfo From: New York, NY To: Austin Why: Quality of Life “I fell in love with the land right away. I am southern Italian, and I like how proud Texans are of their families and...
View ArticleHow to Talk Like a Texan
blue norther n. 1. A cold, biting wind, particularly in the Panhandle or North Texas, which we blame on people who live in the North. BOI abbr. Born on the Island: A person who is a native of...
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Where to Go First
The Lighthouse, Palo Duro Canyon State Park The most famous spot on the Staked Plains (or the “Llano Estacado,” if you want to impress people), Palo Duro is famous for its history and beauty. The hike...
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Welcome to Texas!
Every day more than a thousand people move to the Lone Star State. Lucky enough to be a new arrival? This crash course will get you thinking, eating, and talking like a native in no time. (Lucky enough...
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Cops and Robbers
I. Ya están cantando los gallos. Yo no sé qué horas serán. “Ya vamos a levantarnos,” Arnulfo le dice a Juan. “Son tres horas a Reynosa desde General Terán.” —“Corrido 585,” as sung by Ramón Ayala It...
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