Central Texas

The Power of Kolaches and Support for West Extends to New York City

One should never underestimate the power of kolaches. When the fertilizer plant in West exploded a couple of weeks ago, for many, the soft round pastry that put West on the map sprung quickly to mind as a way to raise money to help the blast's victims. Last weekend, when a few local restaurants and ... More >>

Foodways Texas, Documenting The Culture of Texas Food, Hosts Suds and Smoke at DEBC Monday

If you ever lay awake at night and ponder barbecue joints, or if you plot weekends based on slices of smoky brisket and spicy sausage, then you should definitely meet Foodways Texas. You could be a match made in meat heaven. Foodways Texas is a group of chefs, journalists, scholars or anyone who h ... More >>

The Foundry Has Celebratory $5 Old Fashioneds Today, Plus New Turkey Wings at Chicken Scratch and a Nod from Brits

The Foundry was recently named by Southern Living magazine as one of the best bars in the South on account of its spacious, twinkle-light covered courtyard. This bar just opened last year and has quickly gained a lot of attention, primarily on account of said courtyard, which is more like a small co ... More >>

Apparently 17 Teaspoons of Sugar is What's for Breakfast at Taco Bell

Last week Taco Bell introduced two additions to its First Meal breakfast menu: the "A.M. Crunchwrap Supreme" and "Mountain Dew A.M." The wrap is a hash brown patty topped with eggs, a tangy cheese-like sauce and sausage or bacon, all wrapped and toasted in a huge tortilla. The new beverage is an in- ... More >>

John Cornyn Seeks to Fend Off Latest Threat to Texas Economy: Salamanders

I suppose it was only a matter of time before Texas politicians, still on a high from their glorious victory over the evil, job-killing dunes sagebrush lizard, turned their attention to similarly insidious threats to our economic well-being. This time, the threat comes from four species of salamand ... More >>

Food & Wine's Best BBQ City List Includes A Few Spot in "East Texas: Dallas"

Food and Wine took some time this week to evaluate our great nation's best barbeque cities in a feature titled "Best BBQ Cities." First noticeable local on the list is Tim Love. Standing next to a grill, right? No, in a Hellman's mayo commercial. What the heck is the deal with the mayo? No mention ... More >>

Community 'Cue

The tradition of open-pit barbecues in Texas predates the Civil War.

16 of the Best Local Releases of 2012 1/2

As we wind down the month of June and find ourselves square in the middle of 2012, there's that old familiar nudge to gather, quantify, qualify and categorize the local music we've enjoyed so far this year. Here are some of of favorites.

Old Man Wisdom on How to Pick a Watermelon

Holland, Texas, (no relation to Derek) is a tiny town just a little east of the smack dab middle of our slightly asymmetrical state. It's a patch of dirt and old buildings with a speed zone on Highway 95 south of Waco. For a decade or so I've blazed a regular trail through it (one speeding ticket to ... More >>

Tootie Pie Company To Open Cafe in Dallas This May

The Tootie Pie Company will soon open a gourmet café at 5944 Royal Lane, on the southwest corner of Preston and Royal. Their sign is already on the marquee to tease us all. And from peaking inside the windows, it's clear the build-out is slowly taking shape. For a little history, Ruby Lorraine "T ... More >>

Suit Alleges Texas Issued Luminant Unlimited License to Pollute Without Public Notice

Big Brown​This little nugget slipped past us last week -- somehow, it didn't make headlines north of Austin -- but it draws the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality into a legal tussle with the Sierra Club and the Environmental Integrity Project over pollution permits it issued to Dallas- ... More >>

Study: In Drought Planning, Water Managers Should Look Further Back Than 1950s

Photo by Brandon Thibodeaux​As we near the end of 2011, let us now look back on the year (without much fondness) and take stock. We racked up one of driest years in recorded history (more on that in a moment). The livestock and agricultural industries took a shuddering blow that, when the fina ... More >>

MP3 of the Day: Ronnie Fauss' "Clay Pigeons"

​Local alt-country maestro Ronnie Fauss hasn't been a stranger to area coffeehouses since the release of his excellent 2009 Brent Best-produced LP, New Songs For the Old Frontier. Since then, he's released two more EPs, with each one not only improving in overall quality, but also in general r ... More >>

Dixie Chicks, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett Join Impressive Bill for Central Texas Fire Benefit

​Just got off the phone with Will Johnson a few minutes ago for an upcoming story related to the upcoming, pretty epic-looking Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase. He's a good dude -- you may recall his, Centro-matic and South San Gabriel's efforts a few weeks back to do what they could to help ... More >>

Centro-matic and South San Gabriel To Donate Record Sales To Bastrop Wildfire Relief Efforts

Back in July, when we caught up with Centro-matic frontman Will Johnson to talk about his band's latest release, the excellent Candidate Waltz, much of our conversation centered around the small dusty city of Bastrop, Texas, located about 30 miles south of Austin, where Johnson wrote essentially all ... More >>

Looking for Good Texas Peach Amid the Drought? Try a Pizzeria.

Lauren Drewes DanielsReplacement peaches. ​ A few summers back when I was a punk-ass kid, a few friends and I were driving from Germany to Switzerland. The trip itself was an utter fiasco, but one highlight was stopping at a store and finding some peaches for sale. True to our arrogant form, ... More >>

Plano-Based Dr Pepper Wants Dublin Dr Pepper to Stop Selling the Good Stuff Everywhere

Courtesy Flickr user Rich Anderson​Last night KXAS-Channel 5 had a most fascinating story: Dr Pepper v. Dr Pepper. Specifically, Plano-based Dr Pepper/Seven Up Inc. says the Dublin-based maker of The Real Thing (that is, a Pepper flavored with original-formula Imperial Pure Cane Sugar) is violatin ... More >>

Lockhart Smokehouse Gets the Important Thing Right- Brisket.

Seven Valentine Suggestions for That Special Some-Guy in Your Life

It ain't V Day without a laser-sighted cross bow.​It's time the guys got a little attention on Valentine's Day. The pressure to fork over for chocolates, roses, diamonds, a week's salary on a "special" V Day prix fixe meal that many would consider highway robbery weighs on a brother. After all, yo ... More >>

Dude Food First Look: Lockhart Smokehouse

Noah W. Bailey​A few dozen Oak Cliff residents and barbecue addicts braved the frozen streets and frigid temperatures to enjoy opening day this morning at Lockhart Smokehouse, the highly awaited new 'cue joint in the Bishop Arts District. As of 1 p.m., the place was out of meat, but luckily Dude F ... More >>

Press Release o' the Day: Councilman Salazar to Present KISS's Gene Simmons With Key to Dallas

​No doubt you're aware that KISS's Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed (who I wouldn't Google Image search from the office too hard, if I were you) are among the myriad celebs hosting Super Bowl shindigs next week. Theirs is the Aces & Angels Salute to the Troops at Fair Park, which will lick it up ... More >>

The First Standing O For the Standing Wave

Speaking of the Standing Wave ...Yesterday, a fellow named David Morring sent me the following note, which accompanied a link to the video you see above:I saw your recent post in your blog. Myself and several other whitewater paddlers have been following this project and in fact received permission ... More >>

As Drought Looms, a Look Back at "High and Dry" White Rock Lake During Bone-Dry 1956

​You've probably noticed -- it's been a long while since it significantly rained 'round these parts, which is why the National Weather Service has issued an elevated fire conditions warning for most of North Texas, including Dallas. The NWS also warns: "Drought has rapidly expanded across North an ... More >>

Wrap it Up: The Flip Happy Crepes
And Sushi-a-Go-Go Trailers

Flip Happy Crepes​Visiting Austin is like visiting your grandmother's house. As soon as you arrive, you're required to sit and eat, and then until your host is satisfied or you take leave. In this case, you have hundreds of grandmothers all insisting you look peaked, in dire need of sustenance ... More >>

Menudo, Menudon't at the Hill Country's Las Comadres

Photos by Andrea Grimes and Man O' The HourMenudo! Donde esta Ricky Martin? Il n'est pas ici. Nein.​Like many of my fellow Dallasites, I spent this weekend in Central Texas. But I never gave a single Flo-Max laden Eagles fan directions to the Port-A-Potties. Nor did I cut any rugs to LCD Soundsyst ... More >>

Got Something to Say About Coal Ash Pollution? The EPA Wants to Hear From You Today.

Lower Colorado River AuthorityA new Sierra Club report says coal ash from Central Texas' Fayette Power Plant is polluting the groundwater nearby.​One month since the EPA's stolid road warriors blew threw Arlington to get your thoughts on pollution from gas drilling, the agency's making its triumph ... More >>

Mystery Stew: Czech Concotion Kicks Off Picnic Stew Season (Apparently, There is Such
A Season)

​More than 5,000 people gathered yesterday in Praha, a ghost town near Flatonia, for the 155th edition of an annual celebration that marks the traditional start of picnic stew season. Like polka bands and cake walks, beef-heavy picnic stew is a fixture of the Czech festivals that unfold acros ... More >>

Lawsuits! For a Long-Dead Project, There Sure Is a Lot of Activity Surrounding Glorypark.

One of RTKL's conceptual renderings of Glorypark, which has been dead going on two years now​RTKL -- the architecture firm hired by Hicks Holdings, Steiner Associates and myriad other companies to develop the dead-since-'08 Glorypark development next to the Ballpark in Arlington -- just sued pre ... More >>

A Glorypark-ing Garage. Two, Actually.

​Below you'll find the lawsuit an architectural firm and a construction company filed today against Tom Hicks, Steiner Associated and pretty much everyone in the upper management at the Texas Rangers over the so-very-dead Glorypark development, which was to devour 75 acres next to the Ballpark i ... More >>

You Get What You Need

"West Texas Puro Tango Blast" -- Not As Much Fun As It Sounds

Only a few days ago, The Dallas Morning News ran a piece about Texas' Tango Blast gang, which was formed within the confines of the state's penitentiaries and "could change the Dallas landscape because it rejects old notions of prison gang exclusivity and lifelong commitments," wrote Tanya Eiserer. ... More >>

Chet: Just the Name Alone Sounds Very, Um, Vice-Presidential?

Without Explanation, ICE Wants to Deport a Well-Regarded Local Imam

All You Ever Needed to Know About Sundance -- Like, Ever

Spelunk Punk

Hey, don't call me Wilma Flintstone

Country to the Bone

James Hand sings it straight

Found Art

SXSW, WTF?

Things change, and that's fine, but can we get some love for the good bands?

Chicken Man

Parting words from the greatest cockfighter who ever lived

Give Peace a Dishtowel

Think peace protesters are lame? So, what are you doing with your life?

Various Artists

White Riot: A Tribute to the Clash (Uncut Magazine)

American Beauty

Landscapes, from north to south

Run the Rock

Hot fun in the summertime

Feel the Heat

Two events highlight Latin culture

Skeeter Scare

Is the dousing doing any good?

Drug Crazed

Millions in federal tax dollars are being spent by narcotics task forces in Texas to nab low-level users and dealers. Is this any way to wage a drug war?

Scene, Heard

Hardly a shock

Perfect game

When Reid Ryan wanted Round Rock voters to build a stadium for his minor-league baseball team, he turned to the one pitchman no good Texan could refuse -- his dad, Nolan

Milking it

Terri Hendrix proves you can't keep a girl down on the Farm

Events for the week