When we heard that September is National Bourbon Month, our first thought was, "Isn't every month bourbon month?" Our second thought was, "Shoot, we better get to drinking some bourbon!" Happily, we'll have our choice of 20 different bourbons when the Austin chapter of the U.S. Bartenders Guild hosts its second annual Bourbon, BBQ & Bluegrass Festival at Stubb's Bar-B-Q this upcoming Monday night. more ›

We're not sure exactly what is going on, but Texas Monthly is teasing a 1pm announcement regarding their BBQ App and Festival on Twitter. The message? "Free @franklinBBQ? Today! #tmbbqhunt". We'd suggest heading to the iTunes App Store to download the app, as any chance for free Franklin BBQ around lunchtime sounds like a ticket to eternal bragging rights. Good luck! Texas Monthly's 2nd Annual BBQ Fest will be held on 10/30 at The Long Center, and VIP tickets are on sale now - regular tickets will be available 8/10. more ›

Last September, Texas Monthly dipped a toe in the food festival waters with their first-ever BBQ Festival. The results were unsurprisingly delicious - 20 of the state's best 'cue spots turned up with mobile smokers and cutters to deliver the goods to the sold-out crowd, who basked in a multi-hour meat coma on the Long Center Terrace. The only problem? The organizers erred so far on the side of caution that the 1,000 tickets available sold out in days (they were trying to prevent long lines) - and pitmasters actually had more food than people to serve it to! For this year's second edition, the magazine has learned that they can accomodate far more BBQ enthusiasts, and is making everything bigger the second time around: more food, more sides, and more guests. more ›

While Austin has plenty of affection for our local celebrity chefs like Tyson Cole and David Bull, to many, Fort Worth's Tim Love is the face of Texas cuisine. As a victor over Morimoto on Iron Chef America, a contestant on Top Chef Masters, and a judge on pretty much any food show you'd care to name, Love has gained a wide audience for both his haute-cowboy cooking and his no-nonsense demeanor. Love's metaphorical plate is full at present, at he helms his flagship Lonesome Dove in both Fort Worth and three Love Shack burger shops in North Texas. He's also in the planning stages on both a global taco restaurant concept and a new upscale restaurant right here in Austin. We recently spoke to Love about grilling, expansion, his role at the ACL Festival, and his progress on an Austin opening. more ›

It would be fair to say that Texas Monthly's Pat Sharpe is one of the arbiters of taste for Texas cuisine. Sharpe is not only a native Austinite, but has been writing for the magazine since 1974 - the year before we were born. Never shy, Ms. Sharpe's "Where To Eat Now" article annually frames the discussion about the state's best new restaurants, and the magazine's features on best burgers, Top 50 BBQ restaurants, and best small-town cafes are saved by subscribers as a veritable roadmap for what to try in the coming months and years. We recently spoke with Sharpe about her latest project, a feature issue on Texan cooking and iconic foods. more ›

Beef, it's as quintessentially Texas as big skies and armadillos, so it's fitting that this year's Texas Hill Country Wine + Food Festival has pitted some of the best purveyors of cooked cow against each others in their first ever Live Fire! Beef Supremacy Over the Flames event this Friday evening at the sprawling Texas Disposal Systems Exotic Game Ranch. more ›

• We may want to rethink how we’re planning on closing the budget gap in Texas. Cutting education programs is making us look bad to the rest of the country.
• Hello, patriarchy! We now have low-calorie Dr Pepper, with a slogan "Dr Pepper Ten: It's Not for Women." No word if a 12-pack comes with a sign for your treehouse reading “No girls allowed!”
• Album based on growing up in Houston’s suburb of The Woodlands wins an award from the New Music Express.

• Did you buy a Gingerbread House from Whole Foods? Umm, you might want to put down that hunk of roof and check to see if you have one of the recalled ones! (Whole Foods has a money-back guarantee on everything they sell, so you can return your compromised casa for a refund.)
• An LBJ campaign ad is seen as one of the most influential ads ever.
• Here's a place to eat if you find yourself in Waco.

It’s 1:15 in the morning. You’re at The Mohawk and you’re partying. You’re hip, Texan, and a carnivore. What’s the one thing on your mind? What do you need more than a sober car ride home? A slightly sticky smell wafts down from the upstairs terrace that can only be one thing: pulled pork. Seven dollars and seven minutes later, you find yourself in hog heaven, wondering just how you got there and if you’ll be able to get out of the chair before Jimmy and the Junebugs start their next set.

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Texas Monthly's longstanding tradition of the twice-a-decade BBQ issue has led to arguments, road trips, debates, and all sorts of cacophony. Their food editors travel the state in search of new, obscure, and classic joints serving the holy trinity of brisket, ribs, and sausage. When all is said and done, they pick their favorite 50 spots, and explain why. In the past, such stalwarts as The Salt Lick have sometimes missed the cut. Texans take BBQ personally, and when Texas Monthly mentions, say, Snow's BBQ as the #1 spot in the state for 'cue, Snow's immediately gets hour-long lines (in Lexington, TX) and starts running out of food at 10am on a weekly basis.

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All the way back in 2007, Uncle Billy's Brew-and-Que added something sorely lacking on Barton Springs Road: a spot to partake in craft beers. While the focus of the restaurant was family-style BBQ, what really made Uncle Billy's stand out was their devotion to both brewing interesting beer and supporting the Texas craft beer movement through extensive stocks of Real Ale, Live Oak, and the like. more ›

• Food bank workers are now helping with the backlog of applications for food stamps. Did you know that one in eight Texans is receiving food stamps?
• The latest problem from that drilling platform that caught fire then sunk: leaking oil may be bad for the Gulf Coast.
• Integration at UT remembered.

If you’ve got a penchant for undeniably catchy garage-rock, look no further than The King Khan & BBQ Show, performing on Sunday, November 8th at the 2009 Fun Fun Fun Fest. Mark Sultan and King Khan first teamed up in the ‘90s, gaining notoriety with their band The Spaceshits’ belligerent shows. At the start of this century, Sultan was turning heads as the one man team that is the BBQ and Khan was busy finding success with his soul outfit The Shrines. But it was only a matter of time before the two friends reunited. The aptly named The King Khan & BBQ Show dropped its self-titled debut album in 2005 and followed it up with the What’s For Dinner? LP in 2006. They’ve appeased the masses with a handful of 7" records since; a new full-length called Invisible Girl is expected next month. more ›

• Irony alert: Governor Perry was against Texas accepting the stimulus package, but the nonprofit group he founded will still receive a stimulus grant!
• Tip: Take the meth out of your pockets before screaming for help while fighting an invisible foe. Trust us on this one.
• There was an early -Monday taping of the Oprah show at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. Check out this photo-set!

This week is Homeless Awareness Week.Local non-profit Front Steps asks for donations of sleeping bags and blankets; they will be distributed at ARCH (Austin Resource Center for the Homeless). Travis County owes the City of Austin $4,820.50 in unpaid parking tickets and the City wants its money. WilCo State Rep. Krusee cleared of drunk driving charges. Drunk Austinite makes terroristic threats (whilst wearing a ski mask) on a flight to Dallas. SEC charging Dallas Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban with insider trading. The New Yorker's Calvin Trillin stops by Lexington for the best Texas BBQ in the world. more ›

One could hardly hold something called the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival without devoting an event to the glory of BBQ. So the folks behind the THCWFF have put together a Saturday afternoon feast of gluttony, with a bevy of ribs, brisket, sausage, and pulled pork that's bad for the heart but good for the soul. Particpating BBQ purveyors include both The Salt Lick and New York's popular upstart Hill Country Barbecue Market, which has been packing them in in Chelsea by serving up Lockhart-style BBQ and beers. Other restaurants will be announced soon. more ›

Liam Finn has seen a lot of the world lately, albeit from the stages of pubs, clubs, and arenas. The 24-year-old New Zealander has 126,000 frequent flyer miles at the moment, thanks to a year spent touring both as a guitarist for Crowded House and promoting his new Yep Roc album I'll Be Lightning. The self-produced and performed record finds Finn in a reflective mood, and alternates between indie chamber-pop and much more rocking material. Currently on tour with Pela, Finn will drop in for a handful of SXSW gigs before heading back on the road to open on Eddie Vedder's solo tour. We spoke to Liam Finn this week about Neil Young, loop pedals, and London. We encourage you to attend the Austinist-Gothamist day show on March 12th to see him! more ›

Austinist & Gothamist are proud to announce our SXSW day party, taking place on Wednesday, March 12 at the Mohawk. The party kicks off around 11 a.m., and the day ends at 6, but not before Shout Out Louds, Shearwater, Liam Finn and Phosphorescent perform. As usual, the party is free, open to all. See you then! more ›

When the debate is done, each of us will take time to reflect on the solemn decision that lies before us... more ›

Because we're all hoping they'll finally find their audience (aside from our moms) and land a record deal, The Black Crowes have announced their 2008 tour, which includes a stop at SXSW 2008. They will headline at Stubb's, no less. Keep your fingers crossed for them, folks. In other news, we've received word on a handful of local bands that have been accepted by SXSW, including (but not limited to) The Lemurs, Peel, Weird Weeds, Car Stereo (Wars) and almost local rapper Bun B of UGK (Houston). We'll be updating with local additions as often as we can, so stay tuned! more ›

Image courtesy of Nacional RecordsThe first annual Ground Zero Texas fest kicks off their weekend schedule of events on Thursday, with the opening ceremony at Sound On Sound Records at 6 p.m. (featuring a performance by the official GZT mascot NOBUNNY), followed by opening night action at Beerland with music from The Spits, The Wax Museums, and The Hibachi Stranglers. Denton’s The Reds will also re-unite and rock this special evening. The plethora of local... more ›

Photo by Patrick Dentler Barack Obama "Texas Countdown to Change"Saturday, November 17The Backyard (13101 W Highway 71)$25 General, $15 Students, 3pm[info] | [tickets]Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama dazzled over 20,000 Austinites last February at his Auditorium Shores rally, and this weekend he aims to do the same. Tickets to this Saturday's "Texas Countdown to Change" rally at the Backyard are still available for $25, and even cheaper ($15) if you're a student. Still, if you... more ›

Blazing Saddles Quote-Along & Bar-B-Que RunQuote-Along: Thursday, Nov. 8th @ 7:00pm, Saturday, Nov. 10th and Thursday, Nov. 15th @ 7:15pm / BBQ Run: Saturday, Nov. 10th @ NoonAlamo Drafthouse Downtown (320 E 6th Street)Quote-Along: $10 / Quote-Along & BBQ Run: $75[info] | [tickets]Hey you! Yeah, YOU! Quit yer lollygaggin'! Don't you know that we're rounding up cutthroats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican... more ›

We know you're coming to ACL Fest for the amazing live music, not the culinary delights. That said, you're going to need to keep your blood sugar up to withstand three days of dirty heat and canned beer. The Austin Chronicle has helpfully detailed the food vendors and their offerings at the park grounds as well as the restaurants near Zilker within walking distance should you decide to venture out. Gourmet foodies may want to... more ›

Mars Restaurant & Bar (Asian Fusion) Location: 1400 South Congress Avenue (map) Phone: (512) 472-3901 Cost: Brunch plates $4-6 dollars Atmosphere: Sleek, modern décor; airy and sunlit; nice people-watching from the spacious deck; attentive waitstaff Food: This just in: if you wake up on the weekend with a craving for a la carte Chinese hors d’ouevres, you no longer have to travel north of the river to get them! Mars, South Congress’ newest culinary addition,... more ›

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There's always been something undeniable about a quality West Coast power-pop record. From the mainstream success of Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever to the more obscure gems of The Posies and Jellyfish, the records in this oeuvre feel instantly memorable, lighter than air, and modestly perfect. Such sounds are likely what inspires The Broken West, a Los Angeles-based band that channels these sounds and those of Big Star and early Wilco on their debut... more ›

Are you a Guitar Hero champion? Find out tonight at Stubb's as 101X and C3 present the first of a three night competition, followed by a performance by Austin's Alice Rose. Here's what you need to know: rounds one and two are strictly for qualifying. Show off your skills this evening and make the cut, then you'll be placed into a bracketing system. The opportunity to qualify is based on a first come, first serve... more ›

Same thing, another week. As you move on to the next line on the calendar, you're still out there trying to make a connection. Sadly you let most of them slip by without saying a word. We understand, no one wants to be overzealous and get shot down. If only you had some place to find a second chance. Oh yes, Missed Connections. If only you had someone to sort through and find the... more ›

Cedar Park, Pflugerville and Round Rock placed among Forbes magazine's fifty fastest growing suburbs in the United States from 2000-2006. Among the many Texas cities on the list, Round Rock was 12th, Pflugerville was 7th and Cedar Park was 3rd. Forbes discussed some of the tradeoffs of unregulated suburban sprawl: low housing costs, but high transportation costs - providing the example that in Houston, transportation costs are the No. 1 household expense, according to... more ›