62 AUGUST 2019
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IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY to start eating brisket
in Texas, particularly if it’s tucked into the
sweet yeasted dough of a Czech-style kolachke
(or a klobasnek, if you want to get technical).
At the newest Kolache Shoppe (kolache
shoppe.com) location in The Heights, the
50-year-old Houston institution has
partnered with cult-favorite Pinkerton’s
Barbecue to create savory combinations like
their brisket with egg and jalapeño. Make
quick friends by bringing extras to the early-
forming lines at Blood Bros. BBQ (bloodbros
bbq.com) in nearby Bellaire, which is
stretching the boundaries of barbecue with
Asian-leaning creations like its Thai curry
pork boudin and brisket fried rice.
Yes, Texas is beef country, but it’s also
laden with superb lamb and game, a specialty
of Ara Malekian at Harlem Road Texas BBQ
(harlemroadtexasbbq.com). Before heading
to the Hill Country, stop off in Richmond and
try the chef’s deeply smoky lamb chops and
a luxurious pecan pie that somehow extracts
more flavor with half the sugar.
No doubt you’ve heard of (or experienced)
the two-hour lines at Franklin Barbecue, but
you’re going to the eponymous pit master’s
other concept, Loro (loroaustin.com), which
he opened last year with Uchi chef Tyson
Cole. The two Austin luminaries have
combined their expertise on dishes like a
smoked bavette steak with shishito salsa
verde and Aaron Franklin’s signature brisket,
here sauced with a chili gastrique. On
Sunday, don’t miss out on the brisket-heavy
brunch offerings (hash, Benedict, etc.) at
The Switch (theswitchdripping.com) in
Dripping Springs. They’ll also pack you a
to-go spread of their Cajun barbecue
mash-ups like the shrimp po’ boy saturated
in brisket gravy. Esaul Ramos at 2M Smoke-
house (2msmokehouse.com) in San Antonio
is known for another Sunday game-changer:
his once-a-month barbacoa that’s smoked in
banana leaves and served with fresh flour
tortillas. Round out the spread with the chef’s
house-pickled nopales and the uniquely
porky “Chicharoni Macaroni.”
WHAT TO EAT
WHERE TO STAY
Located near
downtown San
Antonio within the
former Pearl
brewery, the
gorgeous Hotel
Emma, designed by
Roman and Williams,
lies in the heart of
the city’s most
exciting culinary
district. But you
might never want to
leave its historic
confines with its
on-site market,
Larder; its American
bistro, Supper; and
b a r, Sternewirth,
where you can sit in
one of the brewery’s
old cast-iron tanks.
Plus, there’s the
library, a 3,700-book
collection acquired
from local novelist
Sherry Kafka
Wagner. Or just relax
in your room with
complimentary
seersucker
guayabera robes
designed by Dos
Carolinas. (Rooms
from $350;
thehotelemma.com)
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