Austin, TX

Austin New-School Barbecue Pitmaster Is Writing a Cookbook

Published

2 years ago

June 24, 2024

Austin New-School Barbecue Pitmaster Is Writing a Cookbook

The pitmaster of one of Austin’s best and exciting barbecue restaurants is going to be publishing a new cookbook. Evan LeRoy of new-school barbecue restaurant and food truck LeRoy & Lewis is writing New School Barbecue, which will publish sometime in 2026 under book distribution company Abrams Books.

The new book will include LeRoy’s techniques and recipes for cooking and smoking meats and vegetables with his new-school approaches pulling in techniques, ingredients, and flavors from around the world. The book will specifically include cauliflower and brisket, among other items. There will also be care taken to given information for all levels of cooks and pitmasters from beginners to experts.

This is LeRoy’s first cookbook, but not his first time sharing his cooking and smoking knowledge with the public. LeRoy & Lewis has a YouTube channel and Patreon membership service where he and the team share recipes and techniques. There’s also the New School BBQ University programs, with the next set of classes set for January 2025.

New School Barbecue is being co-written by Paula Forbes. She’s a noted cookbook author — she wrote the Austin Cookbook in 2018, collecting recipes from beloved restaurants and food trucks in the city; and most recently, she also co-wrote Cured: Cooking With Ferments, Pickles, Preserves, & More with San Antonio chef Steve McHugh, which published earlier this summer. She’s also the editor and writer of International Association of Culinary Professionals award-winning cookbook newsletter Stained Page News. And then she’s also an acclaimed food writer, as well as the founding editor of Eater Austin.

The Publishers Marketplace deal report announcing New School Barbecue dated on June 17 notes that the sale is a pre-empt, which means that the book deal was made early in the process because it’s a wanted title. Behind the deal is literary agent David Hale Smith, a member of literary agency InkWell Management. He also works with Jordan Mackay (who, among other books, co-authored all of Aaron Franklin’s cookbooks: Franklin Barbecue, Franklin Steak, and Franklin Smoke) and Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn.

LeRoy’s Austin barbecue career started as the founding pitmaster of now-closed restaurant and whiskey bar Freedmen’s in 2012. He left in 2016 with the goal of opening his own business. That ended up being the food truck version of LeRoy & Lewis, with co-owners Sawyer Lewis and Nathan Lewis (rounded out by Evan’s wife Lindsey LeRoy) in 2017. It won the Eater Austin Eater Award for best new food truck that same year. The four always had the goal of opening a physical restaurant, which finally happened earlier this February in Garrison Park.

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Austin, TX

Austin named No. 1 coffee city in the U.S.

Published

7 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

Austin named No. 1 coffee city in the U.S.

AUSTIN, Texas — Culinary magazine Food & Wine named Austin the top U.S. city for coffee in the nation.

The city seems to have a coffee shop on every corner, with some operating out of unique locations.

Mercado Sin Nombre in East Austin brings a Mexico City street vibe with cempasúchil flowers and other colorful decor, a Coca-Cola brand menu sign and milk crates doubling as tables. Walter’s Tavern on South Congress Avenue operates out of a historic Victorian home and A Hole Coffee literally serves drinks out of a hole in the wall.

From creative concepts to beloved classics, shops like Leona, which recently opened in Sunset Valley, Desnudo — serving up masterful lattes with ingredients like miso paste and fruit purees — and Cherrywood Coffeehouse are some of the city’s most popular haunts for a cup of joe.

“The sheer variety of cultural influences, creative drink options, and accompanying food choices make Austin’s one of the most vibrant coffee scenes in the country,” Food & Wine said.

See the magazine’s full list below.

Top 10 U.S. cities for coffee, according to Food & Wine:

Austin
New York City
Los Angeles
Chicago
Seattle
Miami
Honolulu
San Francisco
Boston
San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Austin, TX

Man charged with murder in connection with deadly East Austin shooting

Published

20 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

Man charged with murder in connection with deadly East Austin shooting

AUSTIN, Texas – A man was charged with murder in connection to a deadly East Austin shooting last week, police said.

This is the Austin Police Department’s 20th homicide of the year.

What we know:

Police said on April 10, around 8:40 p.m., officers responded to a call of a shooting at the Cabana Club at 5012 East 7th Street.

When officers arrived, they found a victim, Richard Barr, with gunshot wounds to his body. He died from his injuries.

The investigation showed there had been a fight in the parking lot outside the club that escalated into the suspect, 21-year-old Ryan Lara, shooting Barr in the back.

Barr had been moving away and across the parking lot from Lara when he was shot. Police said Lara had also shot two other people in the group. They were taken to a local hospital for their injuries. One victim remains in critical condition while the other victim was released.

Ryan Lara, 21 (Austin Police Department)

Lara was charged with murder.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.

The Source: Information from the Austin Police Department

East AustinCrime and Public Safety

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Austin, TX

Austin weather: Intense storms in West Texas could make it to Hill Country

Published

1 day ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Austin weather: Intense storms in West Texas could make it to Hill Country

AUSTIN, Texas – We will be on storm watch tonight.

Local perspective:

More of the same today with a cloud/sun mix, warm, humid and breezy conditions.

Highs heading for the 80s with wind gusts of 15 to 25 mph.

The backstory:

The West Texas dryline will be the storm machine. This is where the Gulf moisture meets up with dry air coming off the mountains.

As the two different air masses collide the air will be forced up.

The heating of the day and upper low will provide even stronger lift to generate numerous and more intense storms in West Texas.

There is a chance a few of the storms will survive their journey away from the dryline and reach the Hill Country starting this evening and overnight.

By the time they enter Central Texas, most of the storms will drop below severe limits.

The highest threat of severe weather remains west of the Hill Country.

What’s next:

Could we get redevelopment with the storms late on Wednesday?

The jury is still out because not all the models agree, so we will have to play the wait and see game.

The next game-changers will be a stronger Western Low and a cold front with bite to it entering the picture this weekend.

Expecting increasing rain chances on Saturday followed by a cooler and drier breeze the rest of the weekend.

What you can do:

Track your local forecast for the Austin area quickly with the free FOX 7 WAPP.

The design gives you radar, hourly, and 7-day weather information just by scrolling.

Our weather alerts will warn you early and help you stay safe.

The Source: Information from meteorologist Zack Shields.