In Texas, “chef” covers a wide range of cooking styles. Included here are chefs who are heavily influenced by classical training, but there are also chefs who take Southwestern cuisine to a state of high art, chefs who specialize in Tex-Mex and others who cook the traditional dishes of the interior of Mexico and who bring new innovative touches to Mexican cuisine. There are even winery owners who combine their passion for fine wine with a passion for fine food. And what picture of Texas cooking would be complete without chuck-wagon cooking?

This small book is not a comprehensive study of Texas chefs. Because of size limitations, many of the state’s best have been omitted with regret. The chefs on these pages were chosen to represent the styles of food available to the discriminating diner. Most but not all have cookbooks available. All but two have restaurants that beckon the discriminating diner.