“Life-changing” is an overused adjective, especially when it comes to food. Though there are some restaurants where the experience can truly alter one’s professional trajectory. Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor was that place for me, and for many others. A bite of brisket there in 2006 changed my perspective on how good barbecue could be. It was the same year that Louie Mueller received the America’s Classics award from the James Beard Foundation, making it the second Texas barbecue joint to earn the distinction (the Original Sonny Bryan’s in Dallas was honored in 2000). This year’s James Beard awards are littered with a half dozen pitmaster semifinalists, none of whom had restaurants when Louie Mueller was awarded. That bodes well for the future of barbecue,…The post How One Bite at Louie Mueller Barbecue Changed My Life appeared first on Texas Monthly.