Courtney E. Smith
@thecourtneyesmith.bsky.social
📤 203
📥 163
📝 135
Unemployed food journalist covering Texas and your mom’s house.
https://muckrack.com/courtneyesmith
You know what is really challenging? Writing about food that’s fine, unobjectionable really, and just terrifically boring. This is me trying.
www.dallasobserver.com/food-drink/d...
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Is Little Ruby's Familiar Pasta and Basic Burger All New York City Has to Offer Dallas?
The newest hot-spot along Cedar Springs is a great spot to try if you want pretty furniture, nice lighting and unchallenging dishes.
https://www.dallasobserver.com/food-drink/dallasobserver-com-restaurants-little-rubys-dallas-review-uptown-40647259/
6 days ago
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reposted by
Courtney E. Smith
Zach Schonfeld
17 days ago
I'm looking to interview some non-American musicians or bands who've decided not to tour in the U.S. this year because of ICE. Please hit my DMs if you are willing to chat about this decision.
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I asked for a no bullshit conversation with the partners in one of Dallas’s most successful hospitality groups. I got it.
www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2...
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How Duro Hospitality Keeps Making Hit Restaurants - D Magazine
The Duro guys talk about remodeling The Charles, competing with out-of-state luxury chains, their commitment to employee training, and the challenges facing Dallas restaurants in 2026.
https://www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2026/02/duro-hospitality-dallas-interview/
17 days ago
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In October, I went to Tyler, Texas, to check out a restaurant. The chef reminded me of my cousin. They're both veterans who love music and ended up in hospitality, where their skills turned them into upstarts. The visit turned into my first story for Texas Highways.
texashighways.com/food-drink/t...
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Heritage East Is A Culinary Journey Through East Texas' Past
Seventh-generation Texan Lance McWhorter's Culture ETX complex includes a fine dining restaurant and a speakeasy
https://texashighways.com/food-drink/tylers-heritage-east-is-a-culinary-journey-through-the-piney-woods-past/
20 days ago
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I’m excited to have the cover story of the Observer this week. It came together fast, my editors were annoyed by my story structure, the subjects were nervous about talking, the subject is timely and difficult - it’s everything that makes journalism great.
www.dallasobserver.com/food-drink/h...
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Dallas' Hospitality Industry Grapples With ICE, Politics and Speaking Out
After an employee at White Rhino Coffee quit rather than give ICE agents discounts, the Dallas hospitality industry felt on blast last week.
https://www.dallasobserver.com/food-drink/how-ice-and-politics-are-changing-the-dallas-hospitality-scene-40640646/
25 days ago
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I cannot emphasize enough how much I wanted to hate this.
www.dallasobserver.com/food-drink/t...
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Turns Out That Billionaire-Backed Stadium Food Slaps
If you need to drown your sorrows at a basketball game, there are some great new options.
https://www.dallasobserver.com/food-drink/the-dallas-mavericks-add-big-name-restaurants-to-menu-40638684/
about 1 month ago
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Texas wine is struggling with low sales. So when a natural wine bar in Dallas that I adore, Fond, decided to partner with Crowson Wines in Johnson City to make a batch of something special, I really wanted to write about it. And I’m so happy @d_magazine let me!
www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2...
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Fond Has Bottled Its Own Texas Natural Wine - D Magazine
The downtown Dallas restaurant’s staff helped design and bottle its own proprietary blend from Crowson Wines in the Texas Hill Country.
https://www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2026/01/fond-dallas-natural-texas-wine/
about 1 month ago
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It is the moral and fiduciary responsibility of anyone in the hospitality industry to speak out against ICE, and other Trump administration policies that are affecting the mental health of their workers and the fiscal health of their business. Period.
theleftovers.beehiiv.com/p/ice-in-our...
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ICE in Our Coffee
Where you get you daily cup of joe matters, now more than ever.
https://theleftovers.beehiiv.com/p/ice-in-our-coffee
about 1 month ago
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Yes, the soup dumplings at Bushi Bushi in Dallas are as good as you’ve heard. Maybe better. My latest review for the
@dallasobserver.com
www.dallasobserver.com/food-drink/b...
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Forget Everything Else at Bushi Bushi. Just Order the Dumplings.
The chef here brings some serious credentials as best demonstrated in the soup dumplings.
https://www.dallasobserver.com/food-drink/bushi-bushi-in-dallas-is-a-prime-dumpling-destination-40638621/
about 1 month ago
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I am obsessed with the ricotta gnudi with pullled duck here (the jumbo-size quail picatta was also incredible), so I had to write a whole story about it.
diningout.com/dallas/at-th...
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At the Saint’s New Design District Home, Chef Sergio Esquivel Rewrites the Italian Steakhouse Playbook - DiningOut
After opening on Gaston Avenue (technically in Deep Ellum) in 2023, the Saint faced an uphill battle. That location, chosen for its proximity to the Epic—home to anchor restaurants Komodo and later Ha...
https://diningout.com/dallas/at-the-saints-new-design-district-home-chef-sergio-esquivel-rewrites-the-italian-steakhouse-playbook/
about 1 month ago
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I’m very excited this chef is back in a kitchen in Dallas - even if it’s not forever. My piece on a new little music venue and all-day cafe with quite the pedigree in Dallas.
diningout.com/dallas/james...
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James Beard-Recognized Chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman Brings Nostalgic Mexican-Southern Diner Fare to Dallas’ New AM/FM - DiningOut
When James Beard-recognized chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman left José in May 2025 to start her own restaurant and hospitality group, Dallas expected the restaurant, called Eledi, to open before 2026. ...
https://diningout.com/dallas/james-beard-recognized-chef-anastacia-quinones-pittman-brings-nostalgic-mexican-southern-diner-fare-to-dallas-new-am-fm/
about 1 month ago
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My hot takes on the James Beard semifinaliats for 2026 from around Texas.
theleftovers.beehiiv.com/p/james-bear...
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Breaking Down the James Beard Award Semifinalists for 2026 in Texas
Surprises, well-deserved nods, and wtfs
https://theleftovers.beehiiv.com/p/james-beard-awards-semifinalists-texas-2026
about 1 month ago
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Eating at 10 Tex-Mex restaurants in foir days. When I research lists, I like to do it over a few months, taking time to eat at restaurants by-and-by. This assignment found me eating multiple meals a day to write short reviews. It’s a gauntlet.
theleftovers.beehiiv.com/p/best-tex-m...
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Eating at 10 Houston Tex-Mex Spots in Four Days
The best meals at Pappasito's, Los Tios, Spanish Flowers, and the Original Ninfa's.
https://theleftovers.beehiiv.com/p/best-tex-mex-houston-texas
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Courtney E. Smith
Writers Guild of America East
about 2 months ago
Journalists are being targeted, press access to the White House is restricted and the President is going after news outlets that don’t report favorably on the administration. We're standing up for Press Freedom. Join the national town hall tomorrow. RSVP:
wgaea.st/pressfreedom...
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Have told myself, “That’s a Monday problem,” in my head about five times already this morning. Ah, the freelancer’s urge to always be working.
2 months ago
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One last piece this year: Looking at a gorgeous new Dallas restaurant that’s part art gallery from a tastemaker chef.
diningout.com/dallas/ateli...
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Ateliê in North Oak Cliff Is Wyl Lima’s Global, Genre-Defying Take on the Modern Bistro - DiningOut
Wyl Lima, the chef and co-owner of Atleiê in North Oak Cliff, says there is one throughline on the bistro’s menu: “We’re all more closely connected than we think.” It’s not an easy line to follow at t...
https://diningout.com/dallas/atelie-in-north-oak-cliff-is-wyl-limas-global-genre-defying-take-on-the-modern-bistro/
2 months ago
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Sending a little holiday cheer in the form of some of my favorite bites from 2025.
www.dallasobserver.com/food-drink/t...
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Our Best Bites of 2025 From a Pizza Special to Wagyu Dino Ribs
Foie gras Snickers and caviar and lobster lumpia top our list of best bites this year.
https://www.dallasobserver.com/food-drink/the-best-things-we-ate-at-dallas-restaurants-in-2025-40628921/
2 months ago
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New work on
@dmagazine.bsky.social
about folks I greatly admire who don’t like how an aspect of hospitality usually runs, so they made their own path.
www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2...
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Roots Chicken Shak is Building a Radical New Business Model - D Magazine
The company is choosing franchisees based on shared values, then giving hands-on training to prepare them for success.
https://www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2025/12/roots-chicken-shak-franchise-model/
3 months ago
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It’s me, sneaking into
@nodepression.bsky.social
to write about one of my favorite albums of the year.
nodepression.org/album-review...
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ALBUM REVIEW, What We Missed: The Poet Laureate of Your Local Bar Just Might Be Ryan Davis
Editor’s Note: Here at No Depression there’s too much great roots music in a year for us to cover it all. So in December, when new releases slow down, we ask writers to review some of the best albums ...
https://nodepression.org/album-review-what-we-missed-the-poet-laureate-of-your-local-bar-just-might-be-ryan-davis/
3 months ago
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Sometimes I write a kicker that I delight myself with and I don’t care if it’s just for me. Whatever! Anyway, big Dallas restaurant news.
www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2...
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What's Next for Travis Street Hospitality - D Magazine
Georgie, Knox Bistro, and Frenchie all have new executive chefs, Le Bilboquet’s chef will retire soon, and Le PasSage is getting a rethink. But Bruno Davaillon and co. have a plan.
https://www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2025/12/travis-street-hospitality-georgie-bruno-davaillon/
3 months ago
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Dipped a toe into writing restaurant reviews for
@dallasobserver.com
.
www.dallasobserver.com/food-drink/e...
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El Molino Sells Glamour and a Little Bit of Mexican Food
We review El Molino, the first 'Mexican' restaurant from Vandelay Hospitality.
https://www.dallasobserver.com/food-drink/el-molino-dallas-here-for-the-glamour-not-the-mexican-food-40618399/
3 months ago
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This story about a freelancer landing assignments at storied publications with ChatGPT generated pitches and fake quotes is a good scammer read, but also indicative of the state of modern journalism.
thelocal.to/investigatin...
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https://thelocal.to/investigating-scam-journalism-ai/
3 months ago
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Help, my parents think the tariff dividends check is happening and want to use it to rent an Airbnb for Christmas.
3 months ago
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Made my debut on
@seriouseats.bsky.social
this week, diving into the history of beef tallow.
www.seriouseats.com/is-beef-tall...
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Inside the “Ancestral Fat” Trend: Does Beef Tallow Deserve Its Hype?
Once dismissed as unhealthy, beef tallow is finding new life among chefs and home cooks.
https://www.seriouseats.com/is-beef-tallow-worth-the-hype-11852363
3 months ago
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So many people are speculating about why and how Mamani in Dallas earned a Michelin star after only two months. I’ve got a list of reasons.
theleftovers.beehiiv.com/p/why-mamani...
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A List of Reasons Mamani Earned a Michelin Star
Because I've had to explain this at multiple dinner parties, so clearly people want to understand it.
https://theleftovers.beehiiv.com/p/why-mamani-dallas-earned-michelin-star
4 months ago
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What does a MAGA entertainment company look like? Paramount, baby.
variety.com/2025/film/fe...
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Inside David Ellison’s Dramatic First 100 Days at Paramount: Courting Tom Cruise Blockbusters, Forging Ties With Trump and Daring Anyone Else to Buy Warner Bros. Discovery
David Ellison is the ultimate Hollywood disruptor. This week's Variety cover story goes deep on the Paramount-Skydance boss' industry takeover.
https://variety.com/2025/film/features/david-ellison-hollywood-takeover-paramount-warner-bros-1236569136/
4 months ago
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When I say I want more affordable all day cafes and spaces with good music, I mean like this one. A couple of good folks are saving a Deep Ellum institution from closing down, and I covered it for
@dmagazine.bsky.social
.
www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2...
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AllGood Cafe’s New Owners Will Keep the Music Going for a New Generation
The new crew, themselves musicians, talk about their plans to change the restaurant (very little) and preserve its legacy.
https://www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2025/11/allgood-cafes-new-owners-will-keep-the-music-going-for-a-new-generation/
4 months ago
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Four restaurants, four very different nights out in Dallas. In this week’s issue of The Leftovers, I’m sharing what happened when I revisited some big-name dining rooms — and was lucky enough to find myself in one of the city’s most exciting pop-ups.
4 months ago
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Halloween playlist drop! Yeah I know, I’m switching to Apple, the overtly less evil music streaming service but it’s not actually.
open.spotify.com/playlist/3C5...
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Ssssssspooky!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3C5anLXxamlxeAmsMcbuuF?si=lUMg538tThmAC8LZ6t3idw&pi=n1503LSUSsWSG
4 months ago
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There is nothing I love more than being right. So, I put together a list of the new Michelin-recognized restaurants across Texas that I told you to try. You’re welcome.
theleftovers.beehiiv.com/p/love-to-be...
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Love to Be Right
Places I've written about and recommended in the last year that earned Michelin recognition in Texas.
https://theleftovers.beehiiv.com/p/love-to-be-right
4 months ago
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A comedy of errors in Dallas, in which one hand is not speaking to the other in city government.
www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2...
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City Hall Wants to Strengthen Dallas Nightlife. It’s Cracking Down Instead.
A new task force has a disruptive mission: prevent live music venues from charging music fees.
https://www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2025/10/city-hall-wants-to-strengthen-dallas-nightlife-its-cracking-down-instead/
4 months ago
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One woman. Ten barbecue spots in three days. Too much brisket. Not enough cold slaw. These are my hottest takes on where to eat barbecue in the great city of Houston.
www.theinfatuation.com/houston/guid...
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The 13 Best BBQ Spots In Houston - Houston - The Infatuation
The best BBQ spots in Houston for smoked brisket, ribs, pulled pork, boudin, and chopped beef baked potatoes.
https://www.theinfatuation.com/houston/guides/best-bbq-houston
4 months ago
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I ate at ten barbecue spots in Houston to put together a hit map for The Infatiation, including the Michelin-starred barbecue in Spring. I finished more confused than ever about what makes a barbecue spot Michelin-worthy.
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4 months ago
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Okay women of a certain age in Dallas, who is coming??
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5 months ago
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I’m a big fan of THC. When I was going through serious anxiety and depression related to PTSD, it was one of the things that helped me manage it. But it can also just be fun - which I’ve grown to appreciate.
5 months ago
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reposted by
Courtney E. Smith
D Magazine
5 months ago
Its creators—one from Colombia, the other born in a farmers market—met at a Home Depot parking lot and were accepted into the Fair on their seventh attempt.
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The Best Dessert at the State Fair of Texas - D Magazine
Its creators—one from Colombia, the other born in a farmers market—met at a Home Depot parking lot and were accepted into the Fair on their seventh attempt.
https://www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2025/09/the-incredible-but-true-story-behind-the-state-fair-of-texas-best-new-dessert/
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Making my debut in
@dmagazine.bsky.social
today with a bang!
www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2...
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The Best Dessert at the State Fair of Texas - D Magazine
Its creators—one from Colombia, the other born in a farmers market—met at a Home Depot parking lot and were accepted into the Fair on their seventh attempt.
https://www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2025/09/the-incredible-but-true-story-behind-the-state-fair-of-texas-best-new-dessert/
5 months ago
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Women of a certain age in DFW: Do you want to dance again and still be in bed by 10 pm? There’s a party for that and I’m throwing it. There will be good music from your exactly heyday and snacks. See you there.
5 months ago
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I was excited to try Opal’s Oysters in Waco, the first non-barbecue spot from Texas barbecue legends, Terry Black’s. It turns out, there isn’t room for two raw bars in the small city of Waco, Texas.
5 months ago
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Free speech for me and not for thee, yet again in Texas. Now they want to “examine free speech on college campuses” across the state because students didn’t mourn him the way they wanted. No one elected official, when asked, saw the irony.
www.dallasnews.com/news/politic...
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Texas Legislature creates committee in honor of Charlie Kirk to examine speech at colleges
The committees will examine the implementation of two laws enacted in response to perceptions of liberal bias on college campuses.
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/09/12/texas-legislature-creates-committee-in-honor-of-charlie-kirk-to-examine-speech-at-colleges/
6 months ago
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HAVE YOU BEEN INFLUENCED? Call the law offices of Courtney E. Smith; you may be entitled to compensation.
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6 months ago
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I’ve been waiting all year for Mamani to open in Dallas. Going prompted me to explore a new content type with my weekly newsletter, looking not just at a review of the food that I ordered but the philosophy of the restaurant and how customers can get the most out of a menu with luxury prices.
6 months ago
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Hotel restaurants aren’t usually a destination, but the Duchess in the Nobelman, a Marriott cosplaying as a boutique hotel in an up-and-coming Fort Worth neighborhood, is an exception.
6 months ago
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I visited Emerald City Lounge, Fort Worth’s first cannabis lounge, this weekend and it was a really good time. I like how the goal is to make it social and destigmatize partaking. Also it was just super cute.
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6 months ago
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So, where do I sign up for Chorus?
6 months ago
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I am stupider for having read this.
www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2...
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Note to All Restaurateurs: Turn Down the Bloody Music!
An Englishman's review of Far Out, specifically, and of Dallas culture, in general.
https://www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2025/08/note-to-all-restaurateurs-turn-down-the-bloody-music/
6 months ago
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I’ve been eating queso all year to try and pull together a list of the best places to eat it. It turns out, cheaper and classic is better. In this week’s edition of the Lefotovers, I look at why - and where to eat it in Texas.
6 months ago
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How much should a burger cost? How about a burger by a chef with a Michelin-starred restaurant (it serves pasta)? How about a burger I personally judged and gave a winning nod to at a food festival? In my first newsletter, I break down the hidden costs of a damn good burger.
6 months ago
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9 months ago
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