Courtney E. Smith

Latest Articles By Courtney E. Smith

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June 15, 2026

Dallas Chefs and Restaurants Come Up Empty at 2026 James Beard Awards After Promising Run

Dallas’ James Beard Award Drought Extends to 32 Years as Houston Takes Top Texas Honors

By Courtney E. Smith

June 10, 2026

Sueño Opens Today in Dallas’ Park Cities With a Spotlight on Indigenous Mexican Cuisine and Culture

The acclaimed Richardson restaurant expands to Snider Plaza with ancestral cocktails and a menu rooted in Indigenous food traditions from Oaxaca, Jalisco, Mexico City, and beyond

By Courtney E. Smith

May 21, 2026

Dallas’ Coastal Mexican Restaurant Boom Hits Full Tide With Maroma

From Mar Y Sol to Puerto Cocina, and now Maroma, a new wave of seafood-driven Mexican restaurants is reshaping Dallas dining with resort vibes, wood-grilled fish, and bold coastal flavors

By Courtney E. Smith

May 19, 2026

Inside Alára, Dallas’ New Mediterranean Restaurant Rooted in Turkish Influences and Minimalist Cooking

Chef Onur Akan’s new restaurant pairs Turkish-inspired Mediterranean cooking with a minimalist philosophy

By Courtney E. Smith

May 13, 2026

Chef Erin Willis Debuts Trattoria Bugatti in Dallas With Authentic Roman Fettuccine Alfredo

The former RM 12:20 Bistro owner brings rustic Italian recipes inspired by Rome and Tuscany to Dallas, with handmade pasta, sourdough pizza, and a butter-only Alfredo already drawing crowds

By Courtney E. Smith

March 31, 2026

Grapevine, Texas Wine Guide: Best Tasting Rooms, Urban Wine Trail & Festivals

Discover Grapevine’s urban wine trail, top tasting rooms, and can’t-miss wine events in North Texas’ premier wine destination

By Courtney E. Smith

January 26, 2026

At the Saint’s New Design District Home, Chef Sergio Esquivel Rewrites the Italian Steakhouse Playbook

A neighborhood shift, a new executive chef, and a menu built around indulgent pastas and Texas wagyu mark the restaurant’s reset

By Courtney E. Smith

January 22, 2026

James Beard-Recognized Chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman Brings Nostalgic Mexican-Southern Diner Fare to Dallas’ New AM/FM

After delays to her own restaurant plans, the former José chef helps define the all-day diner with chef-driven comfort food

By Courtney E. Smith

December 22, 2025

Ateliê in North Oak Cliff Is Wyl Lima’s Global, Genre-Defying Take on the Modern Bistro

The chef behind the Charlotte opens an art-filled restaurant where global influences guide the menu—and the plan keeps evolving

By Courtney E. Smith