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Courtney E. Smith on Muck Rack

Courtney E. Smith

Verified
(She/Her)
Dallas
As seen in: Ravenous, Medium, MSN, Yahoo Life, MSN Philippines, Yahoo Canada, Listen to the Music, Salon, Esquire, Ghost, Pitchfork and
Covers:  Food, hospitality, drinks, music, TV, movies, and travel

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Courtney E. Smith’s Biography

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Courtney E. Smith is a Dallas-based journalist, editor, and podcast producer who's spent over a decade exploring where food, music, and culture collide. Her work has appeared in Esquire, Pitchfork, Uproxx, and Eater.

As Editor at Eater, Smith managed a team of freelance writers while cranking out her own daily coverage of the Texas food scene. Her features have helped put restaurants on the map in a real way — stories that contributed to James Beard Award and Michelin recognition for the restau…

Courtney E. Smith’s Journalist Portfolio

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Heritage East Is A Culinary Journey Through East Texas' Past

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 speake…

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Dallas' Hospitality Industry Grapples With ICE, Politics and Speaking Out

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 in…

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Ateliê Is Wyl Lima's Global, Genre-Defying Take on the Modern Bistro

Ateliê Is Wyl Lima's Global, Genre-Defying Take on the Modern Bistro

Wyl Lima, the chef and co-owner of Atleiê in North Oak Cliff, says there is one throughline on the bistro's m…

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Amid Dallas’ ‘Bromakase’ Era, Sushi Kozy Bets on Thoughtfulness Over Flash

Amid Dallas’ ‘Bromakase’ Era, Sushi Kozy Bets on Thoughtfulness Over Flash

The new Arts District restaurant persevered through a long construction delay to serve a style of omakase tha…

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A Tale of Three Tasting Menus at Michelin-Recognized Restaurants in DFW

A Tale of Three Tasting Menus at Michelin-Recognized Restaurants in DFW

Quarter Acre, Monarch, and the Heritage Table launched tasting menus this year, with very different purposes

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Nelly's 'Country Grammar' And The Rise Of Hick-Hop

Nelly's 'Country Grammar' And The Rise Of Hick-Hop

The time has come to reflect on the cross-genre impact of Nelly's 'Country Grammar' with him performing the a…

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Articles

What Does It Take to Build a Great Restaurant Wine Cellar?

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By Courtney E. Smith Verified
| D Magazine Verified
Earlier this month, Wine Spectator published its 2026 Restaurant Awards, in which some 2,010 restaurants are given an award of excellence. Candidates have to submit their wine list with accurate information about every bottle, including names spelled correctly (no kidding, this is in the instructions). Those lists are then judged on how interesting they are, how appropriate to the cuisine served at the restaurant, presentation, and if they appeal to a wide variety of wine lovers.
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Summer Is for Unions

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By Courtney E. Smith Verified
| Ravenous
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has weakened under the Trump administration. It was stuck in limbo for nearly all of 2025, with only one board member — it requires at least three to hear cases and should have five. And though union elections reached a 10-year high in 2024, they fell by 30% in 2025, per stats from the New Center for American Progress. Additionally, 42% fewer workers participated in NLRB-overseen union elections from 2024 to 2025.
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You Can Probably Have a Totally Normal Vacation in Waco, Texas

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By Courtney E. Smith Verified
| Ravenous
When I say Waco, Texas, to you, I’m willing to bet one of two things immediately pops into your mind. It’s either the Branch Davidian cult and that fatal showdown with the FBI or it’s Fixer Upperand all things Joanna Gaines. That’s a pretty wild spread. But I am here to tell you that you can have a totally normal —and even perfectly nice —vacation in Waco without running afoul of religious wingnuts or the entire Magnolia propaganda machine.
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