Lauren Drewes Daniels

Lauren Drewes Daniels is the food editor of the Dallas Observer. She started working as a freelance writer in 2013 and became editor in 2021. She covers Dallas' evolving dining scene, the many openings and closings as well as trends and breaking news. She oversees annual lists including Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants and contributes to the Best of Dallas. If you have a tip about an amazing pastry, pie or taco, let her know.

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Words of Wisdom and Cautionary Tales From the Brewmasters of DFW

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Jun 5, 2014

Behind Dallas' booming craft beer scene is an eccentric (and exclusively male) batch of master brewers, former engineers and lawyers and homebrewers who have devoted their life to getting you tastefully drunk. Over the last few months, we sat down with the head brewers at 11 area breweries, to learn...
FireWheel Brewing's Brad Perkinson on Making it on a Shoestring Budget and Plans for Expansion

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
May 27, 2014

Brad Perkinson, owner and founder of FireWheel Brewing, got his first taste of the celebration of beer while on vacation in Munich in 2009, where got to experience the original brewhaha known as Oktoberfest. A couple years later, when he got laid off from his job here stateside, he took...
Community Beer Co.'s Jamie Fulton on Drinking with Monks and His Favorite Beers

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
May 9, 2014

Jamie Fulton of Community Beer Co. got started in brewing because of his love for food. After high school, he hopped the pond to study culinary arts at Le Cordon Blue in London. Side trips to the rest of the continent led to the discovery of craft beers throughout Europe...
Rahr Will Finally Can its Beers, and It's Throwing a Party to Show off its Recent Medals

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
May 8, 2014

Rahr Brewing Co. in Fort Worth has more than a few things to celebrate. As we previously reported, they took home a bronze medal at the bi-annual World Beer Cup for Stormcloud, their English-style IPA. The brewery also took home several more awards at the 5th Annual Denver International Beer...
The Favorite Tacos of Dallas' Chefs

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
May 6, 2014

All week at City of Ate, we celebrate the magic of the taco. Check back for more interviews, essays and maybe a list or two. Or maybe four? In this week of all things tacos at the City of Ate, we queried local chefs on their favorite spots to land...
Martin House's Cody Martin on How His Beard Saved His Life and the Beating of Brewing

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
May 2, 2014

Martin House Brewing Co. Founder Cody Martin considers craft brewing a unique combination of art and engineering. Formally trained in the latter, he worked as an environmental engineer while simultaneously honing his skills as a home brewer until March of 2013, when he opened his brewery in Fort Worth. Here's...
Finding Bourdain's Kulcha at Tandoor in Arlington

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 30, 2014

Anthony Bourdain's recent culinary tryst to India for his show on CNN, Parts Unknown, left me in a bit of fit. Much in the same way it left Scott Reitz craving for kulcha, I too had dreams of freshly cooked naan (or kulcha) straight out of a tandoor. I also...
Zach Petty of Four Corners Brewing Co. on Beer with Dad and Brewing During Tornadoes

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 24, 2014

Four Corners Brewing Company's head brewer, Zach Petty, started brewing at home almost a deceade ago and worked at the craft beer emporium Homebrew Headquarters for two years before he began volunteering at Four Corners last year. He studied under the previous head brewer, John Sims, for six months before...
Lakewood Brewing Looks to Seduce North Texas with Another Temptress Special Release

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 18, 2014

On April 28 Lakewood Brewing Co. will release the next in a limited-run series of their Temptress imperial milk stout. This new Mexcian-inspired edition will be available on draft at only a small selection of restaurants and bars around Dallas and Fort Worth. In the theme of Cinco de Mayo,...
Revolver's Brewer Grant Wood on Beer with Nuns and Being Beardless

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 18, 2014

When I heard that a senior brewmaster from the Samuel Adams Brewery had packed up his kettle to be part of an outpost in Granbury, I was surprised and excited. Then, after tasting the results of Grant Wood's move, namely in the form of Blood and Honey, I had an...
Off-Site Kitchen In the Trinity Groves Could Open this Fall With Very Extended Hours

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 18, 2014

Off-Site Kitchen opened in its first tiny home on Irving Boulevard on Valentine's Day in 2012, and only then did we know that Cupid was real and his cute girth was because he loves smashed cheeseburgers. With a renewed belief in angelic archers, we dove into this new relationship fearlessly...
Super Chix Has Sandwich-Shamed Chick-fil-A. Bless Them.

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 17, 2014

Last week we reported on Yum! Brands' new creation, which is appropriately dubbed Super Chix. The parent company of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut has reincarnated battered and fried bird strips, including this sandwich pictured above, in an apparent bid to take over the Chick-fil-A audience. On my first...
Proving Off-Site Kitchen Is Amazing with Actual Real (Sort of) Science

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 16, 2014

Kenji Lopez-Alt with Serious Eats is a prophet of smashed burgers. Yes, burgers that you press on a griddle, potentially squeezing out all the blessed juices. Now we know you just slammed your fist on your keyboard and spat Dr Pepper all over your screen, but hold on to your...
Cane Rosso White Rock Looks To Incite Hysteria this Tuesday with $1 Pizza Night

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 15, 2014

Every now and then Cane Rosso owner Jay Jerrier likes to throw a cog in the wheel. Sometimes by coming out against ranch dressing, other times it's throwing an anniversary party where his certified Neapolitan pizza costs just one little dollar. There will be crazy. Promise. Jerrier has done this...
When Community and Deep Ellum Win Awards at the World Beer Cup, We All Win

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 14, 2014

Because winning at beer is best, last week local breweries put their best foot forward at the World Beer Cup and three of them have been awarded for thier respective feet. The WBC is an international beer competition founded by Association of Brewers' President Charlie Papazian, who is a nuclear...
The First Super Chix, a Fast-Food Chicken Joint from KFC's Owners, Opens in Arlington

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 10, 2014

Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC and creator of things like Doritos Locos Tacos, opened a new chicken concept in Central Arlington Wednesday called Super Chix (612 W. Park Row). This test store is the only one of its kind in the country, and while the two main menu...
Twisted Root Is Now Serving a Milk Shake with Dude, Sweet Chocolate's Tub of Love and Bacon

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 8, 2014

We love it when two of our favorite things find each other amidst all the chaos and clutter in life to forge a happy union of any shape or form. Especially if it's bacon and homemade custard. Or bacon and peanuts. Or bacon and anything. We're really open here. That's...
The Best Arlington Bars for Drinking During the NCAA Final Four

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 4, 2014

So we hear there's a little basketball tournament in town this weekend. Every hotel room in Arlington is sold out. Jerry World will be hoppin'. It's a commendable salute of solidarity with your alma mater. And we know you're going to want to really make the most of your vacation...
Lakewood Brewing's Wim Bens on What's in His Fridge and His "All-Consuming Adventure"

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 3, 2014

Wim Bens founded Lakewood Brewing Company in 2011, riding one of the early craft beer waves to wash over North Texas. He sold his first keg of beer in August of 2012, and his brews now pour through busy taps all over the city. Bens was born in Belgium but...
Fuel City Is Growing, Still Has a Swimming Pool for Some Reason

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 2, 2014

Feeding our need for more tacos faster, Fuel City has recently undergone an expansion. The gas station and so much more below the tangle of I-30 and I-35 has recently doubled its kitchen space and now passes tacos out of four windows. This is certainly great news if it means...
Glazed Donut Works Made a Conan Donut

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 2, 2014

It's a busy week in Big D. In addition to Opening Day, there's the Big Texas Beer Festival, the Final Four and Big Red is in town too. That's Conan O'Brien, whose big hair wouldn't be a big deal if he were a permanent resident. But he's not, so it...
What to Expect from 2014's Big Texas Beer Festival, Including Rare Local Beers

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Apr 1, 2014

It's springtime, and there's so much to look forward to. Pictures in the bluebonnets, more wind and transitioning from sweat pants to yoga pants. Spring is also the time to try new beers. Because, new beers. This weekend is the third annual Big Texas Beer Fest at the Fair Park...

Archives from 2014

Lauren Drewes Daniels

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