Tasting Notes

Dallas-Fort Worth foodies toast best of the best at annual Tastemaker Awards

Last night was an evening of feasting and toasting, as hundreds of hungry fans streamed into Sixty Five Hundred for the fourth annual CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, the grand finale of our annual program celebrating the best in local food and drink. We honored nominees in all categories of food and beverage, from best chefs to the best restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth.

This year’s event featured tasty bites from 30(!) area restaurants, showcasing the best in local dining right now. Sample bites included Kung Pao Lobster Rolls from Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse; Love Me Tenders (peanut butter and jelly fried chicken on a bed of cheesy grits) from Dot’s Hop House and Cocktail Courtyard; sriracha-spiked deviled eggs and smoked and fried Chicken Lollipop drumsticks from Street’s Fine Chicken; and confit quail over strawberry-rhubarb jam and goat cheese grit cake from Grayson Social. Is your mouth watering yet?

On the cocktail front, guests had their choice of beer (courtesy of Deep Ellum Brewing, 11 Below Brewing, and Alaskan Brewing Company); wine from Sonoma Cutrer; or five signature cocktails, including a Woodford Rye Old Fashioned with Woodford Reserve rye, vanilla syrup, and Woodford Reserve barrel-aged spiced cherry bitters, and the Texas Mule with Finlandia vodka, Topo Chico, lemon juice, and Liber & Co.’s fiery ginger syrup and Texas grapefruit shrub.

Meanwhile, Bartender of the Year nominees Eddie “Lucky” Campbell, Kyle Hilla, and Michael Martenson mixed up original cocktail samples in the Bartender Showcase, where attendees showed their love by voting for their favorite libations with golden coins.

Between mixing, mingling, and noshing, guests were pampered with manicures by MiniLuxe before heading over to strike a pose at the zany SmileBooth. Those with a sweet tooth satisfied their cravings with freshly made (or should we say spun?) cotton candy by Cottonsmith, as well as treats by Sprinkles and Sugarfina. Ice cream lovers couldn’t help but rave about the The Joule’s dark chocolate hazelnut soft-serve ice cream with olive oil and a candied baguette.

Nominees received the star treatment at the Korbel Lounge, where celebratory glasses of champagne and swag bags filled with everything from Jack Black skincare to Krave jewelry and gift cards from Uchi, Top Knot, Soul Cycle, and more were on offer.

But this party wasn't just about the eating and drinking — we had some awards to present. Celebrity chef emcee Tim Love revealed this year's winners to an enthusiastic crowd, who cheered on both Fort Worth and Dallas entrants alike. Special thanks to judges Alison Morse, Amy and Andrew Savoie, Chad Solomon and Christy Pope, Lindsey and Jacob Sloan, Jeffrey Gregory, John Tesar, Kirstyn Brewer, Kyle Hilla, Ladd Biro, Malcolm Mayhew, Marlene Duke, Nick Rallo, and Tim Love, who helped us determine who would take home the titles.

Spotted in the crowd were Daniel Forsythe, Martin Arista, Lauren Clapper, Nick Fragnito, Marcus Eerndt, Nicole Sanderson, Vodi Cook, Christina Thompson, Trinda Wood, Linda Snorina, Rosa Williams, Todd Howard, Melissa Becker, Travis Lyon, and Hailey Finucane.

Ten percent of ticket sales from the event are being donated to Trigger's Toys, which is dedicated to reducing the financial and emotional stress on chronically ill children and their families.

Now go read about all the winners, and we'll see you next year.

Sample bites included madai, strawberry boshi, and green tomato from Uchi.

Photo by WJNPHOTO

Sample bites included madai, strawberry boshi, and green tomato from Uchi.

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Tex-Mex News

Chuy's from Knox Dallas now open at new Greenville Avenue space

Photo courtesy of Chuy's

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A Knox Street institution has been uprooted to a new neighborhood: Chuy's, the Tex-Mex restaurant that had been open at 4544 McKinney Ave., for nearly 32 years, has moved to 1520 Greenville Ave., on the lowest part of Lower Greenville, where it opened on April 28.

The relocation is due to the fact that the property will be razed, part of a mixed-use development on Knox Street that's expected to open in 2026 and include a hotel, luxury condos, office space, and retail and dining space. Rumors about the likely closure of that Chuy's location had circulated for nearly a year.

A spokesperson said "It’s been an honor to be part of the Dallas community for more than 30 years and serve guests at our restaurant in the Knox-Henderson district. We’re excited to have moved to a new, bigger restaurant just two miles away and to keep offering our guests everything they love about Chuy’s."

Founded in Austin by Mike Young and John Zapp in 1982, Chuy’s became known for its Tex-Mex cuisine and eclectic decor, featuring tree sculptures, Elvis art, dog photos, and more. Signature dishes include Big As Yo Face Burritos, Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom Enchiladas, and the Elvis Presley Memorial combo.

The McKinney Avenue location was also known for its Hatch chile program that included not only featuring Hatch chiles in various seasonal specials, but also positioning a chile roaster outside the restaurant right on McKinney Avenue — very much Old Knox as opposed to the glossy high-rise direction in which Knox is currently headed.

In July 2024, Chuy's was acquired by Darden Restaurants, the hospitality company that owns other big-name chains, such as Olive Garden and The Capital Grille.

The new location looks great on paper, with parking nearby and a large patio. However, the space has suffered a bit of a pall in recent years, cycling through concepts such as Austin-based gastropub Haymaker, which opened there in 2016 after redoing the space at great expense, then closing after barely a year; followed by Desert Racer, the short-lived patio spot from chef Nick Badovinus which closed in March 2024.

But Chuy’s is upbeat, outfitting the new location wiith its iconic eclectic theming, including the Chihuahua Bar, towering metal palm trees, ceilings filled with hand-carved wooden fish, and the Elvis fountain – which has just been refurbished.

There are also several enhancements:

More seating
A pergola-covered patio that doubles their previous amount of patio seating
A covered outdoor waiting area with benches, with cocktail servers to fetch margaritas while diners wait
A parking lot with 84 spaces — more than double their previous 32 spots

The new location is operated by the same team, including General Manager Jack Miller, and they've also expanded total staff to accommodate the space.

"We relocated to Greenville Avenue because it was a great area with long-term growth potential and wasn’t too far from where we served our guests for more than 30 years," their spokesperson says.

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