Meet the Tastemakers

Here's your taste of the best restaurants and bars in Texas for 2018

Each year, we hold a Texas-sized celebration of two of the things we love most: food and drink. The annual CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, presented by Woodford Reserve, honors the top restaurant and bar talent in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio.

Our mission is to shine a spotlight on the people making each city's culinary scene special. First, we collaborated with a panel of experts, including previous Tastemaker winners, to determine the nominees in each city. The panels then selected winners in every category, except Best New Restaurant, which was determined by our readers in a tournament presented by Whole Foods Market.

It all culminated in our series of signature tasting events and awards ceremonies, held in Houston, Austin, and Dallas, where guests mixed and mingled with top culinary talent and fellow foodies, while we unveiled the 2018 Tastemaker Awards winners. Join us in toasting the best of Texas dining right now.

Austin

Restaurant of the Year: L’Oca d’Oro
Chef of the Year: Kevin Fink, Emmer & Rye
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Zach Hunter, The Brewer’s Table
Pastry Chef of the Year: Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Emmer & Rye
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Texas French Bread
Best New Restaurant: Be More Pacific
Favorite Food Truck: Veracruz All Natural
Bar of the Year: Nickel City
Bartender of the Year: Erin Ashford, Olamaie
Brewery of the Year: St. Elmo Brewing Co.
Wine Program of the Year: Texas French Bread

Dallas

Restaurant of the Year: Town Hearth
Chef of the Year: Omar Flores, Whistle Britches
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Anastacia Quinones, The Cedars Social
Pastry Chef of the Year: Keith Cedotal, The Joule
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Nova
Best New Restaurant: Ferris Wheelers
Best Biscuits: Crossroads Diner
Bar of the Year: Parliament
Bartender of the Year: Trevor Landry, Jalisco Norte
Wine Program of the Year: Bullion

Fort Worth

Restaurant of the Year: Piattello Italian Kitchen
Chef of the Year: Lanny Lancarte, Righteous Foods
Best New Restaurant: B&B Butchers & Restaurant
Bar of the Year: Proper on Magnolia

Houston

Restaurant of the Year: Xochi
Chef of the Year: Chris Shepherd, Underbelly Hospitality
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Jason Vaughan, Nancy’s Hustle
Pastry Chef of the Year: Jillian Bartolome, Aqui
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Paulie’s
Best New Restaurant: Field & Tides
Poke Restaurant of the Year: Izakaya
Bar of the Year: Better Luck Tomorrow
Bartender of the Year: Alex Negranza, Better Luck Tomorrow
Brewery of the Year: Eureka Heights Brewing Company
Wine Program of the Year: a’Bouzy

San Antonio

Restaurant of the Year: Battalion
Chef of the Year: Pieter Sypesteyn of The Cookhouse
Best New Restaurant: Tenko Ramen
Favorite Coffee Shop: Bakery Lorraine
Bar of the Year: Downstairs at the Esquire Tavern

These dishes come from Dallas Chef of the Year, Omar Flores.

Whistle Britches

These dishes come from Dallas Chef of the Year, Omar Flores.

tastemakers texas bests

Hot Dog News

Portillo's hot dog chain opens first airport shop in Dallas-Fort Worth

Portillo's

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Travelers taking flight can now get a hot dog: Portillo’s, the fast-casual chain from Chicago, is opening the first-ever Portillo’s airport location in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

The new location is one of two — along with another in The Villages, Florida — that will feature a new small, dine-in only format. It won't have the traditional drive-thru. Because there is no drive-thru at the airport, see. See what I'm saying.

Unlike traditional Portillo’s locations, the airport restaurant will feature a smaller, walk-up accessible footprint with multiple ordering touchpoints – including at the register, self-order kiosks, and order ahead for pick-up.

There will also be a variety of seating options accommodating more than 50 guests as well as a grab-and-go area — useful for travelers taking food on the plane, to their gate, or for leisurely meals during layovers or the unfortunate flight cancellation.

Portillo's partner for the DFW Airport location is PhaseNext Hospitality, whose president and CEO Roz Mallet says she is "thrilled to partner with Portillo's on this first airport location."

“As a fan of the culture, food, and history of Chicago, I have also been a longtime fan of Portillo’s,” Mallet says.

Guests can expect signature Portillo’s items like Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, char-grilled burgers, and Portillo’s "famous" chocolate cake.

Hot dogs come in regular, chili cheese, Polish sausage, and Maxwell Street Polish sausage which has mustard and grilled onions.

Their Italian beef sandwich features thinly sliced roast beef served on French bread, which is then dipped in hot gravy. You can order it dipped with sweet or hot peppers and mozzarella.

Portillo's first entered the Dallas market with a location at the Grandscape development in The Colony in January 2023. They have seven other locations in DFW, in Allen, Arlington, Denton, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, and Mansfield.

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