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    The 2021 Tastemakers

    A toast to the top Texas restaurants and bars crowned at Tastemakers 2021

    Arden Ward
    Aug 30, 2021 | 4:21 pm
    A toast to the top Texas restaurants and bars crowned at Tastemakers 2021
    play icon

    Each year, CultureMap celebrates Texas' culinary stars with our Tastemaker Awards program. This year felt especially celebratory, as we honored the resilience and ingenuity of restaurants, bars, chefs, and bartenders from across the state with the return of our in-person events held throughout the summer.

    Our 2021 Tastemakers tour kicked off in Houston on July 22 with a full house of guests and nominees gathering for food, drink, and a lively awards ceremony emceed by Houston legend Bun B. We then traveled to Austin on August 5, where we honored our Austin and San Antonio nominees and unveiled the winners in an awards program featuring Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League. On August 19, we wrapped things up with a delicious night in Dallas, celebrating Dallas-Fort Worth's top culinary talent and welcoming comedian CJ Starr as emcee of the evening.

    Guests dined on specialty bites prepared by participating nominees and enjoyed a variety of cocktails and other sips perfectly suited for a summer celebration. But the stars of the show — and the heart of the program — were our nominees and winners.

    Our 2021 nominees were selected by local panels of industry experts, including past Tastemaker winners. The panels then determined winners in each category, except for Best New Restaurant, which was determined by readers in our popular online tournament, and the Hero Award in Dallas and Fort Worth, which was determined by our editors.

    Join us in raising a final toast to the 2021 Tastemaker Awards winners, listed below. And watch the video above for highlights from all of our 2021 events.

    Dallas

    • Restaurant of the Year: José
    • Chef of the Year: Matt Balke, Encina
    • Rising Star Chef of the Year: Carol Nguyen, Ngon Vietnamese
    • Best New Restaurant: Monarch
    • Best Ghost Kitchen: TLC Vegan Kitchen
    • Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Edoko Omakase
    • Pastry Chef of the Year: Corey Thomson, Fearing's
    • Bar of the Year: Cosmo's
    • Bartender of the Year: Liz Mitchell, Thunderbird Station
    • Wine Program of the Year: Veritas Wine Room
    • Hero Award: Meaders Ozarow

    Fort Worth

    • Restaurant of the Year: Hatsuyuki Handroll Bar
    • Chef of the Year: Felipe Armenta, Tavern, Towne Grill, Maria's
    • Best New Restaurant: La Onda
    • Bar of the Year: Tulips
    • Hero Award: Jon Bonnell

    Houston

    • ​​Restaurant of the Year: Nobie’s
    • Chef of the Year: Kaitlin Steets, Littlefoot/Theodore Rex
    • Rising Star Chef of the Year: AJ Ede, Brasil
    • Best New Restaurant: Xin Chào
    • Best Pop-up/Startup: Josh Deleon, Underground Creamery
    • Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Candente
    • Pastry Chef of the Year: Drew Gimma, Bread Man Baking Co.
    • Bar of the Year: Heights Bier Garten
    • Bartender of the Year: Alphonso Quiñones, Tiny Champions
    • Wine Program of the Year: Squable

    Austin

    • Restaurant of the Year: Nixta
    • Chef of the Year: Fiore Tedesco, L’Oca d’Oro
    • Rising Star Chef of the Year: Damien Brockway, Distant Relatives
    • Best New Restaurant: Plank Seafood Provisions
    • Best Ghost Kitchen: Mother Klucker
    • Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Bouldin Creek Cafe
    • Pastry Chef of the Year: Ariana Quant, Uchiko, Uchi
    • Bar of the Year: Garage
    • Bartender of the Year: Travis Tober, Old Pal, Nickel City
    • Wine Program of the Year: LoLo
    • Brewery of the Year: Blue Owl Brewing

    San Antonio

    • Restaurant of the Year: Clementine
    • Chef of the Year: Nicola Blaque, The Jerk Shack
    • Best New Restaurant: Southerleigh Haute South
    • Best Ghost Kitchen: Curry Boys
    • Bar of the Year: The Esquire Tavern

    ---

    The CultureMap Dallas-Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards was brought to you by Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Maestro Dobel Tequila, Stranahan's Whiskey, and Topo Chico. A portion of proceeds benefit our local nonprofit partner, Harvest Project Food Rescue.

    Houston Restaurant of the Year: Nobie's.

    Nobie's dining room
      
    Photo by Jack Thompson
    Houston Restaurant of the Year: Nobie's.
    tastemakers
    news/restaurants-bars
    series/dallas-tastemaker-awards-2021

    Sushi News

    Fun conveyor-belt sushi restaurant debuts at McKinney mixed-use

    Raven Jordan
    Apr 25, 2025 | 2:32 pm
    Kura Sushi
    Photo by Jakob Layman for Kura Sushi
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    A Japanese-inspired restaurant that brings you sushi on a conveyor belt is now open in McKinney: Called Kura Revolving Sushi, it’s located at 8585 W. University Dr. #150 in the West Grove mixed-use development, where it debuts on April 25, with an opening party taking place all weekend from April 25-27.

    "We are thrilled to open our sixth DFW location in McKinney, which is one of the fastest growing cities in the country with a population that's increasingly diverse and open to new culinary experiences," says Chief Development Officer Robert Kluger in a statement. "We believe the West Grove shopping center is the perfect place to share our authentic Japanese dining experience with this growing community."

    Kura Sushi USA was established in 2008 and has grown to be the largest revolving sushi chain: Small plates of sushi and sides are placed on a conveyor belt that snakes around the restaurant, allowing customers to grab items as they pass by.

    They have more than 100 menu items, including sushi, ramen, and popular Asian starters like edamame and wontons. Each item is charged separately starting at $3.45 a plate.

    There are two conveyors as follows:

    • Revolving Sushi Bar. The primary belt that snakes through the dining area, with plates of sushi that are protected by the chain's Mr. Fresh ventilated sushi lid. They say it limits airborne exposure and has plate-tracking technology that monitors how long the item has been circulating, ensuring food remains fresh.
    • Express Belt. Referred to as the "sushi highway," the express belt is positioned above the primary belt and is used to deliver special orders.

    Bikkura Pon Prizes
    An integral part of Kura Sushi USA’s tech interactive dining experience, Bikkura Pon is a machine that dispenses prizes after customers dispose of their plates properly. A touch panel registers the number of sushi plates dispensed into the plate disposal slot. After five plates, a short animation plays; after every fifteen plates, a prize such as a keychain or phone mount pops out.

    Kura has more than 550 locations in Japan, U.S., and Taiwan. There are 70 locations in 20 states and Washington D.C. McKinney is the sixth location to open in DFW; other locations include Carrollton, Euless, Plano, Frisco, and Fort Worth.

    openings
    news/restaurants-bars
    series/dallas-tastemaker-awards-2021

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