The Return of Tastemakers

Dallas-Fort Worth’s most celebratory food fest returns for 2016

Come to the Tastemaker Awards on May 19 at Hall of State at Fair Park. It’s going to be delicious.

Photo by Jon Shapley

May brings the return of the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, in which we celebrate two of the things we love most in this world: food and drink. The annual program honors the top talent in the Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant and bar industry.

Here’s how it works. We collaborated with two panels of experts, including previous Tastemaker Award winners, to come up with a list of nominees in Dallas and Fort Worth. Then the panels selected winners in every category, except for Best New Restaurant, which will be determined by readers in a bracket-style competition in May.

In Dallas, those categories include Rising Star Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Chef of the Year, Bartender of the Year, Sommelier of the Year, Bar of the Year, Brewery of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, and Best Sushi Restaurant. For this inaugural year in Fort Worth, we have Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year, in addition to Best New Restaurant.

The best part is that the program culminates in a party on May 19, 7-10 pm, where we will honor the nominees and announce the winners for both cities. Of course that includes savoring — like we did last year — tastes from the to-be-announced participants. Tequila Herradura is our presenting sponsor, so there will be tastings and special tequila cocktails mixed by our Bartender of the Year contenders.

This year the event takes place at Hall of State in Fair Park, the site of our Dallas launch party. Remember that?

New for 2016, we are offering early admission to anyone willing to pay a wee bit more. That ticket price, to get in an hour early, is $60. General admission is $50, and a special young professionals ticket (35 and under) is $40. (Yes, we will be checking ID’s!) More complete event details can be found here.

Also new this year, we have recruited celebrity chef Dean Fearing to serve as emcee, and he will preside over a short ceremony to bestow honors on the Tastemaker Award winners.

So buy your tickets now, and we’ll see you on May 19. Between now and then, we will celebrate all of the nominees in a special editorial series, so stay tuned to learn more about these restaurant and bar superstars.

event-planner tastemakers

Hotel News

Dallas investor firm acquires iconic Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

Photo courtesy of Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

Ownership has changed on this legendary Dallas property.

One of Dallas' most legendary hotels has a new owner: The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek was acquired by HN Capital Partners, a Dallas-based private investor that specializes in hospitality and mixed-use investments.

According to a release, the Mansion will continue to operate as a Rosewood Hotels & Resorts-managed hotel under the ownership of HN Capital Partners.

HN Capital was founded by former Hunt executive Vipin Nambiar, and hospitality real estate is a key part of portfolio, with a goal of engaging with the community and improving the surrounding neighborhood. The company recently repositioned and reopened Hotel Per La in Los Angeles, formerly known as NoMad LA, and they have a number of urban projects in the pipeline across major cities to be announced in the coming months.

The release says that HN will work with Rosewood toward a common goal of growing the hotel's offerings through unique programming and original hospitality experiences.

"We're thrilled to be working alongside the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts team to build upon the success of such a beloved historic property in the Dallas area," says HN founder Vipin Nambiar in a statement. "This magnificent estate offered HN Capital a unique opportunity to further invest in the Dallas community, and we’re excited to continue to forge even stronger bonds with local partners as we begin work on enhancing what this iconic hospitality destination has to offer."

"Our goal is to respect the hotel’s history and work closely with the Rosewood team to further expand the luxury offerings and imagine new services that ensure that the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek remains the most beloved hotel for the Dallas community and travelers alike," he says.

"Our aspiration always remains the same: to use our training as architects, planners, finance, and legal professionals with the guiding principle of leaving something better than we found it. Our effort here will be no different."

An architectural gem completed known for its 16th-century Italian Renaissance design, the original mansion estate was the epicenter of Dallas' social scene, hosting events with famous guests including the likes of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Tennessee Williams.

The century-old former private estate completed in 1925 was transformed by Caroline Rose Hunt in 1981 into a hotel and restaurant, becoming the first property of the global Rosewood Hotels & Resorts collection. It was most recently updated in 2020, in time for its 40th anniversary.

New American cuisine at The Mansion Restaurant and enjoy creative cocktails at the intimate Mansion Bar. The hotel is also home to a resort-style outdoor pool, the acclaimed The Mansion Restaurant, and the intimate Mansion Bar.

Room for growth

Dallas leads the U.S. for number of new hotels underway, says new report

Rendering courtesy of JW Marriott Dallas Arts District

Dallas' hotel scene is booming, thanks to new ones like the forthcoming JW Marriott Dallas Arts District.

A hotel boom is underway in the Dallas area.

As of the second quarter of 2022, 173 hotel projects with 20,707 guest rooms were in the planning or development stages in the Dallas area, according to a new report published by hospitality data provider Lodging Econometrics.

Dallas leads all U.S. regions based on the number of hotel projects in the pipeline, followed by Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, and Nashville, the report says.

“While some might expect Miami or New York City to lead the U.S. in terms of the number of hotel projects underway, that distinction actually belongs to Dallas … ,” says The Points Guy travel blog.

Among the city’s highly anticipated hotels are the JW Marriott Dallas Arts District, set to open in 2023, and the Four Seasons Dallas, on track to debut in 2025.

The Points Guy points out that Dallas has led all U.S. locations in hotel development for four consecutive quarters.

Brian Hughes, managing director of JLL Hotels & Hospitality, tells the travel blog that “a heavy trend of corporate and population migration to Texas” has lifted hotel performance in Dallas as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes.

Another plus for Dallas, it says, is Texas’ business-friendly tax structure. This draws companies to the state, which then feeds demand for hotel rooms to accommodate business travelers.

Other regions of the state also are benefiting from the moving-to-Texas trend when it comes to hotel development. But Dallas far and away leads the state’s pack in this regard. And Big D’s hotel sector stands to enjoy even more of a boost when the city’s new $2 billion, 2.5-million-square-foot convention center is completed in 2029, reports say.

In the Lodging Econometrics survey, Fort Worth-Arlington ranks 15th for the number of hotels in the pipeline — 65 projects with 8,005 rooms. Elsewhere in Texas:

Houston ties for seventh place, with 94 projects featuring 10,247 guest rooms
Austin ranks 10th, with 80 projects featuring 10,306 guest rooms
San Antonio ranks 21st, with 46 projects featuring 5,116 guest rooms

“Encouraged by 2022’s upward trend in hotel performance, owners, management groups, developers, and investors are moving forward with development plans as evidenced by increasing counts at every stage of construction,” Lodging Econometrics says.

reports hotels

House For Sale

Ridonculous Dallas house inspired by sci-fi movie Tron is for sale

Sotheby's

The Dallas home has many features inspired by the movie Tron.

There's a notorious house for sale in Dallas, so much for sale that Briggs Freeman Sotheby International Realty, the agency listing the property, has issued a press release, and so here we are.

Located at 5025 Wateka Dr., the house is a 4,853-square-foot behemoth said to be inspired by the sci-fi film TRON: Legacy, and it's listed for $3,960,000.

The house has 3 bedrooms, 3-and-one-half baths, and sits on a teensy .185-acre lot. That is not even a quarter acre. But there is surely a lot of wow packed onto every square inch.

It was designed by builder Michael Shaun Jackson as his own home and built between 2018-2020 — replacing a modest 1400-square-foot home built in the 1940s, as were most of the homes on this street (here's one sweet example). The street is now transitioning into a neighborhood where properties are listed for up to $600K just for the land alone.

Features on this house include:

marble-pattern, Italian porcelain floors
Murano crystal chandeliers
Ferrari-themed office
speakeasy/game room with upholstered walls

The outdoor space has a checkerboard terrace floor and sunken conversation pit with firepit coffee table.

The Tron influence can be felt in the interior's 3D geometric shapes, with a color scheme that is almost entirely gray-and-white, and the occasional gold accent.

A two-story living room features a monumental fireplace sheathed in book-matched, marble-effect porcelain slabs and a motorized cradle that can retract an oversized TV into the floor.

5025 Wateka Living room with view of the Ferrari.Sotheby's

A massive glass wall panel in the room allows for the full display of one of the vehicles in the three-car garage. If you're someone who likes to keep an eye on your car at all times, this is heaven.

The kitchen has diamond-tread accent panels, quartzite countertops, Italian porcelain flooring, and Miele appliances. The TRON influence exerts itself in a black-and-gray palette, which the release notes was inspired by a craft in the movie known as the Recognizer.

The master bedroom has a Versace-inspired theme, including a fireplace with an ornate mantel. The master bath has a floating tub underlit by LEDs whose colors change and pulsate. It's surrounded by titanium fire glass which can turn opaque for privacy.

5025 Wateka Main bedroom with Versace-inspired theme.Sotheby's

A game room is padded in turquoise ultra-suede with zebra-striped patterned carpeting.

In its favor, the home was designed to be eco-friendly, with low heating and cooling cost. And the Ferrari Tributo F8 Spider currently displayed in the garage can also be purchased for an additional $575,000.

5025 Wateka A bold splash of color in an otherwise gray & white house.Sotheby's

home-for-sale

The Return of Tastemakers

Dallas-Fort Worth’s most celebratory food fest returns for 2016

How to get every possible discount at the 2022 State Fair of Texas

Dallas celeb team to deliver newsstand themed restaurant-bar in Deep Ellum

Dallas Love Field lands No. 3 ranking among best large airports in U.S.

Hotel News

Dallas investor firm acquires iconic Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

How to get every possible discount at the 2022 State Fair of Texas

Dallas celeb team to deliver newsstand themed restaurant-bar in Deep Ellum

Dallas Love Field lands No. 3 ranking among best large airports in U.S.

Room for growth

Dallas leads the U.S. for number of new hotels underway, says new report

How to get every possible discount at the 2022 State Fair of Texas

Dallas celeb team to deliver newsstand themed restaurant-bar in Deep Ellum

Dallas Love Field lands No. 3 ranking among best large airports in U.S.

House For Sale

Ridonculous Dallas house inspired by sci-fi movie Tron is for sale

How to get every possible discount at the 2022 State Fair of Texas

Dallas celeb team to deliver newsstand themed restaurant-bar in Deep Ellum

Dallas Love Field lands No. 3 ranking among best large airports in U.S.

The Return of Tastemakers

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Hotel News

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Room for growth

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We will not share or sell your email address.

House For Sale

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome Get Dallas intel delivered daily.

We will not share or sell your email address.

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome

Get Dallas intel delivered daily.

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome

Get Dallas intel delivered daily.

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome

Get Dallas intel delivered daily.

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome

Get Dallas intel delivered daily.