Tastemaker Awards

Dallas' top 10 pastry chefs for 2022 bring us all the best sweets

Photo courtesy of Ouisie's Table

CultureMap Dallas brings back its Tastemaker Awards, an annual celebration shining a light on the city's top culinary talent.

It begins with a 10-part editorial series, profiling all of those nominated for an award in categories such as Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year, Bar of the Year, Best New Pizza, and Rising Star Chef. Check out our page with all the nominees, voted on by a panel of judges consisting of former CultureMap Tastemaker Award winners and local F&B experts.

It'll culminate in a party on May 12 at Fashion Industry Gallery, emceed by comedian CJ Starr, where attendees get to dine on bites from nominated restaurants and find out who the winners are in all the categories. (Tickets are on sale here.)

This entry is Pastry Chef, honoring those who work magic with flour and sugar, transforming them into tempting sweet treats.

Here are our nominees for 2022 Pastry Chef of the Year:

Amy La Rue, Carte Blanche
La Rue is pastry chef and co-owner of Carte Blanche, the acclaimed bakery-restaurant combo on Greenville Avenue, where her croissants, doughnuts, crullers, muffins, and cookies have earned her a devout following. She learned croissants and laminated dough while still in high school, when she worked at a bakery-cafe run by a French emigre. She was already in the industry when she met her husband and partner Casey La Rue; the two worked at establishments around the U.S. before coming to Dallas in 2019.

Yudith Bustos, Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas
Bustos is executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons, where she's designed innovative dessert menus for the Resort's signature restaurant Law, the bar and patio, Outlaw Taproom, and the seasonal poolside dining outlet Agave Pool & Bar. She also launched a program of amenities served in-room, and has brought back the hotel's wedding cake operation with an upgrade and modernized approach. She's worked for Four Seasons for more than a decade, at properties in Costa Rica, where she grew up, and in Washington DC.

Andy Pham, Le Reve
Pham is owner and founder of Le Reve, a shop in North Dallas featuring macarons, cakes, eclairs, and macarons. A college grad who was previously in finance, Pham harbored a passion for French pastry and European-style baking; although Vietnamese, he grew up with an exposure to French culture. He started a cottage business making macarons while still in school, and with Le Reve, he's fulfilling his vision of a modern French-style patisserie, where he's doing picture-perfect little pastries and tarts with glossy icing.

Siv Lopez, Bella Flan Bakery and Cafe
Lopez is founder of Bella Flan, a restaurant and dessert shop in Richardson doing flan desserts and Cuban coffee, along with excellent Cuban sandwiches and her signature papas rellenas (fried potato balls). She previously owned a bakery in Farmers Branch and returned to the field once her kids were grown. She specializes in flan cake, the luscious two-layer dessert with a layer of cake on the bottom and flan on top. She's Chinese and her husband is Cuban, so she likes to combine elements from both of their backgrounds.

Lizbeth Ramirez, Zero Gradi
Ramirez is pastry chef at Zero Gradi Gelateria and Dessert Bar, in downtown Dallas. A sibling of 400 Gradi, the Neapolitan-style pizzeria from Australia in downtown Dallas, this sweet spot features an espresso bar, pastries, gelati, sorbet, and a wide assortment of croissants including red velvet with a mascarpone-cream cheese filling. "Lizzy" studied baking and pastry at Art Institute of Dallas, and was Pastry Sous Chef at Wolfgang Puck Catering for seven years before joining Zero Gradi in 2021.

Maria Becerra, Lubella's Patisserie
Becerra is co-owner with her husband Ismael Trejo Gonzalez of this bakery-cafe coming soon to Casa View Center in far East Dallas. Becerra has done pastry for fine-dining restaurants such as Bullion and Flora St. Cafe but began doing custom wedding cakes and seasonal items during COVID-19. That has become its own cottage business while construction carries on at the cafe. She's also known for her pan dulce and tres leches cakes, which are featured on the menu at Jose Restaurant on Lovers Lane.

Kess Eshun, Kess Kravings
Eshun is owner of Kess Kravings, a bakery and cafe in Coppell featuring baked goods as well as dishes from her homeland in Ghana, West Africa. Her menu is ambitious with crepes, macarons, sandwiches, smoothies, doughnut holes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, muffins, and breads. She's a bit of a celebrity, with appearances on the Food Network and Discovery Plus, where she was in a 2021 cooking show called The Globe.

Lena Huynh, Davio's
Huynh is pastry chef at Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse in The Colony. A native of Southern California, she earned a bachelor's in Business Administration before getting her culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu. She previously worked at Scarpetta at the Montage Beverly Hills Hotel, doing banquets for up to 300 guests, and also worked for the EMM Group in New York and the Hunt & Fish Club before joining the Davio's family in 2018, where she worked at other locations before coming to Texas.

Rosmery Menendez, Written by the Seasons
Menendez does pastry for Written by the Seasons, a more formal sibling of nearby Tribal Cafe in Oak Cliff. She got her Associate of Arts degree in baking and pastry at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in her native California, then worked for nearly nine years in the plant-based realm with California raw food guru and celebrity chef Matthew Kenney. Prior to Tribal she consulted on the menu at Brewed + Pressed, a coffee and juice bar that currently has a location in Victory Park.

Mariella Bueza, Monarch
Bueza is pastry chef at Monarch, the modern Italian restaurant in downtown Dallas. A graduate of the acclaimed culinary program at El Centro College, Bueza previously worked at the Ritz Carlton Dallas for 10 years, alongside award-winning peers such as Jill Bates and Corey Thomson, and also did pastry at the Fairmont Dallas. A native of Peru, she's lived in Dallas for more than 20 years and is well versed in any pastry task, be it a showpiece cake or one of the Monarch's trademark chocolate souffles.

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Holiday Dining News

These Dallas restaurants are open on Christmas Day 2025

Lake Lawn

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Dallas restaurants are almost always open and ready to serve, with one exception: Christmas Day, a day that sees most close. But the restaurants on this list are the exception: Dallas restaurants that are open on Christmas Day — a true blessing for diners seeking a festive meal.

Here's all the restaurants across Dallas (and Fort Worth) that are open for dining on Christmas Day: (This list does not include Christmas Eve or Christmas to-go.)

Brio Italian. Italian chain will be open lunch and dinner on Christmas Day with an array of classic comfort dishes, signature Italian cuisine, from savory starters to salads, main courses, to delectable desserts. 11 am-9 pm. Allen 214-884-3920. Southlake 817-310-3136.

Buca de Beppo. Italian restaurant will be open lunch and dinner on Christmas Day with full menu plus three limited-time winter menu specials: pappardelle with Spicy Italian sausage, garlic, & spinach; pappardelle Bolognese with beef ragu, carrots, celery, onions, and tomatoes; and pork osso buco in a puttanesca sauce over polenta. Prices a la carte. 11 am-8 pm. 214-361-8462.

Carbone Dallas. Italian restaurant will have a menu of appetizers, pastas, veal, chicken, pork chop, and seafood. Prices a la carte. 4-10 pm. 469-290-6009.

Catch Dallas. Uptown seafood and steakhouse will offer full menu plus holiday specials including $42 toro crudo, 20-oz Texas Wagyu ribeye for $130, and the holiday "Hit Me" cake with candy cane Klondike, white chocolate ice cream, brownie, and chocolate stout cake for $26. 4-9 pm. 214-983-1440.

The Crescent Club. Hotel Crescent Court restaurant will host Christmas brunch with omelet station, benedict station, crepes station, chilaquiles station, hot cocoa station, sushi rolls, lobster tail, crab claws, oysters, charcuterie, salads, salads, holiday sides, Yule log, gingerbread scones, cheesecake, macarons, and more. $150, or $60 for 11 and under. 10:30 am-2 pm. 214-871-3200.

Cut & Bourbon. Live! by Loews Arlington restaurant is hosting Christmas dinner with chef Robert Carr's holiday special, beef Wellington with whipped Yukon gold potatoes & glazed root vegetables wine demi-glace, in addition to traditional menu options including crab legs, Prime NY strip, and salmon. Advance reservations strongly encouraged. Prices a la carte. 5 pm-10 pm. 682-277-4950.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle. Christmas feast for four, served on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, features winter green salad, veal & wagyu meatballs with tomato fondue, 40-oz Wagyu bone-in ribeye, sweet potato casserole with marshmallow & pecan crumble, Brussels sprouts, gingerbread butter cake with apple compote, chocolate mousse cake with peppermint crumble, $395 for four people. Dinner 2-8 pm. Dallas 972-490-9000, Plano 972-312-9115, Fort Worth 817-877-3999.

Del Frisco's Grille. The Holly Jolly Feast for 3-4 people, served on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, features winter greens, New England clam chowder, 40-oz prime rib roast, green beans, scalloped Yukon gold & sweet potato gratin, red velvet cheesecake with cream cheese frosting, or apple cobbler. $295 for 3-4 people. 12-8 pm. Plano 469-661-8012, Fort Worth 817-887-9900, Southlake 817-410-3777.

Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet. Exceptional family-owned Texas chain will be open for Christmas Day, offering their full Mediterranean buffet for holiday dining, featuring falafel, chicken & rice, hummus, grape leaves, Italian green beans with tomato, eggplant in pomegranate molasses, tabouli, kale Caesar, and more. $24. Served at all seven DFW locations: Allen, Richardson, Plano, Mesquite, Irving, Grapevine, and Fort Worth.

Dolce Riviera. Brunch buffet includes omelet bar, bruschetta bar, carving station, and dessert station. $95, or $35 for 12 and under. All reservations require a $50 deposit. 10 am-4 pm. 469-458-6623.

Eataly — La Pizza & La Pasta. Three-course Italian prix-fixe menu includes roasted beets with whipped ricotta & truffle honey, burrata with Tuscan tomato bread compote, mushroom lasagna, butternut squash gnocchi with black truffle, tagliatelle with Tuscan ragù, lobster linguine, insalata di mare, tagliolini with white truffle, and panettone. Starts at $55. 10:30 am-9 pm. (The market is open from 9 am-9 pm.) 469-759-2800.

Ebb & Flow. Plano restaurant is open with regular menu featuring toasted ravioli, Cubano egg rolls, salmon piccata, and a brown sugar soy-glazed porterhouse pork chop with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. 11 am-2 am. 972-483-2266.

Ellie's Dallas. Three-course prix fixe menu for dinner at Hall Arts Hotel features winter greens salad, chestnut gnocchi, choice of beef picanha or sea bass, and buche de noel sponge cake, plus a la carte selections and festive cocktails. $95. 5-9 pm. 972-629-0924.

Farena. Loews Arlington Hotel restaurant is offering an Italian Continental breakfast buffet featuring baked pastries, seasonal fruits, and traditional breakfast dishes. The traditional dinner menu includes a classic Margherita pizza, veal milanese, prime 10-ounce filet mignon, and Executive Chef Tony France's Christmas special, herb crusted osso buco. $35 breakfast buffet; a la carte dinner pricing. Breakfast buffet 7 am - 12 pm, dinner 5-10 pm. 682-318-2810.

Fearing's. Christmas brunch features seafood raw bar, kale & spinach sesame salad, fruit & berries, bagels & spreads, smoked salmon, and meat carving stations. Note: Only limited seats remain. $165. 11 am-3 pm. 214-922-4848.

Knife Italian. Ritz Carlton-Las Colinas restaurant is hosting a grand buffet inspired by the elegance of New York’s iconic Rainbow Room, with chef stations, live entertainment, and a Champagne and Bloody Mary bar. $159. 11 am-3 pm. 972-717-2420.

Kona Grill. Open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with special menu including 10-oz prime rib with half lobster tail & Yukon Gold mash; turkey breast with sage stuffing, green beans, & gravy; salmon stuffed with crab & brie; and pumpkin pie 10 am-10 pm. 214-369-7600.

Kyuramen. Japanese ramen spot in Frisco will serve its full menu plus a special "endless ramen" — unlimited noodle refills with any ramen order (dine-in only) — on Christmas Day, part of a limited-time promotion from December 22–28. If you leave any in the bowl, you pay an extra $2. 11 am-10 pm. 469-200-5252.

Le Bilboquet. Prix fixe menu offered on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day includes mushroom soup with black Périgord truffle, escargot in garlic butter, petite filet with spicy shrimp diablo and pommes purée, lobster risotto with Hackleback caviar, halibut with Dungeness crab, and choice of chocolate mousse or lemon tart. $125. 4:15-10 pm. Reservations on Resy.

Lombardi Cucina Italiana. Frisco restaurant will serve regular menu and chef specials including Feast of the Seven Fishes for two, halibut with cacio e pepe risotto, lobster ravioli, beef tenderloin with potato puree, Wagyu tomahawk ribeye, and salt-crusted whole branzino. Prices a la carte. 4-9 pm. 469-200-5677.

Maison Chinoise. Asian restaurant will serve regular menu with signatures like Peking duck plus chef specials including crab dumplings, dan dan noodles, pork belly char-siu puff, wok-seared filet mignon, and Shanghai tiramisu dome. Prices a la carte. 1-9 pm. 469-949-2991.

The Mansion on Turtle Creek. Rosewood Mansion restaurant features three-course prix-fixe dinner with tuna & salmon carpaccio, roasted chestnut velouté, endive celery salad, roasted cauliflower, baked salmon, tenderloin & short rib beef duo, potato puree, winter vegetables, vanilla cremeux, dark-chocolate mousse, or eggnog tiramisu. $165, plus $110 for wine pairing, or $70 for 12 and under. 11 am-7 pm. 214-559-2100.

Monarch. Three-course holiday menu served on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day features prosciutto, focaccia with dip, squash caponata, radicchio watercress salad, tuna crudo with blood orange, beef tenderloin with horseradish crema, branzino with fennel confit, whipped potatoes, chestnut agnolotti, Brussels sprouts, orange chocolate cake, and gingerbread cookie. Extras include 45-day dry aged tomahawk ($210), Périgord black truffles ($45), alba white truffles ($80), Island Creek oysters ($24/$48) osetra caviar ($180). $175. 4–9 pm. Seating is limited, and reservations are strongly encouraged. 214-945-2222.

Montage. JW Marriott Dallas Arts District hotel restaurant is hosting holiday brunch including charcuterie station, rustic breads, oysters, yogurt parfait, avocado toast bites, mini lobster rolls, omelet station, crepe station, Parmesan wheel pasta station, salad bar, carving stations, sweet potato casserole, squash soup, and dessert station. $105, or $45 for 12 and under. 10:30 am-2 pm. 214-736-7760.

MiYa Chinese. East Dallas restaurant will be open and serving handmade dumplings, noodles, dim sum, crispy duck, and orange chicken. Prices are a la carte. 1-8 pm. 214-484-1175.

Nobu Dallas. Sushi restaurant will feature a special brunch buffet with an expansive selection of Japanese and Western dishes, sushi, salads, pastries, desserts, and chef stations, and carving station on display. Note, no à la carte menu will be available. $90. 11 am-2:30 pm. Reservations can be made via OpenTable. 214-252-7000.

Open Palette. Sheraton Hotel restaurant is offering a prix-fixe Christmas menu featuring choice of either holiday salad or lobster bisque, the pork chop, served with roasted butternut squash, sauteed green beans, and tangy pomegranate sauce. Dessert includes Open Palette’s Black Forest yule log. $65. 4-10 pm. 214-777-6574.

Pyramid. Fairmont Hotel restaurant is hosting Christmas brunch featuring made-to-order omelets, Viennoiseries, avocado toast, lobster roll, smash burger, braised short rib, and smoked prime rib. Prices a la carte. 10 am-3 pm. 214-720-2020.

Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West. Holiday brunch features pepper-crusted roast beef, pesto chicken, truffle & English pea orzotto, 5-spice sweet potatoes, sesame Brussels sprouts, butternut squash bisque, pear pecan tart, bourbon cherry bread pudding. $45. 10 am-1 pm. 469-925-1800.

Reserve at the Highland. Three-course dinner served on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day includes mushroom tart, lobster bisque, winter green & pear salad, maple-glazed duck breast with wild rice pilaf, halibut with parsnip puree, beef Wellington, eggnog creme brulee, or Yule log. $95, plus $5 for wine pairing. 5-9 pm. 214-443-9339.

Sadelle’s. Full regular menu will be available for Christmas, including eggs, caviar, sandwiches, and charcuterie boards. Prices a la carte. 9 am-6 pm. Highland Park 469-290-6009.

Saint Valentine. Old East Dallas pub will be open with steamed bun boxes by Rainbowcat, the resident pop-up by chef Misti Norris, available in four varieties: sausage, egg, & cheese; black curry; meatloaf & mashed potato; and spiced apple pie. $60 for two, served with sauce and fermented pickles. 5-12 pm.

Saltgrass Steakhouse. Reasonably priced steakhouse chain will be open on Christmas Day with a full menu of Angus beef steaks, seafood, desserts, and plus a featured special: center-cut top sirloin steak with grilled or fried shrimp. All locations in Bedford, The Colony, Denton, Fort Worth, Grapevine, Irving, Lewisville, Mansfield, McKinney, Mesquite, North Arlington, North Dallas, Plano, and Rockwall.

Sanjh Restaurant & Bar. Indian restaurant is hosting a Christmas buffet with live stations, made-to-order dosas, omelet station, and a roasted counter with turkey and assorted breads, plus desserts, stollen, and a chocolate and candy station. $65, or $32.50 for 12 and under. 11 am-3 pm. 972-239-1800.

SER Steak + Spirits. Holiday specials available on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day include oysters Rockefeller, branzino, duck breast with duck confit, Akaushi prime rib, and a Santa's Gift Box dessert trio with dark chocolate gingerbread mousse, orange financier, baileys mascarpone. Regular dining menu also available. 3:30-10 pm. 214-761-7479.

Starship Bagel. Artisanal Dallas bagel chain will be open for Christmas at all three locations — Lewisville, North Dallas, and downtown Dallas. 7 am-1 pm.

Stillwell’s. Hotel Swexan steakhouse will offer a Christmas dinner including regular a la carte menu plus beef Wellington with potato puree, roasted carrots, and truffle bordelaise.classic. $95. 469-405-1911.

STK Steakhouse. Uptown steakhouse is open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with regular menu plus holiday cocktails and features including turkey dinner with sage stuffing, parmesan-crusted Yukon mashed, sweet potatoes, and cranberry-orange chutney ($64; $29 for 12 and under), or prime rib with confit fingerling potatoes and green beans, $69. 11 am-10 pm. 972-842-9450.

Tantra Modern Indian Bistro. Fine-dining Indian restaurant in McKinney will be open with butter chicken, chili shrimp, kebabs, skewers, fried rice, naan, vegetable curry, and more, plus a full bar with beer, martinis, and margaritas. 11 am-11 pm. 972-363-7727.

12 Cuts Brazilian Steakhouse. AYCE fire-roasted picanha, filet mignon, ribs, lamb, and full salad bar. $66. 11 am-10 pm. 972-779-7012.

Wicked Butcher. Steakhouse is open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with an à la carte special menu featuring butternut squash soup, white truffle caesar, seafood tower, steak tartare, duck à l ’orange with orange marmalade & parsnip purée, rigatoni Bolognese, ginger miso Chilean sea bass with basmati rice, rack of lamb, prime rib, dry-aged bone-in filet, corn crème brûlée, cornbread stuffing, sweet potato mash, robuchon mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, gnocchi with black truffle & butternut squash purée, Valrhona chocolate souffle, and chocolate tart. Christmas Day: 11 am-9 pm. Dallas 214-444-7740, Fort Worth 682-231-8214.

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