As the date draws near for our annual Tastemaker Awards, we had to share this delicious news: all of the restaurants signed up to dish out their best bites for the May 19 food fest at Hall of State in Fair Park. On the roster are 18 establishments, every one a Tastemaker Award nominee, from Dallas, Fort Worth, and even Houston.
Hopefully you have been following along with our editorial special series in which we are introducing all of the worthy finalists. We will unveil the winners in an awards ceremony emceed by celebrity chef Dean Fearing.
If you were waiting to see what there would be to eat before you bought your tickets, now you have no excuses. Here is the full list of participating restaurants, including the category — or categories, in some cases — for which they are nominated:
- Americano, nominee for Best New Restaurant
- Cafe Momentum, nominee for Restaurant of the Year and Chef of the Year
- Ellen’s Southern Kitchen, nominee for Rising Star Chef of the Year
- Fluff Bake Bar, nominee for Pastry Chef of the Year (Houston)
- Front Room Tavern, nominee for Rising Star Chef of the Year and Pastry Chef of the Year
- Happiest Hour, nominee for Bar of the Year
- Haute Sweets Patisserie, nominee for Pastry Chef of the Year
- Kenichi, nominee for Best Sushi Restaurant
- Knife, nominee for Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Sommelier of the Year, and Restaurant of the Year
- Madrina, nominee for Chef of the Year and Best New Restaurant
- Meddlesome Moth, nominee for Chef of the Year
- Mudhen Meat and Greens, nominee for Rising Star Chef of the Year and Best New Restaurant
- Rapscallion, nominee for Chef of the Year, Bartender of the Year, and Best New Restaurant
- Revolver Taco Lounge, nominee for Restaurant of the Year (Fort Worth)
- Slow Bone, nominee for Restaurant of the Year
- Sundown at Granada, nominee for Rising Star Chef of the Year
- The Theodore, nominee for Pastry Chef of the Year, Bartender of the Year, and Best New Restaurant
- Uchi, nominee for Best Sushi Restaurant
In addition to dishes from all of the above, expect spirits from Tequila Herradura; beer from Alaskan Brewing Co., Community Beer Company, and Deep Ellum Brewing Company; and wine from Chloe Wine Collection, Benziger Family Winery, and Love Noir.
Tickets are $40-$60. Get ’em while you can. Then stick with us for more revelatory stories about our 2016 Tastemaker Award nominees, including the upcoming competition for Best New Restaurant. You can also check out highlights from last year.
