Tastemaker Award Winners

The 2015 Tastemakers are the rulers of the Dallas restaurant and bar scene

Our annual Tastemaker Awards pay tribute to the people and places doing exceptional work in the Dallas restaurant and bar community. For the last several weeks, we have introduced you to the nominees in nine categories, from Rising Star Chef of the Year to Best Burger.

A panel of expert judges helped us compile the contenders, and they selected all of the winners except for Best New Restaurant. That was determined by you, our readers, and it was a close race.

But enough about how we did it. Meet the 2015 Tastemaker Award winners, whom we toasted at our grand tasting event at the Empire Room:

Restaurant of the Year: Gemma
Chef of the Year nominee Stephen Rogers and his wife, Allison Yoder, do American food with a fresh California sensibility and seasonal focus at this Henderson Avenue award-winner. Rogers is a native of Dallas; both worked at Napa Valley restaurant Press. The wine program gets as much care and attention as the food.

Chef of the Year (tie): Tim Byres, Smoke, and Graham Dodds, Hibiscus
Fun to see these two share the title. Graham Dodds has breathed new life into Hibiscus, giving it the seasonal focus for which he is known. Tim Byres, Dallas' smoked-meat guru, has made Plano seem cool with the second outpost of his famous Smoke.

Rising Star Chef of the Year: Sarah Snow, The Grape
Sarah Snow has spent time in some great Dallas kitchens — Common Table, Pyramid Restaurant, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Bijoux — but now she's manning the stove at The Grape, where she churns out, among other things, the special hand-made pastas for which she's known.

Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Cane Rosso
At this authentic Neapolitan pizzeria chain, the use of top ingredients, some local, transforms pizza from its former stature as throwaway grub into a true gourmet experience. Despite a mini-expansion, each branch fits its neighborhood, from Deep Ellum to White Rock Lake to Fairview.

Best New Restaurant: Clark Food & Wine Co. and C'Viche
These sibling restaurants on hot hot hot Greenville Avenue come from former Rosewood Manion on Turtle Creek chef Randall Warder, who dove back into the fray after a stint as a corporate chef. Clark Food & Wine is an American restaurant with a modern European sensibility; C'Viche is a casual drop-in with several varieties of ceviche and a fabulous bar with sangria, tequila, mojitos, caipirinhas and margaritas.

Bar of the Year: Parliament
At this State-Thomas watering hole owned by Bartender of the Year Eddie "Lucky" Campbell, the atmosphere is transformative, the service attentive, the level of seriousness intense and the cocktails simply transcendent. Parliament also is our readers' pick for best new bar of 2014.

Bartender of the Year: Eddie "Lucky" Campbell, Parliament
Eddie Campbell is the a master of his craft and yet always learning new things. He's an enthusiast in his field, generous of spirit, a friend to everyone. Wherever he goes, the best drinks happen.

Brewery of the Year: Revolver
This Granbury brewery has carved out a reputation for doing things right since it opened in fall 2012. Its beers are approachable yet well-made, and the Blood & Honey, a wheat beer flavored with blood orange, orange zest and local honey, is a big local favorite.

Best Burger: Off-site Kitchen
OSK is a chef's fantasy of what a burger joint is, located on the more industrial side of the Design District. The Locals Only — a medium-rare patty, with thick bacon and a harmonious balance of ingredients that includes mustard, American cheese and jalapeño — is just $4.75, so it's cheap and good.

Rabbit pappardelle at Restaurant of the Year winner Gemma.

Photo by Kevin Marple

Rabbit pappardelle at Restaurant of the Year winner Gemma.

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Where to Eat

Where to eat in Dallas right now: 8 fresh new restaurants for November

Google/Siqi Wang

Pizza at Centrale Italiia

For many people, the big dining-out event in November will be Thanksgiving, and wouldn't you know it, CultureMap Dallas has a list for that. But you can't eat tofurkey every day. You crave something different, something new, and this edition of Where to Eat has them all.

Here’s where to eat in Dallas for November:

Casa Brasa
New restaurant in the former Nick & Sam's Grill space across from Preston Center is the latest from prolific chef Omar Flores (Whistle Britches, Muchacho Tex-Mex). It's an Argentinian take on grilled meats and sushi with Prime cuts of beef and seafood. Menu items range from Black Hawk Farms Ribeye Tomahawk to the house signature roll with snow crab, grilled jalapeño, asparagus, smoked daikon, chili mayo, topped with Wagyu beef, crispy leeks, and roasted piña salsa.

Centralé Italia
Buzzy concept from Restaurant Works (Cru, Princi Italia) just opened at Preston Hollow Village in the former Pakpao space across from Trader Joe's, with a menu of wood-fired dishes, pizza, and pasta. Founder Patrick Colombo (of Sfuzzi's fame) calls the pizzas "neo-Neapolitan" with a non-floppy crust — achieved via a long-fermented dough and an oven that uses gas, wood, and coal to add to the flavor profile. The wine selection focuses on Italian vintages, and a rectangular bar in the center of the dining room creates an instant scene.

The Devonshire Club
New neighborhood spot by Lisa and Elia “Tom” Georgalis (Ivy Tavern) replaces Nikki Greek Bistro & Lounge, the couple's attempt to do upscale Greek food. They're giving the people what they want: a more casual bar with upscale bites, dominated by sharable items you can drink to, such as Smoked Salmon Rillettes with spoon-shaped crackers, and Duck Confit Quesadilla with Brie and tart cherry. With the bar focus, that means cocktails, happy hour (from 3-7 pm), and late night hours on weekends until 2 am.

Dragon Casa
North Dallas newcomer boasts an unusual fusion on its menu with Mexican-inspired Chinese dishes. The owners, who also own Dragon House, call it “Chino Mex,” with fun items such as pork bun fajita, with pan-fried pork buns served in a fajita skillet, and tacos with Chinese fillings, such as kung pao chicken and Mongolian beef. The menu also includes Dragon House favorites including their acclaimed dumplings along with house-made noodles and dim sum.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
New Japanese barbecue house in Deep Ellum, which took over the former Niwa Japanese space, is part of a Tokyo-based chain which has 50 locations across the U.S. including Plano and Addison. They do yakiniku-style dining where you grill your meat yourself, from choices such as miso-marinated Angus skirt steak, shabu beef, and hanger steak. It’s a group experience: The table chooses a course of proteins and shares salad, miso soup, rice, and vegetables. The menu also offers a la carte items including sushi rolls, cabbage salad and dumplings.

Jakes Burgers
Many a Jakes fan lamented the day that the Jakes Burgers on Henderson Avenue closed in 2021 after 18 years. But now the local burger chain is back in East Dallas on Greenville Avenue, providing easier access to double patty burgers on poppyseed buns and frosty schooners of beer. The menu also offers sandwiches like the chicken club, mac & cheese, and seasonal items like poutine or funnel cake fries. The new location is in the former Grub Burger Bar space in Energy Square, and is one of 12 locations in DFW.

Le Beef Steak + Frites
New Plano restaurant at The Shops at Legacy North seems to be "inspired" by Medium Rare, the Washington, D.C. concept with a pared-down menu featuring steak frites — steak and French fries — and little else. Le Beef takes the same basic approach, charging $29.95 at dinner or $23.95 at lunch and throwing in an artisan salad. If you don't want the obvious top blade steak, Le Beef also offers chicken, house jalapeño cheese sausage, or vegetarian plate. One nice note: Their wine list includes many French varieties, including Billecart Champagne for a mere $80 per bottle.

Live Más Café
New drink concept from Taco Bell just made its Dallas debut — one of the first places in the U.S. to get it. The concept is similar to McDonald's (now closed) CosMc's venture, with a focus on drinks: specialty coffee, fruity Refrescas, Churro Chillers made with pastry crumbles, and Baja Blast Dream sodas. Everyone's chasing the young consumers who crave specialty drinks. The concept is like a restaurant-inside-a-restaurant and is located at the Taco Bell across from DART's Mockingbird Station. More locations are in the works including one that will open in Houston on November 20.

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