culinary all stars

Texas' best restaurants and bars celebrated at 2024 Tastemaker Awards

We've only barely recovered: CultureMap's statewide journey to honor the best chefs, restaurants, and more with 2024 Tastemaker Awards has finally come to an end.

The series kicked off March 27 with our sold-out Houston Tastemakers at Silver Street Studios, then we moved south to San Antonio for our third-ever fiesta at the Briscoe Museum on April 4.

We stuck around in Central Texas for the festivities at Distribution Hall in Austin on April 11, then headed north to Fort Worth for our biggest celebration there yet on May 2. The Texas culinary tour concluded with our North Texas neighbors in Dallas at the Fashion Industry Gallery on May 16.

The 2024 Tastemaker Awards celebrated Texas' most innovative culinary pioneers, as nominated chefs and restaurants showcased their talents for guests with delicious bites and treats before our emcees announced the winners during the live ceremony.

Guests dined on our venerated chefs’ specialty hors d'oeuvres, sipped on a variety of creative batched cocktails, and stayed hydrated with a chilled Topo Chico in hand. But nothing could take away the focus from our acclaimed nominees and winners, who are the main reason we bring these celebrations to life year after year.

Nominees are, as always, produced by a panel of previous Tastemaker winners and CultureMap staff. While our judges vote on most of the winners, the champion in the Best New Restaurant category is determined by our readers in an online, bracket-style tournament. New to the 2024 categories in each city was a competition for the best patio.

Without further ado, let’s meet our 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards winners all across Texas, listed by city:

Dallas:

Restaurant of the Year: Petra & The Beast
Chef of the Year: Noah Hester, Hamm's Meat & Market
Bar of the Year: Whiskeys Dallas
Best New Restaurant: McRae's American Bistro
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Will Salisbury, Carbone
Pastry Chef of the Year: Tida Pichakron, Haute Sweets Patisserie
Bartender of the Year: Fernanda Rossano, Kaiyo
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Terilli's
Wine Program of the Year: Sister
Best Patio: Taco Y Vino

Houston:

Restaurant of the Year: Tatemó
Chef of the Year: Luis Mercardo and Paolo Justo, Neo
Bar of the Year: Refuge
Best New Restaurant: Andiron
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Lucas McKinney, Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition
Pastry Chef of the Year: Vanarin Kuch, Koffeteria
Bartender of the Year: Fabio Pontes, Bludorn
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Burger Bodega
Wine Program of the Year: March
Best Pop-Up/Startup: Jane Wild
Best Patio: Better Luck Tomorrow

San Antonio:

Restaurant of the Year: Leche de Tigre
Chef of the Year: Nicola Blaque, The Jerk Shack
Best New Restaurant: Thai Bird
Bar of the Year: Bar Loretta
Brewery of the Year: Weathered Souls Brewing Co.
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Clementine
Pastry Chef of the Year: Jenn Riesman, Rooster Crow Bakery
Best Patio: The Good Kind Southtown

Austin:

Restaurant of the Year: Canje
Chef of the Year: Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel, Birdie's
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Eli Rodriguez, Bufalina Due
Pastry Chef of the Year: Sarah McIntosh, Épicerie
Bar of the Year: Holiday
Bartender of the Year: Amanda Carto, Daydreamer
Best New Restaurant: Poeta
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Birdie's
Brewery of the Year: Jester King Brewery
Best Patio: Jester King Brewery

Fort Worth:

Restaurant of the Year: 61 Osteria
Chef of the Year: Preston Paine, Emilia's, The Blue Room
Bar of the Year: Thompson's Bookstore
Best New Restaurant: Plank Seafood Provisions
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Michael Rios, Pantry on Magnolia
Pastry Chef of the Year: Tareka Lofton, Loft22 Cakes
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Los Asaderos
Best Patio: Joe T. Garcia's

Photo by Jessica Attie Photography & Case Daniel

Poeta is Austin's Best New Restaurant of 2024.

restaurants bars tastemaker awards

Coffee buzz

Suburban fave Lemma Coffee brews first Dallas cafe in high-profile spot

Photo courtesy of Lemma Coffee Co.

Lemma Coffee Co. is opening in Mockingbird Station.

After building a following in the Dallas 'burbs, Lemma Coffee Co. is finally opening inside the city limits: The specialty coffee chain will debut its first Dallas location at Mockingbird Station in mid-September.

Lemma will take over the former Starbucks space at 5331 Mockingbird Ln., Ste. 150, bringing its high-quality coffee to the area's busy mix of residents, office workers, shoppers, and nearby university students. Owner Daniel Baum revealed the new shop's location in an Instagram reel on Saturday, August 1.

Baum, a former photographer, founded Lemma Coffee Co. in 2017, initially serving coffee at the Denton County Farmers Market. After opening its first brick-and-mortar shop in Carrollton, the company added locations in Frisco in 2020 and downtown Plano in 2022.

“For us, it is exciting to have a shop within Dallas and show the work we have put in over the past nine years,” says Baum, who grew up in Dallas.

The Denim Danger is one of Lemma's popular specialty drinks.Photo courtesy of Lemma Coffee Co.

Lemma focuses on premium coffee, with a menu featuring classic espresso drinks alongside specialty beverages made with house-made syrups. Highlights include:

Citrusgoth Latte: Charcoal, chocolate, and citrus.
Denim Danger: Blueberry syrup, maple, and brown sugar.
The Great Bambino: Cold brew s’mores (inspired by the movie The Sandlot).
The Bees’ Knees: Latte with vanilla, honey, and lavender.
Seasonal Coffee Tonic: Espresso, lychee puree, fresh orange and lime, and citrus bitters.

The company has also expanded its matcha offerings to include drinks such as the Matcha Tropic with coconut cream and banana syrup, Strawberry Matcha, and Ube Matcha.

For food, Lemma partners with local Montecito Bakery. The menu typically includes butter and chocolate croissants, almond loaves, dulce de leche cruffins, avocado toast, sandwiches, and hoagies.

While the beverage menu remains consistent across its locations, Lemma designs each shop to fit its neighborhood. The 1,300-square-foot Mockingbird Station location will feature several single-person tables, plenty of natural light, and limited bar seating for guests who want to watch the baristas while working or studying.

“People will be able to grab what they need and get back to the hustle, and if they want to stay, we will accommodate them in our space,” Baum says.

In addition to its cafés, Lemma operates a roasting facility in Coppell that supplies its own shops and wholesale customers across North Texas, including DFW Common Good, Oak Cliff Bread, Brewed, Seventh Day, and Local Good.

The company prides itself on responsible sourcing, direct-impact relationships with farmers, and a meticulous roasting process. To highlight traceability, every bag of retail coffee sold in-store features the name of the farm, allowing customers to pinpoint the origin of their beans.

“We have a quiet but loyal customer base — our core customers come in, buy our coffee, and take bags home to brew,” Baum says. “It is a dream for us to bring our shop into the city and continue to grow.”

mockingbird station coffee shop openings coffee

culinary all stars

Texas' best restaurants and bars celebrated at 2024 Tastemaker Awards

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