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.

We've come to the final chapter in our Tastemaker Awards: Restaurant of the Year. These are the places that have stood out in the last year, with noteworthy food, service and atmosphere.

They join a series of bests we've already recognized, including neighborhood restaurants, breweries, bartenders, bars, burgers, chefs and rising star chefs.

They're different from the contenders in the best new restaurant tournament, most of which have only opened in the past few months. We invited you to vote for your favorite; it's now down to two restaurants, Dallas Grilled Cheese Co. and Clark Food & Wine, and you have until May 13 to help decide the winner.

All of the champions will be announced at our grand tasting event on May 14 at the Empire Room.

Here they are, the 10 candidates for Restaurant of the Year:

AF+B
AF+B, which stands for American Food and Beverage, is a chic, comfortable tavern in Fort Worth's West 7th district from Consilient Hospitality. Reflecting the finicky focus of Consilient's Tristan Simon, every element speaks of precision, from the meticulously trimmed cut-outs on the menu to the golden crispness of the French fries to the accompanying house-made ketchup, better than Heinz. The menu changes often; chef Jeff Harris has been observing seasonal cooking longer than most.

CBD Provisions
Located at The Joule hotel in the heart of the central business district, CBD Provisions is an brasserie serving American comfort food with an artisanal sensibility. Menu items range from coddled eggs with house-baked bacon bread for breakfast to seasonal salads for lunch to pan-fried organic chicken for dinner. CBD is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the week. It serves Sunday brunch and a complete menu until midnight on the weekends.

CrushCraft Thai
CrushCraft serves spicy Thai "street food," from drunken noodles to the comforting curry noodle dish called khao soi. The level of execution is high, reflecting the four-star experience of chef Paul Singhapong, who has worked at the French Room, Beau Nash, Melrose Hotel and Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. CrushCraft might be the perfect restaurant: It stays open late, and prices are incredibly low.

Gemma
Critically acclaimed restaurant from husband-and-wife California transplants Stephen Rogers and Allison Yoder serves American food with a fresh California sensibility and seasonal focus. Rogers is a native of Dallas; both worked at Napa Valley restaurant Press. Wine program includes boutique labels, and a glass-enclosed wine refrigerator keeps both whites and reds at the proper temperature.

Harvest
Boutique restaurant in McKinney's downtown square does seasonal menus featuring organic, local and regional products that celebrate the seasonality of ingredients, food and the rich contributions of farmers. Specials include red grouper with English peas, chorizo red pepper vinaigrette and parsnips chips.

Hibiscus
Henderson Avenue favorite features cuisine anchored in the modern chophouse genre while showcasing the best of local, regional and responsibly raised products. Wood cooking is a specialty, especially when applied to pasture-raised steaks, poultry and game from nearby ranches. Chef Graham Dodds adds his signature seasonal focus.

Knife
Hotel restaurant starring celebrity chef and Top Chef contestant John Tesar takes the steakhouse model that Dallas knows and loves and modernizes it. That means unusual cuts of meat, steak sold by the inch and a custom-built aging room where steaks are aged for 240 days. It has an equally serious commitment to vegetable side dishes and salads.

Proof + Pantry
Northeast native Kyle McClelland has helped anchor this American restaurant at One Arts Plaza. But the cocktail program is on equal footing, thanks to barman Michael Martensen. The drinks complement the progressive, yet approachable American fare priced from $10 to $30.

San Salvaje
​Stephan Pyles restaurant takes over the former Samar space with a wide range of Latin influences, from Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and the Caribbean. Menu includes novel dishes such as the causa limeña with spicy shrimp, but Samar's festive atmosphere remains intact.

Stock & Barrel
Oak Cliff restaurant is the passion project of well-regarded chef Jon Stevens. Expect to see various fish, fowl and game from the rotisserie and custom wood-fire grill, as well as house-made pastas and dumplings. An entire section of the menu is dedicated to his favorite comfort food: fried potatoes.

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Buy tickets now to the Tastemaker Awards on May 14.

Stock & Barrel in Oak Cliff treats vegetables well, such as this broiled artichoke.

Photo by Marc Lee [http://marcsclips.com/]

Stock & Barrel in Oak Cliff treats vegetables well, such as this broiled artichoke.

For our annual Tastemaker Awards, there is one category that isn't judged by our panel of food and beverage industry experts: Best New Restaurant. Instead, we pit the nominees against each other in a tournament so our readers can determine the winner.

Let it be known the competition has been fierce, and it's down to a face-off between two restaurants: Dallas Grilled Cheese Co. and Clark Food & Wine/C'Viche.

These two have so far competed masterfully, emerging from a pack that began with 16 nominees. We matched them up, bracket-style, then waved the checkered flag. They beat strong contenders such as Remedy, Small Brewpub and Cafe Momentum. They endured through three rounds of voting to make it to the finals.

You have until May 13 to help decide who wins; you can vote once a day. The winner will be announced at our Tastemaker Awards grand tasting event on May 14, where you will also learn who emerged victorious in categories such as neighborhood restaurant, breweries, bartenders, bars, burgers, chefs and rising star chefs.

Need help deciding where to place your vote? Here's our summary:

Clark Food & Wine/C'Viche
After a tenure in the corporate world, former Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek chef Randall Warder dives back into the restaurant fray by opening two adjoining concepts side-by-side, in the hottest stretch of Greenville Avenue. Clark Food & Wine is an American restaurant with a modern European sensibility. The menu features shared plates and house-smoked meats. C'Viche is a casual drop-in with several varieties of ceviche and a fabulous bar with sangria, tequila, mojitos, caipirinhas and margaritas.

Dallas Grilled Cheese Co.
As the name implies, this place is dedicated to the grilled cheese sandwich, with more than a dozen versions running from the classic with American cheese on white to a gourmet corker with American, cheddar and Gruyere on sourdough. Salads are nicely composed, but don't overlook the trio of soups, including tomato with basil. Located in hip Bishop Arts, DGC is the perfect match of restaurant and neighborhood.

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Buy tickets now to the Tastemaker Awards on May 14.

Vote for your favorite candidate for Best New Restaurant.

Photo courtesy of DGC

Vote for your favorite candidate for Best New Restaurant.

The clock is ticking on our Tastemaker Awards, where we pay tribute to the best of the best in Dallas food and beverage, leading up to our grand tasting event on May 14 at the Empire Room.

We've recognized the best neighborhood restaurants, along with breweries, bartenders, bars, burgers and rising star chefs. For this chapter, we look at the nominees for Chef of the Year. These chefs are well-established in the field, not only presiding over a kitchen or a restaurant, but also standing out in recent months for their accomplishments and culinary chops.

Like all of our categories, the winner will be announced at our party. And don't forget to weigh in on our Best New Restaurant tournament, where your vote decides who takes the title.

Here are the 10 candidates for Chef of the Year.

Tim Byres, Smoke
The chef and cookbook author (Smoke: New Firewood Cooking, whose foreword was written by recently deceased food writer Josh Ozersky) has achieved a noteworthy feat with the opening of a second branch of Smoke, his upscale meat-centric restaurant: He's almost made Plano seem cool. With every town in Texas requiring a smoked-meat guru, Dallas has Byres.

Graham Dodds, Hibiscus
After exiting the hotel restaurant world (Central 214, Front Room), chef Graham Dodds has breathed new life into Hibiscus, giving it the seasonal focus for which he is known. Dishes like Wagyu oxtail with crisp gnocchi and arugula pesto fill the same opulent niche Hibiscus has always occupied and yet are simultaneously trademark Dodds.

Omar Flores, Casa Rubia
After much critical acclaim at Oak Cliff seafood restaurant Driftwood, chef Omar Flores has rebounded at Casa Rubia, his Spanish tapas restaurant and one of the success stories at Trinity Groves. Classics like paella and mussels are on the menu but upgraded via Flores' finely tuned chef perspective.

Jeff Harris, AF+B
How to put this: Chef Jeff Harris, formerly of Craft Dallas and Bolsa, is good enough to get people from Dallas to drive to Fort Worth. At AF+B, he's doing high-end gastropub fare, putting a fine-dining polish and creative flair on rustic dishes such as chorizo Scotch eggs.

Kelly Hightower, Oso Food & Wine
Between owner Michael Cox and veteran chef Kelly Hightower, there's a lot of experience at Oso Food & Wine, Cox's charming neighborhood restaurant at Preston and Forest. Hightower is in his element with international flavors from Mediterranean hummus to lamb kofte with Moroccan spices to an Italian-themed chop salad.

Andrea Maricich, The Second Floor
At the Second Floor, the high-end hotel restaurant at the Westin Galleria, chef Andrea Maricich starts with traditional dishes, then adds cultural influences and seasonal notes that bring a new level of excitement. Her spring menu includes deviled eggs with New England lobster and a lemon Parmesan crisp.

Matt McCallister, FT33
​Chef Matt McCallister continues to make waves at FT33, his Design District fine-dinery known for its minimalist-sounding menu and plate presentations in which much energy is devoted to making things look like a pile of rubble. The chef remains on the crest with the announcement of Filament, a second restaurant opening in Deep Ellum.

Kyle McClelland, Proof + Pantry
Northeast native Kyle McClelland helped anchor Proof + Pantry, the One Arts Plaza restaurant that was at the center of a media maelstrom when it rejected a review from the Dallas Morning News. He'll also helm a new sibling restaurant, Madrina, which will feature Mexican dishes crafted via French techniques.

Stephen Rogers, Gemma
Gemma is the favorite restaurant of the foodie set, thanks to husband-and-wife owners Stephen Rogers and Allison Yoder. Rogers is a Dallas native who cooked in California before returning to his hometown where his thoughtful menu filters global flavors through a California sensibility.

John Tesar, Knife
One of the city's most mercurial and talented chefs, John Tesar is known for never being afraid to speak his mind; in staid, scared Dallas, that makes you dangerous. Knife, his modern revision of a steakhouse with a whole pantheon of meats, was one of the most important openings of 2014. Never at rest, he's now also helping out at the Design District restaurant Oak.

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Buy tickets now to the Tastemaker Awards on May 14.

Mercurial and talented chef John Tesar.

Photo by Marc Lee [http://marcsclips.com/]

Mercurial and talented chef John Tesar.

We're on the home stretch of our annual Tastemaker Awards, where we celebrate the best among Dallas restaurants and bars, culminating in a grand tasting event on May 14 at the Empire Room.

We've already spotlighted the best breweries, bartenders, bars, burgers and up-and-coming chefs. And you still have the opportunity to pick best new restaurant; our tournament is down to a close race, and your vote will determine the winner.

This entry celebrates the nominees for Neighborhood Restaurant the Year, the places that both serve and reflect the neighborhood where they reside.

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Buy tickets now to the Tastemaker Awards on May 14.

A hearty pork chop to accompany your craft beer at The Rustic.

The Rustic/Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/therusticdallas/photos_stream]

A hearty pork chop to accompany your craft beer at The Rustic.