{"id":790332,"date":"2026-05-12T04:58:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T04:58:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/790332\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T04:58:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T04:58:24","slug":"dallas-foodies-toast-top-chefs-restaurants-at-tastemakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/790332\/","title":{"rendered":"Dallas foodies toast top chefs &#038; restaurants at Tastemakers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dallas&#8217; very best restaurants and bars \u2014 and the talented pros behind them \u2014 were celebrated at the <strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/dallas.culturemaptastemakers.com\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">2026 CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards<\/a> <\/strong>on Thursday, May 7.<\/p>\n<p>More than 600 food fans and cocktail connoisseurs gathered at Astoria Event Venue in Irving to raise a glass to the city&#8217;s top restaurants, bars, and culinary masters. But first, they got to eat and drink.<\/p>\n<p>Nominated chefs and restaurants served delectable bites, and hard-working bartenders whipped up cocktails incorporating spirits from the event&#8217;s sponsors. A portion of the proceeds benefited the our nonprofit partner, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/theharvest.project\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Harvest Project Food Rescue<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Lines formed quickly for small plates from some of Dallas&#8217; most popular and influential eateries, spread out across the building. Lucky VIP ticketholders got in an hour early to avoid the crowds and enjoy a bar area all their own.<\/p>\n<p class=\"shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"eacd7\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"103b73947741f83927d236cf034cd2c2\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" class=\"rm-shortcode rm-lazyloadable-image \" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201600%201200'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-runner-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/culturemap-dallas-tastemaker-awards-2026.jpg\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1200\" alt=\"CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards 2026\"\/> The chef from SER prepares activated charcoal-crusted Akaushi ribeye cap and Yukon Gold potato fondant.Photo by Guillermo Rosas<\/p>\n<p>Hungry guests were spotted going back for seconds for dishes including:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ee-ul\">\n<li>Japanese wagyu tartare, crab meat-stuffed avocado, mini lobster rolls, and bacon-wrapped baked dates from <strong>Andreas Prime<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Tuna tartare from <strong>Avra Estiatorio<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Sunchoke agnolotti from <strong>Bazaar<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Caviar and latkes from <strong>Beverly&#8217;s Bistro &amp; Bar<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Vegan chimichurri focaccia sandwich from <strong>Beyond the Bun<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Bread pudding from <strong>Bread Zeppelin<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>The Schmurger from <strong>Burger Schmurger<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Ham, roast beef, and tomato and mozzarella sandwiches from <strong>Empire Baking Co.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Hamachi sashimi from <strong>Evelyn<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Compressed cucumber from <strong>Frenchie<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Not So Fried&#8221; chicken sandwich and spicy curried couscous from <strong>Mendocino Farms<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Foie and Sea Island cornbread from <strong>Meridian<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Activated charcoal-crusted Akaushi ribeye cap and Yukon Gold potato fondant from<strong> SER Steak + Spirits<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Ahi tuna Mexicano from<strong> The Mexican<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Pastrami Reuben bites from<strong> Trades Delicatessen<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>The Dip (spinach, artichoke, and cheese blend) with tortilla chips and truffle lasagna from<strong\/> <strong>Winsome Prime<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There were also sweet treats and coffee-centered pick-me-ups from our Chef, Coffee Shop, and Dessert Program of the Year nominees:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ee-ul\">\n<li>Dubai chocolate cheesecake mini eclairs from <strong>Andreas Prime<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Original and chocolate churros with hojicha and matcha soft serve from <strong>IYKYK Mochi Churro<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Lavender berry and mocha chocolate tartlets from <strong>La Reve Gelato &amp; Patisserie<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Mini chocolate chip cannolis, an assortment of macarons, ricotta cheesecake, tiramisu cups, torta caprese, assorted Italian cookies, and Italian cream cake from<strong> Pietro&#8217;s Italian Bakery<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Rustic apple crisp, mini almond croissants, and alfajores (sandwich cookies) from <strong>San Martin Bakery &amp; Restaurant<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Caramelized white chocolate semifreddo miso blondies from <strong>Uchi<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Cold brew and iced White Rockers from <strong>White Rock Coffee<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"95a98\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"613634c76995cdf6a2a4399f97a715db\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" class=\"rm-shortcode rm-lazyloadable-image \" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201600%201200'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-runner-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778561903_915_culturemap-dallas-tastemaker-awards-2026.jpg\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1200\" alt=\"CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards 2026\"\/> Lavender berry and mocha chocolate tartlets from La Reve Gelato &amp; Patisserie.Photo by Guillermo Rosas<\/p>\n<p>To help wet the whistle, guests could sip brews from <strong>Lone Star Beer<\/strong>, still or sparkling water from <strong><strong>S.Pellegrino Acqua Panna<\/strong><\/strong>, mocktails from <strong>Ritual Zero Proof<\/strong> and <strong>Seedlip<\/strong>, and a popular Bourbon Sour signature cocktail from <strong>Maker&#8217;s Mark Bourbon <\/strong>\u2014 all valued sponsors of the event. Other specialty drinks available at the bar featured <strong>Maniball Peanut Butter Tequila<\/strong>, <strong>Island Getaway Dark Rum<\/strong>, and <strong>Woody Creek Vodka<\/strong>. For those who wanted something sparkling, sponsor <strong>Shutto<\/strong>, a transportation company, was pouring bubbles.<\/p>\n<p>In the weeks leading up to the big event, we published a <a href=\"https:\/\/dallas.culturemap.com\/series\/dallas-tastemaker-awards-2026\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">special editorial series<\/a> highlighting <a href=\"https:\/\/dallas.culturemap.com\/news\/restaurants-bars\/tastemaker-award-nominees-2026\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">nominees<\/a>. A panel of expert judges helped select all of the winners, except Best New Restaurant, which was determined by our readers in a bracket-style tournament.<\/p>\n<p>The evening&#8217;s emcee, NBC5 Texas Today host <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hellocleo.tv\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Cleo Greene<\/a>, announced winners, who came to the stage to accept their glass trophies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"79538\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"8192de8b78eb018dbd362ab4a0dee644\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" class=\"rm-shortcode rm-lazyloadable-image \" lazy-loadable=\"true\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201600%201200'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-runner-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778561904_333_culturemap-dallas-tastemaker-awards-2026.jpg\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1200\" alt=\"CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards 2026\"\/> Awards ceremony host Cleo Greene, of NBC5&#8217;s &#8216;Texas Today.&#8217;Photo by Guillermo Rosas<\/p>\n<p>The winners were:<\/p>\n<p>After the awards were handed out, winners posed for photos with colleagues, fellow winners and nominees, and guests eager to find out more about their establishments \u2014 and visit them in person.<\/p>\n<p>Between feasting and celebrating, attendees stopped to snap Insta-worthy photos at a photo booth and bought raffle tickets benefiting Harvest Project Food Rescue.<\/p>\n<p>Among the guests spotted in the crowd, having a good time, were: <strong>Caleb Wettig, Loren Wettig, Natalie Castlean, Andrew Castlean, Stephen Fagin, Emily Williams, Frank Bliss, Risa Bliss, Jason Harlow, Filipe Harlow, Sky Williams, Bianca Baidoo, Felipe Guiterrez, Carlos Presa, Clara Martinez, Brandt Wood, Megan Wood, LuisPerez, Sarah Perez<\/strong>, and hundreds more.<\/p>\n<p>Scroll through the gallery of nearly 50 photos, above, to see who was there, what was eaten, and who won awards.<\/p>\n<p>Hungry to be a part of it all next year? You can read about all the winners <a href=\"https:\/\/dallas.culturemap.com\/news\/restaurants-bars\/dallas-tastemaker-awards-winners-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">here<\/a>, and we&#8217;ll see you in 2027. Cheers!<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;<\/p>\n<p>The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards ceremony was sponsored in Dallas by Maker&#8217;s Mark, Shutto, NXT LVL Event, Seedlip, Ritual Zero Proof, H-E-B, Marine Foods Express, and S.Pellegrino Acqua Panna. A portion of the proceeds benefited <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/theharvest.project\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/theharvest.project\/?hl=en\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Harvest Project Food Rescue<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dallas&#8217; very best restaurants and bars \u2014 and the talented pros behind them \u2014 were celebrated at the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":790333,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5135],"tags":[5229,322784,322785,1596,322786,322787,49631,358,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-790332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-america","tag-cleo-greene","tag-culturemap-dallas-tastemaker","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-restaurants-bars","tag-harvest-project-food","tag-tastemaker-awards","tag-texas","tag-tx","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116559840026847756","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/790332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=790332"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/790332\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/790333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=790332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=790332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=790332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}