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In a yr that noticed the meals and beverage business recovering from the devastating results of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dallas-Fort Value’s gifted and hard-working culinary stars deserved to be celebrated on the 2021 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.
The winners have lastly been revealed.
For weeks, we have devoted a particular editorial series to highlighting nominees in additional than a dozen classes, together with finest restaurants, chefs, bars, and bartenders. A panel of skilled judges helped choose the entire winners, aside from Best New Restaurant. That was decided by you, our readers, in a bracket-style match.
Along with favourite classes like Rising Star Chef of the Year and Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year, we threw in a scrumptious new wildcard class: Best Ghost Kitchen, that all-important takeout pattern that emerged throughout the pandemic.
We additionally handed out two Hero Awards to highlight people who’ve achieved excellent work to help the restaurant business throughout these powerful instances.
On August 19, the winners had been topped at an awards ceremony and tasting occasion at Trend Trade Gallery, emceed by comic CJ Starr.
Now, let’s increase a glass to the 2021 Tastemaker Award winners:
DALLAS
Restaurant of the 12 months: José
Park Cities hotspot options modern Mexican-inspired delicacies and a mixology program with artisanal spirits, highlighted by a group of tequilas and mezcals. What was good turned higher when chef Anastacia “AQ” Quinones joined as chef. A agency believer in trendy Mexican, this CIA graduate and 2018 Tastemaker Award winner has channeled her creativity to construct and layer complicated flavors into each chew at José. Within the midst of the pandemic, they conjured up a ghost kitchen known as Provecho Pollos with roast rooster and homey Mexican soup.
Chef of the 12 months: Matt Balke, Encina
A local of Texas, Balke earned levels in enterprise advertising and marketing and resort restaurant administration from Texas Tech, then a level from the Culinary Institute of America in 2007. He labored on the legendary York Avenue, in addition to Bolsa, Bolsa Mercado, The Rustic, and Smoke, and was chef at Bolsa when it closed in 2020. He and his accomplice Corey McCombs took over the lease as soon as Bolsa closed, and opened Encina, their heat neighborhood restaurant that includes New American delicacies, cocktails, wine, and beer in October. He is a return Tastemaker nominee, having been nominated for finest chef as soon as earlier than in 2017.
Rising Star Chef of the 12 months: Carol Nguyen, Ngon Vietnamese
Nguyen started cooking Vietnamese meals after transferring to the U.S., in an effort to recreate dishes and flavors she missed. She labored in New Orleans earlier than opening Crazee Crab, a Cajun restaurant in Grand Prairie, in 2014. In 2020, she opened Ngon, doing meals from the center, that includes dishes from her native Vietnam in addition to the meals she likes to eat, rooted in her love for residence cooking and Ha Noi upbringing, and impressed by meals served by avenue distributors in Vietnam. Household runs all through: It is named for her mom and he or she makes use of recipes from her grandmother.
Finest New Restaurant: Monarch
Downtown restaurant at The Nationwide, a residences-plus-hotel in downtown Dallas, is a newcomer to Dallas that vows to vary the native Italian scene, through dishes like a $55 lasagna and a $12 aspect of charred asparagus. Its skytop perch affords superb views, making it the newest special-occasion alternative. It comes from gregarious Chicago chef Danny Grant, who has his sights set on Dallas with different openings within the works.
Neighborhood Restaurant of the 12 months: Edoko Omakase
Formidable restaurant in Irving is from Sara Nam, whose aunt owns Edoko Sushi & Robata in Richardson and kindly allowed her to make use of the Edoko title; and chef Keunsik Lee, who’d labored at Nobu, Japonais by Morimoto in Chicago, and Wasabi Sushi in Fort Value. They opened in March 2020, presumably the worst month in historical past to open, however they’ve attracted a following because of their “omakase” providing, wherein diners depart the ordering as much as the chef. No query that put them on the foodie map however their menu additionally boasts a bunch of inexpensive sushi choices and bento containers at lunch — simply what you want to win over the locals, too.
Finest Ghost Kitchen: TLC Vegan Kitchen
Vegan chef Troy Gardner was one of many first to introduce a ghost kitchen idea when he debuted TLC in Could 2020. He presents a prolonged choice of vegan gadgets which you may get in family-style meals or boxed lunches. The menu options chili; chicken-fried steak; lasagna with home made ricotta, mozzarella, & Parmesan; and desserts together with chocolate lava cake and banana foster pudding.
Pastry Chef of the 12 months: Corey Thomson, Fearing’s
A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Austin, Thomson has been government pastry chef for The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas for the previous 10 years. He oversees all facets of the pastry operation together with the dessert program at Fearing’s, in addition to the creation of showpieces for show at The Ritz-Carlton Membership Lounge. He additionally competed on the second season of Netflix’s Sugar Rush, the place he and teammate Zach Manasan gained $10,000.
Bar of the 12 months: Cosmo’s
Cosmo’s was based in 2000 — a lifetime in the past in bar years — by brother & sister Gerald Stogsdill & Debra Peña, who created a chill-funky-retro vibe, plus artful martinis that had been forward of their time. Bar supervisor and now enterprise accomplice Jackson Tran has given Cosmo’s a second life, including household Vietnamese recipes to the menu, similar to pho and grilled pork chop with braised collard greens which have drawn a brand new appreciative viewers of foodies.
Bartender of the 12 months: Liz Mitchell, Thunderbird Station
Mitchell began out at Goodfriend Beer Backyard and Burger Home in East Dallas, the place she labored for 5 years earlier than becoming a member of the “Double Huge household,” the gathering of cool bar spots owned by hospitality whiz Kim Finch that additionally embrace Single Huge on Greenville Avenue. Mitchell at present presides over Thunderbird Station, the groovy retro bar and restaurant on the sting of Deep Ellum, the place all of the meals and cocktails are tremendous enjoyable. Mitchell’s method is to at all times attempt to make a private connection earlier than she serves you a drink.
Wine Program of the 12 months: Veritas Wine Room
Henderson Avenue charmer has a robust neighborhood bar vibe, however with adventurous wines and a educated workers. They’re identified for his or her weekly wine specials and frequent tasting occasions, which post-pandemic, they’ve just lately resumed, not a minute too quickly. For $45, you usually get 15 one-ounce pours from a broad vary of unbelievable wines the homeowners have amassed through the years. If you wish to make some new wine-savvy buddies, hit up their $2-off joyful hours weekdays from 3-6 pm.
Hero Award: Meaders Ozarow
The proprietor and founding father of Empire Baking Co. has at all times made giving a necessary a part of her enterprise, through beneficiant donations of her baked items to nonprofits and charities.
FORT WORTH
Restaurant of the 12 months: Hatsuyuki Handroll Bar
Sushi chef Jun Mo Yeon, a former proprietor of Daan Sushi Asian Bistro & Bar in Grapevine, opened this small, quaint spot in 2018, the primary sushi bar in Fort Value to specialise in hand rolls, or temaki — cylindrical-shaped sushi rolls enclosing rice, fish, and greens. Rolls are made on the spot, when you watch, and are handed to you by the sushi chef who made them. Fillings embrace salmon, tuna, scallops, yellowtail, crab, eel, toro, and lobster. They seem to be a returning Tastemaker nominee, having been nominated for Finest New Restaurant in 2019.
Chef of the 12 months: Felipe Armenta, Tavern, Towne Grill, Maria’s
Armenta is a return nominee, having been nominated for finest chef in 2020, and greater than deserving. He is considered one of Fort Value’s prolific restaurateurs, with a portfolio of eateries that features The Tavern, Pacific Desk, Maria’s Mexican Kitchen (which earned a Tastemaker nomination this yr for Finest New Restaurant), and the just lately opened Towne Grill, and appears to be rising day-after-day.
Finest New Restaurant: La Onda
Latin-inspired cocktail, seafood, and caviar bar does a singular and enjoyable tackle Mexican and South American tradition and delicacies. It is the primary three way partnership for native couple Victor and Misty Villarreal; Victor, who just lately had a pizza idea known as Abe’s Kitchen and has labored at eating places similar to Grace and Clay Pigeon, is dealing with the meals, whereas Misty oversees the drinks.
Bar of the 12 months: Tulips
First mid-sized music venue the town has seen for the reason that Caravan of Goals can also be considered one of Fort Value’s favourite neighborhood bars, with artful cocktails, to not point out a Jewish deli and low menu.
Hero Award: Jon Bonnell
This chef and proprietor of Bonnell’s emerged as a frontrunner throughout the pandemic, pivoting early with to-go meals at an inexpensive value, whereas additionally serving to and supporting his friends.
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