As the final seconds ticked away on the Last Chef Standing's first round clock, the scores were close. It was clearly difficult for CultureMap readers to choose between some of the best restaurants in Houston.

A Top 10 has emerged though and the survivors are now taking on each other in the second round. (Vote here to decide which restaurants advance to the third round.)

This all leads up to the second annual CultureMap Last Chef Standing — a foodie extravaganza that will have the chefs of 21 top Houston restaurants cooking against each other in the same ballroom and offering their dishes to attendees. That's June 4 in the Royal Sonesta. The People's Online Choice Award winner will be determined before that in the bracket-style online competition though.

And some favorites are already emerging there.

Benjy’s (in Rice Village) beat out The Grove in round one. Now, Benjy’s goes up against Haven.

The innovative Max’s Wine Dive will be competing against what chef Jonathan LeBlanc is whipping up at The Tasting Room in Uptown Park.

After narrowly beating out Local Foods by a mere two percent, Latin Bites moves on to take on power player's favorite Vic & Anthony’s.

And what happens when a Houston restaurant institution and sleek, sports-styled restaurant face off? Brennan’s unique spin on classic dishes with a dash of modern Creole and a pinch Caribbean influence will be hard to beat, but Houston Texans Grille knows how to marshal supporters .

Sparrows Bar + Cookshop and Royal Sonesta Hotel Houston both won close first round battles and now they are competing against each other. It's Monica Pope versus Peter Laufer.

The heat is on for all these chefs. Click here to vote now.

Have no fear if your favorite restaurant gets cut. You can still join CultureMap at the Last Chef Standing live event, sponsored by Cadillac and Ben E. Keith, from 7 to 10 p.m. on June 4 at the Royal Sonesta. All the participating restaurants will be there cooking their signature dishes.

But what’s a dish without alcohol? Well don’t worry, Pisco Portón, Dripping Springs Vodka, Cabresto Tequila and Bombay Sapphire will be serving drink pairings too.

KHOU foodies Lily Jang and Katherine Whaley, Cleverley Stone (founder of Houston Restaurant Weeks), Mix 96.5’s Blake Hayes, Eric Sandler of Eater Houston and CultureMap contributor Marcy de Luna will be judging at the event.

Tickets cost $65 and benefit the Houston Food Bank. Early admission, a meet-and-greet with the chefs and more exclusive food samples come with the $125 VIP tickets. Click here to purchase tickets.