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    New Year's Eve Dining

    Procrastinator's Guide to New Year's Eve Dining: Top choices for a memorable foodie evening

    Eric Sandler
    Dec 29, 2013 | 2:15 pm

    Few nights send more people to restaurants than New Year's Eve. After all, who wants to wake up on New Year's Day to a sink full of dirty dishes, empty champagne glasses and who knows what on the rug? In addition, New Year's Eve is one of those nights restaurant staffs work as a point of pride. They're highly motivated to deliver a great experience to diners.

    But knowing where to go can be tricky. After all, pretty much every high-end place in town will run special menus to celebrate. Consider the options below. They all offer delicious food, smooth service and reasonable value. All prices are independent of beverage, tax and gratuity.

    Where: Free Press NYE Gastrodome

    What: As part of the Free Press NYE concert, eight Houston restaurants will compete in the Gastrodome to demonstrate their twist on classic fair food. Uchi is serving hot dogs, Nara is bringing Korean rice dumplings and Lowbrow will have a twist on Hoppin' John. And George Clinton is playing, which is awesome.

    Cost: $50 for a ticket to the event, food items priced $4 to $10

    Where: The Pass & Provisions

    What: Both of the restaurants under one roof are offering special New Year's Eve Menus. At The Pass, it's a nine-course extravaganza that includes plenty of champagne. At Provisions, there's a four-course prix fixe featuring some of the restaurant's signature dishes.

    Cost: The Pass, $195; Provisions, $75.

    Where: Restaurant CINQ at La Colombe d'Or

    What: Chef German Mosquera will serve his regular ala carte menu with a couple of special New Year's Eve additions: An amuse bouche of langoustine mushroom broth and smoked foie gras; an entree of langoustine browned in layla butter with Petrossian caviar aioli; dessert made with vintage 1990 Crystal champagne.

    Cost: Varies by entree. Expect to spend about $100 per person plus tax and tip, depending on wine.

    Where: Kris Bistro

    What: The restaurant inside the Culinary Institute LeNôtre offers a five course menu of French classics with two seatings. Start with a selection of seafood, continue with beef tenderloin in bordelaise sauce and finish with classic crepes Suzette.

    Cost: $78

    Where: Artisans Restaurant

    What: Six courses of classic French favorites in one of Houston's most beautiful dining rooms. The menu includes foie gras torchon, beef and venison Wellingtons and a classic bouche de Noel.

    Cost: $120

    Where: Danton's

    What: The underrated Montrose seafood spot offers a three-course menu of familiar favorites. Start with a half dozen oysters on the half shell or one of Danton's signature gumbos. Entree options include a 14-ounce ribeye and grilled fish. Finish with white chocolate bread pudding, creme brulee or key lime pie.

    Cost: $62

    Where: Brennan's

    What: This Houston institution will serve a three-course menu of Creole classics and provide some of the best service in Houston. Everyone starts with classic Hoppin' John for good luck before choosing from dishes such as turtle soup, asparagus salad, filet mignon, crabcakes and, of course, bananas Foster prepared tableside.

    Cost: Varies by menu choice

    Where: 60 Degrees Mastercrafted

    What: No $200 burgers on the menu, but chef Fritz Gitschner's tenure at the Houston Country Club ensures he knows how to please a crowd. Both the early and late seatings feature a four-course menu with options that include lobster bisque and Dover sole, but the late seating also comes with live music and goes until 1 a.m.

    Cost: $75 for the early seating, $115 for the late seating

    Where: MKT Bar

    What: This restaurant inside the Phoenicia grocery store downtown is moving the tables out and bringing a dance floor in on New Year's Eve. In addition to light bites and a champagne toast, revelers can groove to the melodic doo-wop sounds of Mad Maude and the Hatters as well as '60s soul, pop and rock 45s spun by DJ Tempty.

    Cost: $30 in advance, $40 at the door.

    Where: The Tasting Room Uptown CityCentre

    What: The three-course menu at this wine bar/restaurant features foie gras torchon to start and butter poached lobster as an entree. Dance until midnight with DJ DelSur. Not hungry? Join in the party and still participate in the champagne toast.

    Cost: $55 for dinner, $20 to party

    Where: Triniti

    What: The elegant restaurant will serve a five-course menu for seatings until 6:30 p.m. and an eight-course menu for seatings after 8 p.m. After dinner, stick around to hear DJ Sun spin starting at 10 p.m. and sip some of the 10 different champagnes that will be available by the glass.

    Cost: $65 for five courses; $120 for eight.

    Where: Sparrow Bar + Cookshop

    What: Party with the Pope at this Midtown restaurant that always features the best locally-sourced ingredients. The four-course menu includes vanilla bean cured salmon, beef cheek tagine, Gruyere beignets, duck "sirloin" and much more.

    Cost: $75 for the meal, add wine pairings for $30.

    Where: Caracol

    What: Hugo Ortega's newly launched Galleria seafood restaurant is already drawing raves. Feel ultra-trendy by going there right now.

    Cost: $85

    Where: Brenner's on the Bayou

    What: This elegant dining room provides the right setting for a top-notch celebration. The four-course menus breaks with the usual steakhouse fare by including lobster rolls, blackened duck breast and chestnut soup.

    Cost: $95

    Where: The Hay Merchant

    What: Keep is casual at this Montrose craft beer bar. Hay Merchant will run happy hour prices all night and will open a nine-liter bottle of Belgian beer St. Feuillien Triple. Champagne toast at midnight.

    Cost: Varies by beer, food, etc.

    Want something really elegant? Try the langoustines at Restaurant CINQ.

    Colombe D'Or Cinq Restaurant
      
    Courtesy photo
    Want something really elegant? Try the langoustines at Restaurant CINQ.
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    Texas Tastemakers

    Best Texas restaurants and chefs honored with 2025 Tastemaker Awards

    Amber Heckler
    May 13, 2025 | 10:02 am
    Leo's River Oaks
    Photo by Andrew Hemingway
    Best New Restaurant: Leo's River Oaks.

    CultureMap has finally completed its statewide journey to honor the best chefs, restaurants, and more with the 2025 Tastemaker Awards.

    The series kicked off April 3 with our Houston Tastemaker Awards at Silver Street Studios, then we moved south to San Antonio on April 10 for our biggest party there yet, at the Briscoe Museum.

    We then headed to North Texas for our Fort Worth celebration at 4 Eleven on April 23, followed by our Dallas celebration at Astoria Event Venue on May 1.

    Last, but certainly not least, our Texas culinary tour finished strong with our Austin fête at Fair Market on May 8.

    The 2025 Tastemaker Awards celebrated Texas' brilliant and diverse culinary landscape and honored those who've made the biggest impact in the past year. Our nominated chefs and restaurants showcased their flavorful bites and treats during each of the celebrations, and winners were revealed in an onstage ceremony.

    Guests dined on chef-created dishes and sipped on a variety of creative batched cocktails. 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 were, as always, determined by a panel of local industry experts, including previous Tastemaker winners and CultureMap staff. They voted on winners in categories such as Chef of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, Bar of the Year, and more. The champion in the Best New Restaurant category was determined by our readers in an online, bracket-style tournament.

    Our 2025 “wild card” category was a competition for Best Coffee Shop in each of our cities; the ones that keep us caffeinated and happy day after day.

    Readers in each city got to know all the nominees through a special editorial series for weeks leading up to the events.

    Now without further delay, let’s meet our 2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Award winners all across Texas, listed by city:

    Houston:

    • Restaurant of the Year: Baso
    • Chef of the Year: Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó
    • Bar of the Year: Johnny’s Gold Brick
    • Best New Restaurant: Leo’s River Oaks
    • Rising Star Chef of the Year: Jacques Varon and Max Lappe, Baso
    • Pastry Chef of the Year: Stephanie Velasquez, Ema/Papalo
    • Bartender of the Year: Aaron Lara, Kira
    • Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition
    • Best Pop-Up/Startup: Suu Khin, Burmalicious
    • Best Coffee Shop: Blacksmith

    San Antonio:

    • Restaurant of the Year: Ladino
    • Chef of the Year: John Russ, Clementine
    • Best New Restaurant: Freight Fried Chicken
    • Bar of the Year: Gimme Gimme
    • Brewery of the Year: Roadmap Brewing Co.
    • Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Cullum’s Attagirl
    • Pastry Chef of the Year: Alessia Benavides, Chocolatl
    • Best Coffee Shop: Folklores Coffee House

    Fort Worth:

    • Restaurant of the Year: Teddy Wongs
    • Chef of the Year: Alessandro Salvatore, Bocca Osteria Romana
    • Bar of the Year: The Rabbit Hole Pub
    • Best New Restaurant: Whiskey Cake
    • Rising Star Chef of the Year: Steve Hoogeboom, 61 Osteria
    • Pastry Chef of the Year: Lindsey Lawing, Sweet Lucy's Pies
    • Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Bodega South Main
    • Best Barbecue: Panther City BBQ
    • Best Coffee Shop: Avoca Coffee Roasters

    Dallas:

    • Restaurant of the Year: Mister Charles
    • Chef of the Year: Jeff Bekavac, Goodwins
    • Bar of the Year: Columbian Country Club
    • Best New Restaurant: Nikki Greek Bistro & Lounge
    • Rising Star Chef of the Year: Roman Murphy, Perch Bistro
    • Pastry Chef of the Year: Ryan Stipp, Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa
    • Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: The Porch
    • Best Eatertainment: Chicken N Pickle
    • Best Coffee Shop: Merit Coffee

    Austin:

    • Restaurant of the Year: Este
    • Chef of the Year: Peter Klein, Holiday
    • Rising Star Chef of the Year: Heejae Galluccio, Birdie’s
    • Pastry Chef of the Year: Abby Love, Abby Jane Bakeshop
    • Bar of the Year: Equipment Room
    • Best New Restaurant: Tancho Sushi
    • Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: The Little Darlin’
    • Brewery of the Year: St. Elmo Brewing Co.
    • Best Coffee Shop: Desnudo Coffee

    Leo's River Oaks
      
    Photo by Andrew Hemingway

    Best New Restaurant in Houston for 2025: Leo's River Oaks.

    The Houston Tastemaker Awards ceremony was brought to you by Stella Artois, Chardon, Jim Beam Black, Ritual Zero Proof, Seedlip, Valencia's Tex-Mex Garage, Hornitos, Ghost Hill Organic Vodka, and PicMe Events. A portion of proceeds benefited our nonprofit partner, the Southern Smoke Foundation.

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