It's come down to Emmaline versus Field & Tides in the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Best New Restaurant tournament.
The two competitors scored decisive victories in the semifinal rounds. Emmaline beat seafood restaurant Star Fish 61 percent to 39 percent, and Field & Tides triumphed over Feges BBQ 55 percent to 45 percent.
Both Emmaline and Field & Tides are owned by people who worked are opening their first restaurants after lengthy careers working in other Houston restaurants. Emmaline's Sam Governale earned wide acclaim as the operating partner of the Upper Kirby location of Fleming's, while Field & Tides chef-owner Travis Lenig's resume includes stints at Liberty Kitchen, Ibiza, and Mark's. Each restaurant has appeared on CultureMap's weekly podcast, "What's Eric Eating:" click here for Emmaline and here for Field & Tides.
While both restaurants take care of their patrons, they do so in very different ways. Field & Tides is a neighborhood restaurant for The Heights that's built around Lenig's creative interpretation of contemporary Texas cuisine. Emmaline looks to restaurants that Governale and chef Dimitri Voutsinas worked at in New York, with a stylish dining room and a European-inspired menu that includes both French and Italian elements.
The polls close at 11:59 pm on Monday, April 2, so don't delay. One vote per person per day, please. Results will be closely monitored to ensure a level playing field for both restaurants.
Join us April 4 at the Tastemaker Awards party to find out the winner. Tickets are on sale now.
Emmaline owner Sam Governale.
