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    Behold the Winners!

    Houston Tastemaker Awards winners revealed: Big champ snags Restaurant, Bar, and Chef of the Year

    Eric Sandler
    Apr 18, 2017 | 11:19 pm
    CultureMap Tastemaker Award winners 2017
    Tastemaker Award winners celebrate: from left, Rob Harvey, Laurie Harvey, Bryan Davis, Ryan Pera, Martha de Leon, Bobby Matos, Victoria Dearmond, and Don Vrba.
    Photo by Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group

    Your attention, please. Here are the winners of the 2017 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. These are Houston's best culinary professionals, as selected by a panel of restaurant industry experts.

    On Tuesday night, emcee Bryan Caswell revealed this year's winners to a boisterous crowd at the Asia Society Texas Center. Obviously, the night's big champ is Agricole Hospitality. The Heights-based bar and restaurant company took home Bar of the Year (Eight Row Flint), Chef of the Year (Ryan Pera), and Restaurant of the Year (Coltivare).

    Let there be no doubt that Agricole owners Pera and Morgan Weber have the respect of their peers. Congratulations to them, and to all of our nominees and winners.

    Without further ado, here's the full list of winners:

    Restaurant of the Year: Coltivare Pizza & Garden and Chef of the Year: Ryan Pera
    As with Adam Dorris and Pax Americana winning last year, it makes sense that the Chef of the Year leads the Restaurant of the Year. At Coltivare, Ryan Pera’s creative salads and vegetable dishes, many of which incorporate ingredients grown in the restaurant’s garden, continue to set a high standard as one of Houston’s most satisfying dining experiences. While we’re still waiting for Pera to get the national respect he so clearly deserves, we think he’s aces.

    Rising Star Chef of the Year: Martha de Leon
    Speaking of Dorris, taking over a popular restaurant after its acclaimed chef depart would be a challenge for anyone, but Martha de Leon has kept Pax Americana running smoothly. Credit her steady work ethic and the relationships she’s cultivated with local farmers and ranchers for helping keep the restaurant at the top. At least while spring temperatures hold, Pax’s patio makes an excellent venue for sampling de Leon’s cooking, especially during the low-key Sunday brunch.

    Pastry Chef of the Year: Victoria Dearmond
    Recognizing Dearmond for the desserts she creates — everything from vinegar pie and seasonally-inspired desserts at Underbelly to the massive, one-and-a-half pound wood-fired apple pie at One Fifth — doesn’t begin to acknowledge the diverse set of roles she occupies at both restaurants, but it will have to do for today. Whatever the future holds, the skills she’s developed beyond the dessert station with back of the house operations like ordering and expediting will serve her well.

    Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: State of Grace
    Yes, it’s possible to indulge in big pricey entrees and fancy wine at this River Oaks restaurant, but State of Grace serves its neighborhood well, too. The affordable lunch menu and $1 oyster happy hour make it possible to experience chef Bobby Matos’ menu at a lower cost. This week, it will begin serving a family-style Sunday supper priced at an eminently reasonable $29 per person.

    Best New Restaurant: State Fare
    Let’s give credit where it’s due; for as much fun as Nobie’s Cinderella run through the Best New Restaurant tournament was, State Fare is a very good restaurant that’s been a valuable addition to the Memorial area. Its diverse menu — everything from salads and sandwiches to shareable appetizers and hearty mains — has enough options to please just about anyone. The restaurant’s stylish look and comprehensive beverage options add to its appeal.

    Bar of the Year: Eight Row Flint
    “Whiskey. Beer. Tacos.” The simple slogan of Agricole Hospitality’s patio bar doesn’t explain the lengths it goes to honor those three staples. Some of the whiskey comes from barrels selected by co-owner Morgan Weber, the tacos utilize house-made corn tortillas and feature locally-sourced ingredients in the fillings, and the beer features plenty of craft options — and also Miller High Life, because why take things too seriously? Selling its entire allocation of Pappy Van Winkle and the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection at cost may have been a bit of a stunt, but it also allowed people to taste great bourbon at a price they may never see again, which is pretty great.

    Bartender of the Year: Leslie Ross Krockenberger
    Canard may not have survived, but give it credit for providing several very talented female bartenders with the opportunity to develop some incredibly delicious cocktails. The effects will be felt with Akiko Hagio at Star Fish and Rebecca Burkart at Worcester’s Annex and who knows where else in the months and years to come. Krockenberger gets credit for being the bar’s creative soul. Hopefully those energies find another outlet, but if all she does is talk whiskey with Reserve 101’s obsessive patrons, that will still be fun.

    Wine Program of the Year: Pappas Bros Steakhouse
    Let’s not make this too complicated. Pappas Bros has always had an incredibly wine inventory, but the upgrades its made to its staff by recruiting Master Sommelier Jack Mason and a whole platoon of Advanced Sommeliers to the restaurant ensures that customers receive expert advice when they decide to splurge on a bottle that could cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. That investment deserves recognition.

    Favorite Taco: Tacos Tierra Caliente
    For as much as this publication focuses on new restaurants, sometimes the classics are best. In the world of Houston tacos, it doesn’t get much more classic than this humble taco truck that parks across the street from the West Alabama Ice House. Tacos in well-made corn tortillas are only $1.50, and the diverse meat options make feeding a crowd easy. Last year, Houstonians demonstrated their affection for the business, contributing over $17,000 via GoFundMe for funeral expenses when owner Maria Victoria’s daughter Maria Samano passed away suddenly.

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    we gotta go

    Beard Award-winning Houston chef's new restaurant now open in Montrose

    Eric Sandler
    Oct 1, 2026 | 2:12 pm
    House of Louie
    Photo by Kirsten Gilliam
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    Houston may be home to an ever-increasing number of James Beard Award-winning chefs, but a new restaurant from a JBA winner is still a special moment in the city’s culinary landscape.

    Which means the city’s dining enthusiasts are undeniably excited to welcome House of Louie, the new project Justin Yu, winner of Best Chef: Southwest in 2016 for Oxheart, his groundbreaking, vegetable-focused tasting menu restaurant. He placed it with Theodore Rex, a modern American restaurant that holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide. Part of Thorough Fare, the company he co-owns with Anvil founder Bobby Heugel, House of Louie is the group’s first new restaurant since Squable opened in 2019 and first opening since Heights cocktail bar Donna’s debuted last year.

    As Yu explained on a July episode of CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast, the decision to open House of Louie came about from the opportunity to buy the property at 1931 Fairview that had been home to the original location of healthy-eating concept Vibrant.



    “The real estate came at the right time. The space is beautiful. We’re so lucky to be part of this neighborhood,” Yu explained.

    As for the name, Yu is honoring a Chinese restaurant his aunts operated in Southern California for more than 30 years. The original House of Louie hosted many family celebrations, and it’s also the first restaurant he worked in as a dishwasher.

    “It was one of those places where there was a little more to it than what you expected. That’s the restaurant I want to have here,” Yu said. Later, he added, “It’s how I fell in love with restaurants.”

    Inspired primarily by French and Italian cuisine, meals at House of Louie begin with cold dishes such as the house salad with lettuce, cheese, charcuterie, and quail eggs; marinated plums; yellowtail crudo; or “Nervetti,” thinly-sliced beef tendon with onions that’s finished with sherry and vinegar.

    “I think beef tendon is really accepted in Houston, especially because we have a strong pho culture. Tendon can be a little out there, but it has a beautiful melting texture,” Yu said.

    From there, diners may choose from a selection of shareable small plates such as mushroom and peppers with spicy ratatouille, squash with king salmon, or one of three pastas, all of which are made in house. The pici pasta is a thin, handmade pasta that gets some crunch from crispy chicken skin.

    Entrees lean classic, with items like red snapper with beurre blanc, grilled duck that gets a boost of umami from colatura (an Italian take on fish sauce), and a Texas wagyu couotte that’s served with a sauce of madeira and onions. The French dip from Yuston’s, Yu’s homage to celebrated American grill Houston’s, is also available.

    “The type of place we want to be is — if you feel like you’re a little underdressed, it’s okay to come in and get amazing service and great food. And also spend hours ahead of time picking out your outfit and coming out for a date night or a friend’s night or a night out with the guys,” Yu said.

    “It’s a place that’s going to have a sandwich and makes its own fries. We’re also going to have really aggressive dishes that swing for the fences and push the limits of creativity, even though its slightly rustic.”

    Yu worked with Garnish Design (Milton’s, Tiny Champions), ObjektFab, and Ford Design Finishes to transform Vibrant into House of Louie. Overall, the room has a modern feel — almost like your cool uncle’s living room. The design speaks to the kind of atmosphere Yu is aiming to achieve.

    “More than anything, I want people to connect with the restaurant. If we accidentally get a Michelin Star because we do all the things the right way, and cook excellent food, and take care of all the little details . . . I wouldn’t be mad. That’s our goal in the first place,” he said.

    Joining the project are general manager Tyler Jay Wang (most recently of Donna’s) and executive chef Kirk Thompson, who worked for various Underbelly Hospitality concepts and served as the executive chef at Leo’s River Oaks when it won Best New Restaurant in the 2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. Diners may also recognize bartenders Lainey Collum (most recently of Monkey’s Tail) and Máté Hartai (Lee’s, Refuge).

    House of Louie is currently open for dinner daily beginning at 4:30 pm. Friday lunch and weekend brunch service will begin in the coming weeks.



    House of Louie
    Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

    House of Louie is now open in Montrose.

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