The 2021 Tastemakers

A toast to the top Texas restaurants and bars crowned at Tastemakers 2021

Each year, CultureMap celebrates Texas' culinary stars with our Tastemaker Awards program. This year felt especially celebratory, as we honored the resilience and ingenuity of restaurants, bars, chefs, and bartenders from across the state with the return of our in-person events held throughout the summer.

Our 2021 Tastemakers tour kicked off in Houston on July 22 with a full house of guests and nominees gathering for food, drink, and a lively awards ceremony emceed by Houston legend Bun B. We then traveled to Austin on August 5, where we honored our Austin and San Antonio nominees and unveiled the winners in an awards program featuring Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League. On August 19, we wrapped things up with a delicious night in Dallas, celebrating Dallas-Fort Worth's top culinary talent and welcoming comedian CJ Starr as emcee of the evening.

Guests dined on specialty bites prepared by participating nominees and enjoyed a variety of cocktails and other sips perfectly suited for a summer celebration. But the stars of the show — and the heart of the program — were our nominees and winners.

Our 2021 nominees were selected by local panels of industry experts, including past Tastemaker winners. The panels then determined winners in each category, except for Best New Restaurant, which was determined by readers in our popular online tournament, and the Hero Award in Dallas and Fort Worth, which was determined by our editors.

Join us in raising a final toast to the 2021 Tastemaker Awards winners, listed below. And watch the video above for highlights from all of our 2021 events.

Restaurant of the Year: Nobie’s
Chef of the Year: Kaitlin Steets, Littlefoot/Theodore Rex
Rising Star Chef of the Year: AJ Ede, Brasil
Best New Restaurant: Xin Chào
Best Pop-up/Startup: Josh Deleon, Underground Creamery
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Candente
Pastry Chef of the Year: Drew Gimma, Bread Man Baking Co.
Bar of the Year: Heights Bier Garten
Bartender of the Year: Alphonso Quiñones, Tiny Champions
Wine Program of the Year: Squable

Restaurant of the Year: Nixta
Chef of the Year: Fiore Tedesco, L’Oca d’Oro
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Damien Brockway, Distant Relatives
Best New Restaurant: Plank Seafood Provisions
Best Ghost Kitchen: Mother Klucker
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Bouldin Creek Cafe
Pastry Chef of the Year: Ariana Quant, Uchiko, Uchi
Bar of the Year: Garage
Bartender of the Year: Travis Tober, Old Pal, Nickel City
Wine Program of the Year: LoLo
Brewery of the Year: Blue Owl Brewing

San Antonio

Restaurant of the Year: Clementine
Chef of the Year: Nicola Blaque, The Jerk Shack
Best New Restaurant: Southerleigh Haute South
Best Ghost Kitchen: Curry Boys
Bar of the Year: The Esquire Tavern

Restaurant of the Year: José
Chef of the Year: Matt Balke, Encina
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Carol Nguyen, Ngon Vietnamese
Best New Restaurant: Monarch
Best Ghost Kitchen: TLC Vegan Kitchen
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Edoko Omakase
Pastry Chef of the Year: Corey Thomson, Fearing's
Bar of the Year: Cosmo's
Bartender of the Year: Liz Mitchell, Thunderbird Station
Wine Program of the Year: Veritas Wine Room
Hero Award: Meaders Ozarow

Restaurant of the Year: Hatsuyuki Handroll Bar
Chef of the Year: Felipe Armenta, Tavern, Towne Grill, Maria's
Best New Restaurant: La Onda
Bar of the Year: Tulips
Hero Award: Jon Bonnell

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The CultureMap Houston Tastemaker Awards was brought to you by Cigar City Brewing, Savve, Maestro Dobel Tequila, Stranahan's Whiskey, Topo Chico, and Alto. A portion of proceeds benefit our local nonprofit partner, Lucille's 1913.

San Antonio Restaurant of the Year: Clementine.

Clementine SA hush puppies

Clementine

San Antonio Restaurant of the Year: Clementine.

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H-E-B names 3 innovative Houston food companies among 'Texas Best'

H-E-B Quest for Texas Best Hive Food Co.

Photo courtesy of H-E-B

Hive Food Co. is known for its infused honey.

After months of pouring over video submissions, H-E-B is entering the final leg of its annual grocery games. The San Antonio-based supermarket chain has narrowed down the finalists for its annual Quest for Texas Best competition, including three from Houston.

Ten innovative Texas entrepreneurs were chosen from a record-breaking 978 entries representing more than 500 companies spread across the Lone Star State.

Now in its 13th year, the contest asks Texas small businesses to put their best foot forward for the chance to win a combined $100,000 in cash prizes and the opportunity to be stocked on H-E-B shelves. Since the competition's beginning, the grocer has discovered more than 1,000 unique products, many of which have become literal household names.

“Quest for Texas Best is more than a competition; it is a launchpad for Texas entrepreneurs,” said James Harris, senior director of diversity & inclusion and supplier diversity for H‑E‑B, in a release. “H‑E‑B began as a small business, and we know firsthand how powerful the right opportunity can be.”

This year, the San Antonio and Houston regions were at the head of the pack with three finalist nods each. But the entrepreneurs hailed from all over the state — from border town Roma to Fort Worth suburb Haltom City. The top 10 hopefuls include:

Boerne — Coley’s Foods Inc., a frozen cookie dough company
Floresville — Dean & Peeler Meats, a beef producer known for its smoked Gouda sausage and Angus tallow
San Antonio — WFN Foods, maker of heat-and-serve taco fillings like beef barbacoa, pork carnitas, and carne guisada
Roma — In Your Smokin' Face, a spice company specializing in bold chile piquín and carne asada blends
Haltom City — Sol Dias, a gourmet paleta and Mexican ice cream company
Glenn Heights — Uncle Marc’s, a manufacturer of barbecue seasonings, rubs, and sauces
Houston — Doggie Express, a small-batch maker of decorated treats for canine celebrations
Houston — Big Bayou Cocktail Sauce, a saucy supplier branching out to Bloody Mary and margarita mixes
Houston — Hive Food Co., beekeepers known for gourmet infused honey
Bastrop — La Fregona, creators of a chile sauce for elotes and esquites

The final contenders will pitch their products on October 8 at H-E-B's headquarters in San Antonio, where judges will determine the top four winning products and award $50,000 to the Grand Prize winner and the "Texas Best" title — an honor that guarantees placement on H-E-B store shelves.

The first-place winner will receive $25,000, the second-place winner will receive $15,000, and the third-place winner will receive $10,000.

Since 2014, H-E-B has handed out nearly $2.75 million in prize money to Texas entrepreneurs. But Quest for Texas Best isn’t just about capital: the winners receive marketing, mentoring, and supplemental support to grow their brands. Fifty-five Texas small businesses that took part in the contest have achieved $1 million in sales and earned a commemorative H-E-B Million Dollar Club belt buckle.

supermarkets h-e-b gourmet foods packaged goods grocery stores

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