HATS OFF TO TEXAS

Texas' best restaurants and bars reign at 2023 Tastemaker Awards

Emmanuel Chavez is 2023's Rising Star Chef of the Year in Houston.

Courtesy of Tatemó

It’s another one for CultureMap’s history books, folks. Our statewide journey to recognize some of the best chefs, restaurants, and more in 2023 has finally come to a close.

The series kicked off April 13 with our sold-out Houston Tastemakers at Silver Street Studios, then we moved to Cowtown for our Fort Worth event on April 27. The Texas culinary tour steered us to our Metroplex neighbors in Dallas at the Fashion Industry Gallery on May 4. From there, we took a drive to the Hill Country for Austin’s evening festivities at Fair Market on May 11, then concluded our journey with our second-ever fête in San Antonio on May 18.

The 2023 Tastemaker Awards honor the state’s most innovative culinary pioneers, allowing nominated chefs and restaurants to showcase their talents for guests before announcing the winners during a live ceremony.

Guests sampled chefs’ specialty bites and imbibed a variety of creative cocktails or mocktails, with a few Topo Chicos sprinkled in throughout the evening. But as always, our nominees and winners are the main focus of our program and are the reason we can bring these celebrations to life.

Nominees are brought forth by a panel of previous Tastemaker winners and CultureMap editors. While the panel choses a majority of the winners, the winner of Best New Restaurant is determined by our readers in an online, bracket-style tournament.

Without further ado, let’s meet our 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards winners, listed by city:

Houston:

Courtesy of Tatemó

Emmanuel Chavez is 2023's Rising Star Chef of the Year in Houston.

Restaurant of the Year: Bludorn
Chef of the Year: Mark Clayton, Squable
Bar of the Year: Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar and Spirit Lounge
Best New Restaurant: Aiko
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó
Pastry Chef of the Year: Shawn Gawle, Goodnight Hospitality
Bartender of the Year: Kristine Nguyen, Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Craft Pita
Wine Program of the Year: Nancy’s Hustle
Best Pop-Up: Khói Barbecue
Best Burger: Burger Bodega

Fort Worth:

Restaurant of the Year: Fitzgerald
Chef of the Year: Juan Ramón Cárdenas, Don Artemio
Bar of the Year: Birdie’s Social Club
Best New Restaurant: Calisience
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Angel Fuentes, Guapo Taco
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Cafe Bella
Best Burger: Dayne’s Craft Barbecue
Best Brewery: Martin House Brewing Company

Dallas:

Restaurant of the Year: Shoyo
Chef of the Year: Junior Borges, Meridian
Bar of the Year: Lounge Here
Best New Restaurant: Quarter Acre
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Mike Matis, Fearing’s
Pastry Chef of the Year: Maricsa Trejo, La Casita Bakeshop
Bartender of the Year: Haley Merritt, Midnight Rambler
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: El Rincon del Maiz
Wine Program of the Year: Pappas Bros.
Best Burger: Wulf Burger
Brewery of the Year: Manhattan Project Beer Co.

Austin:

Restaurant of the Year: Birdie’s
Chef of the Year: Amanda Turner, Olamaie
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Joaquin Ceballos, Este
Pastry Chef of the Year: Mariela Camacho, Comadre Panadería
Bar of the Year: Nickel City
Bartender of the Year: Erin Ashford, Olamaie
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Nixta Taqueria
Wine Program of the Year: Bufalina
Brewery of the Year: Lazarus Brewing Co.
Best Burger: Dai Due
Best New Restaurant: Maie Day

San Antonio:

Restaurant of the Year: Carriqui
Chef of the Year: Robbie Nowlin, Allora, Arrosta
Bar of the Year: Amor Eterno
Brewery of the Year: Künstler Brewing
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: The Magpie
Pastry Chef of the Year: Sofia Tejeda, Hotel Emma
Best Burger: Last Place Burger
Best New Restaurant: Reese Bros BBQ

houston san antonio austin fort worth dallas

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country