Let's Eat

CultureMap's Tastemaker Awards serve up Houston's best bites + drinks

Is there a better "walking" food than chicken flautas?

Little Rey/Facebook

The most delicious event of the year is almost here: CultureMap's annual Tastemaker Awards.

Our signature tasting event and awards ceremony is happening April 3 at Silver Street Studios, and bringing with it a whole buffet of chef-driven bites and perfectly paired sips that celebrate Houston's unique culinary scene.

Attendees get one delicious evening to sample to their hearts' content, with offerings prepared by the nominees for Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, Bar of the Year, Bartender of the Year, Rising Star Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year, and Best Pop-up/Startup. There will even be two Michelin-starred restaurants in attendance!

Our judging panel of industry experts — including past Tastemaker champs — selects the nominees and winners, including this year's buzzy wildcard category of Best Coffee Shop.

However, you determine who wins Best New Restaurant via an online bracket, so be sure to make your votes count before the big day!

You'll want to come hungry to the Tastemaker Awards, considering this sneak peek at what's on the menu:

Short rib Reuben sliders from Bar Bludorn
Smoked picanha with Swamp Sauce from Bayou Butchers
Cuban pork belly bahn mi from Brass Tacks
Smoked pork belly with Colima-style mole from Deckle and Hide
Spicy rigatoni Pasta Zaza from Drake's Hollywood
Hamachi tacos from Lee's
Short rib burnt end lollies from Leo's River Oaks
Smoked chicken flautas, Rico-style, from Little Rey
Spanish octopus with smoked potato salad from Little's Oyster Bar
Lychee ceviche from Musaafer
Octopus skewers from Októ
Mussel escabeche crostini from Ostia
Corned beef brisket and rice from Subo
Tuna tostadas from Tatemó
Vietnamese betel leaf beef from Traveler's Cart
And, special for our VIP ticket-holders: A giant charcuterie spread from Chardon in the VIP Lounge

Of course there will be plenty of sweet treats, as well as coffee-centered pick-me-ups from our wildcard and Pastry Chef of the Year nominees:

Peanut gianduja tart from Berg Hospitality
Caramel Couch O'Stick from Fluff Bake Bar
Purple Rain iced latte and The Slowpoke iced latte from Slowpokes
Affogato and fermented Mexican coffee from Tenfold Coffee Company
The Bay Fog and The Magic Johnson Macchiato from Xela Coffee Roasters

To help wet your whistle, choose from these bartender-crafted cocktails:

Meticulously Made Daiquiri from Ishtia and Meticulous Spirits
Appleteeny and Spice Melange from Lee's
Tepache Mezcalita and Southside from Melrose

There will also be beer (Stella Artois, Stella Artois 00. Michelob Ultra, Estrella Jalisco, Karbach Love Street) and canned cocktails (NUTRL vodka seltzer, Cutwater Spirits, Hoop Tea).

Stay up to date on all things Tastemaker-related with our special editorial series of stories spotlighting the nominees.

VIP tickets are already sold out and limited general admission tickets remain, so act fast to secure your entry to Houston's most delicious night. We'll see you on April 3!

----

The Tastemaker Awards ceremony is brought to you by Stella Artois, Chardon, PicMe Events, and more to be announced. A portion of proceeds will benefit our nonprofit partner, the Southern Smoke Foundation.

coffee shop neighborhood restaurant restaurant of the year tastemaker awards tastemakers

a CultureMap Exclusive

Houston's 'Chinese takeout bar from the future' touches down in Webster

Courtesy of The Rice Box

A rendering previews The Rice Box's new location in Webster.

Houston’s Chinese takeout bar from the future is coming to the Bay Area. The sixth location of The Rice Box will open in Webster later this summer.

Located at 114 El Dorado Blvd, the new location will be called Rice Box Space Center after NASA’s headquarters at the nearby Johnson Space Center. Founder John Peterson tells CultureMap that it’s a bit of a homecoming for him and his wife/business partner, Jenny Vo, as they grew up in the area. As with every new location, the restaurant created a movie-style poster to announce its opening.

Rice Box Webster movie poster The Rice Box Space Center is expected to open later this summer.Courtesy of The Rice Box

For its first truly suburban location, Peterson plans to offer a more efficient pickup system for to-go orders. Dubbed The Rice Box Pickup Reactors, the system applies Rice Box’s sci-fi aesthetic to curbside ordering. As seen in the rendering above, the building will have six slots that drivers will pull into to get their orders.

“The goal is to have guests in and out with food in hand in around 90 seconds,” Peterson writes in an email. “It’s still pickup, but we’re trying to make that moment feel more intentional and more connected to the digital side of Rice Box instead of treating it like an afterthought. We’re looking at this opening as both a new store and a prototype for how Rice Box can work in more suburban markets without losing the part of the brand that makes it feel like us.”

Bay Area-area diners can expect the same menu as the Rice Box’s other locations. That includes staples such as General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken, beef with broccoli, and orange peel beef. The restaurant also serves traditional Chinese-inspired fare such as Chongqing chicken, cumin beef, mapo tofu, and chow fun noodles.

Recently, Peterson rolled out a new version of Rice Box’s dumplings. Available in chicken, pork, or vegetable, each style of dumpling comes with a different wrapper that enhances the filling’s flavor. They’re also available either steamed or fried.

The Rice Box started as a food truck in the early 2010s. After moving to a permanent location in the Greenway Plaza food court, it has opened brick-and-mortar locations in the Heights, River Oaks, Rice Village, and Memorial.

openings news-you-can-eat the rice box