another epic year

Sold-out crowd toasts Houston's culinary stars at 2024 Tastemaker Awards

A sold-out crowd filled Silver Street Studios on March 27 for the 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. Held annually since 2014, the ceremony recognizes the best of the best in Houston’s culinary scene.

The awards ceremony is the culmination of a months-long process of selecting nominees and featuring them in a special editorial series. It draws a who’s-who of chefs, bartenders, restaurateurs, and other notables who gather to celebrate Houston’s dynamic culinary scene.

The night means so much to the food community that Aaron Bludorn snuck away from a preview night at newly opened Bar Bludorn to attend the awards ceremony. Local media personality Katherine Whaley served as the night’s emcee.

This year’s Tastemaker Awards benefited the Southern Smoke Foundation, which was founded in 2015 to offer emergency relief funding and access to mental health services to members of the food and beverage industry. Through the popular Southern Smoke Festival and other events, the organization has provided more than $11.5 million in grants to food and beverage workers in need.

Special thanks to this year’s sponsors for making the night such as success. They include Stella Artois, Rías Baixas Albariño, Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water, 8th Wonder Cannabis, Tito's Vodka, Still Austin Whiskey Co., and CASE Chocolates.

A plethora of nominees served delectable dishes at the event. They included:

Achappam, a rose cookie with roasted pepper, guava, avocado by Musaafer
Chocolate cake by Auden
Fried chicken biscuit by Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Burmese coconut cream soup by Burmalicious by Suu
Pomegranate short rib by Rumi’s Kitchen
Scallion and herb crochette by Mimo
Crispy oysters with vinaigrette by Balboa Surf Club
Ceviche Nikkei tuna by Pacha Nikkei
Frozen lemon meringue pie by Fluff Bake Bar
Mini totopos by Cochinita & co.
Tuna tartare by Goodnight Hospitality, previewing its upcoming restaurant The Marigold Club
Khao Yum Naam Tod (crispy, spicy rice ball with fermented pork) by Street to Kitchen
Oyster mushroom pita sandwiches by Hamsa
Fried nori chips with tuna by Hando
Key lime doughnuts from Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition
Chilled crab salad from Little’s Oyster Bar
Turbot con caviar from MAD
Seafood escabeche from Ostia
Duck liver mousse with strawberry jam on a funnel cake from Nobie’s
Potato puree with poached shrimp and avocado from Navy Blue

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Rosie Latimer, Morgan Johnson, Judith Goode, and Kristina Anderson.

After a brief introduction, Whaley gave out the night’s awards, including the prizes for Bar of the Year, Rising Star Chef of the Year, Wine Program of the Year, and Best Patio, this year’s wildcard category. Winners were chosen by a judges panel of restaurant industry experts — except Best New Restaurant, which was voted on by CultureMap readers.

Winners accepted gorgeous glass trophies onstage and posed for pictures. Get the full list of winners here.

Since its launch in 2014, our Tastemaker Awards have been the city’s defining food event where A-list dining names mix with passionate dining fans. The electric crowd and elated participants made 2024 the best year yet.

Our hearty congratulations to the winners and our thanks to the sponsors, participants, and attendees. Scroll through the above photos to relive the night, and we’ll see you next year.

parties tastemakers

what's on tap

Dough-obsessed pizzeria picks River Oaks for first Houston location

Courtesy of Pie Tap

A Dallas pizzeria known for its artisanal dough is coming to Houston. Pie Tap will open its first Bayou City outpost in June.

Located next to Fielding’s River Oaks in the Novel Residences luxury apartment building, Pie Tap is an endeavor from Dallas restaurateur Rich Hicks and Italian chef Giovanni Mauro. The chef is responsible for the restaurant’s pizza dough, which uses a mother starter and a 96-hour fermentation process that uses natural yeast to achieve a good balance of crunch and chew.

"Without great dough, you can't have great pizza," Mauro told CultureMap Dallas when the first location opened in 2016. "The idea that the crust is simply a vehicle for toppings is the wrong approach. There has to be a perfect balance of sauce and topping, but you have to have a commitment to the dough. If dough is everything it should be, the pizza is stellar."

Using Italian flour and natural yeast are essential components of the dough’s flavor, Mauro added.

"It's the kind of dough our great-grandparents used to eat," he says. "It's a very natural, slow process. We don't use any commercial yeasts. We started a 'mother dough' with a starter that's proprietary to us. It's a five-day process, an absolute minimum of 96 hours, from when we start to when we put the pizza on the plate."

The restaurant uses that dough to create pizzas that include classics like a margherita, pepperoni, and veggie. Some of the more creative options include the Prosciutto (topped with dates, pistachio, arugula, cheese, and balsamic) and the Salami (calabrese salami, fennel sausage, pepperoni, bacon, and mozzarella).

In addition to pizza, the restaurant touts its rotisserie chicken, which is served both as a half bird with mashed cauliflower and vegetables and as part of sandwiches, pastas, and salads. Other pastas include pappardelle bolognese, ricotta gnocchi, and the on-trend rigatoni in spicy vodka sauce.

Having covered “pie,” let’s turn to the “tap” portion of the restaurant’s name. The bar program starts with 30 beers and wines on tap. They’re joined by cocktails, more wines by-the-glass, and non-alcoholic options. Taken together, it’s a compelling package that earned Best New Restaurant in the 2017 CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards.

“Our talented and dedicated team has been anxiously awaiting this exciting entrance to the Houston market as it is the epitome of all things interesting in food and culture and one of the friendliest and most diverse cities in the U.S. When it comes to our brand, if it is not exceptional, it is unacceptable,” Hicks said in a statement. “We are proud that we have one of the most clean, healthy, and delicious artisan pizzas you can enjoy out there because it has no preservatives, fillers, or additives.”

Pie Tap will be open for lunch, dinner, happy hour, and weekend brunch.

Courtesy of Pie Tap

That's what crust looks like when its dough is fermented for 96 hours.

pizza openings news-you-can-eat pie tap

another epic year

Sold-out crowd toasts Houston's culinary stars at 2024 Tastemaker Awards

what's on tap

Dough-obsessed pizzeria picks River Oaks for first Houston location

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