cheers to the tastemakers!

Houston's culinary superstars and more than 1,000 food fans toast the 2023 Tastemaker Awards

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Pastry Chef of the Year winner Shawn Gawle.

More than 1,000 haute and hungry Houstonians packed the 2023 CultureMap Houston Tastemaker Awards to toast the city’s best at Silver Street Studios.

Houston’s hottest, biggest, and preeminent food event is the crowning moment of our annual, weeks-long program that highlights and celebrates the hottest, most innovative, and most visionary of the city’s culinary, wine, and bar scene.

A who's-who party for the food world, the awards are a favorite for Houston's hospitality A-listers. Past winners become judges, star chefs chat and exchange numbers and snap selfies. The event is taken so seriously that Ruchit Harneja, executive pastry chef for luxe Indian palace Musaafer, left his honeymoon to attend this year's ceremonies and host the restaurant's table.

This year’s Tastemaker Awards benefited Chris Shepherd's Southern Smoke Foundation, which he founded in 2015 to offer emergency relief funding and access to mental health services to members of the food and beverage industry. Through his popular Southern Smoke Festival, the organization has provided more than $10.4 million in grants to food and beverage workers in need. The nonprofit's reach extends through California, Louisiana, Illinois, New York, and Texas.

Fittingly, Shepherd, a James Beard Award winner and CultureMap's Wine Guy, served as emcee for the evening.

As always, a host of sponsors helped make the night a rousing success, including Dripping Springs Vodka, Goodstock by Nolan Ryan, Topo Chico, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey.

Guests pregamed at the VIP bar and lounge, others posted up in Silver Street's grand hall, while many snapped pics at the selfie stand and photo booth from Lucky Shots — a fave for Instagram stories and reels.

Ready to raise a glass, the crowd hit the bar for speciality sips and cool cocktails courtesy of the aforementioned liquor and drink sponsors. Libations included a Basil Sour, Lavender Lemon (a party pic fave), The Blinker (a refreshing whiskey/grapefruit cooler), a Cherry Old Fashioned, and a Strawberry Fields Mocktail.

Then, party people lined up for the city’s best bites and libations and hydration stationing courtesy of Topo Chico. Delectable and dazzling dishes included:

Blue Crab & Shrimp Campechana and Campanella from d’Alba Craft Kitchen & Cocktails
Mini Carrot Cake and a Carrot and the Stick Cocktail from Bludorn/Navy Blue
Smoked Snapper Ceviche with wonton crisps from Loro
Horchata Berlinesa & Pink Berry Corn Cake Donut from Papalo Mercado Ema
Riz a Djej: Lebanese rice with rotisserie chicken, roasted nuts, and garlic aioli from Craft Pita
Kobe Beef Nigiri with yuzu kosho and truffle aioli from Aiko
Chilled Crawfish Bisque with spring petit pois from Le Jardinier
Spicy Sesame Wontons with impossible meat from Dumpling Haus
Bluefin Tuna Pastor from Quiote
Spanish Octopus Salad with smoked piquillo pepper salsa and papas arrugadas from GJ Tavern
Quibani: Apricot compote scented with rose and cardamom, vanilla whip & almond tuile from Musaafer
Ceviche and Smoked Salmon from Golfstrommen
Braised Pork Belly and Sticky Rice from Dinette
Hazelnut Brioche with jivara glaze from EaDough Pastries & Provisions
Mushroom Swiss Kolache (made with Goodstock by Nolan Ryan beef) from burger-chan
Himalayan Heat Sliders (made with Goodstock by Nolan Ryan beef) from Cowboys & Indians
The Hottie Melt (made with Goodstock by Nolan Ryan beef) from The Waffle Bus
Cheeseburgers (made with Goodstock by Nolan Ryan beef) from b'tween Sandwich Co
Lira Rossa Corn Ricotta, Honey Cake, Praline Chouquette, and Pine Nut Orchidea from Goodnight Hospitality (Rosie Cannonball, March)
Couch Potato Cookie, Unicorn Bait Cookie, Star Crossed Lovers, Pistachio Cherry Financier, Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookie, Lemon Tarts, and Bacon Fat Gingersnaps from Fluff Bake Bar
Salted Egg Yolk Bread Pudding from LuLoo's Day & Nights

After a quick welcome, intro, and thanks to sponsors and staff, CultureMap editor Steven Devadanam gave a well-deserved shout out to our food editor Eric Sandlerand then handed the mic to Shepherd, who led the awards ceremony with his signature casual vine.

The crowd packed the stage and roared for nominees including Pop-up of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year, Bar of the Year, Best New Restaurant, and the hotly anticipated Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year.

Winners were chosen by a judges panel of restaurant industry experts — except Best New Restaurant, which was voted on by CultureMap readers. Get the full list of winners here.

Mark Clayton of Squable scored Chef of the Year; his partner Justin Yu notes that Clayton's "attention to detail on those very normal, overlooked flavors and textures on dishes that most diners take for granted that makes his food sing..."

For the grand finale, Shepherd called out Bludorn for the coveted title of Restaurant of the Year. Chef Aaron Bludorn and his managing partner Cheríf Mbodji gratefully accepted the award and hugged it out with Shepherd.

"We're going to Bludorn!" the chef/owner told us regarding his post-party plans. And why not?

Since its launch in 2014, our Tastemaker Awards have been the city’s defining food event where A-list dining names mix with casual fans. The electric crowd and eager participants made 2023 one of the biggest and brightest awards ever.

Our hearty congratulations to the winners and our thanks to the sponsors, participants, and fans. We’ll see you next year.

Event Recap tastemakers

Where to eat lunch now

7 new luxe Houston lunch deals that make the midday meal memorable

Kristen Gilliam

At Hamsa, diners can select two salatim to begin their prix fixe lunch.

A luxury lunch doesn’t always require a splurge — at least not a major one. These Houston restaurants’ prix fixe menus and bento boxes allow diners to sample curated, high-caliber cuisine for a fraction of the cost of a full dinner. Whether someone is entertaining a client, catching up with a colleague, or simply treating yourself to something special midweek, these prix fixe offerings deliver flavor, efficiency, and just the right amount of indulgence.

Barbacana
The downtown endeavor by chef-owner Christian Hernandez serves a prix fixe lunch that leans upscale at $50, but also delivers a quick introduction to his mashup of Houston’s diverse cuisine scene. Begin with a jicama or cauliflower salad, followed by a choice of a fried grouper sandwich, a veggie sandwich, or a mushroom donburi with confit egg yolk. Pair it with a creative side of Greek potato pave, crispy sunchokes, or brassica pickle chips. The price includes a glass of wine, beer, or a non-alcoholic beverage. Lunch is served Tuesday through Friday from 11 am-3 pm.

Doko
One of the newest establishment on this list, Doko is Duckstache Hospitality’s intimate Japanese concept in the Autry Park mixed-use development. A midday visit invites diners to explore the creations of chefs Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee through three sushi sets. Set A ($19) has a makimono roll of your choice and three pieces of nigiri—akami (lean tuna), masu (trout), and hamachi (yellowtail). Set B ($25) expands the nigiri selection with madai (sea bream) and kanpachi (amberjack), while Set C ($32) adds the popular chicken fat rice with jidori chicken and a fried egg. With just 50 seats, reservations are recommended. Lunch is served daily starting at 11 am.

Hamsa
This Rice Village restaurant’s $25 prix fixe lunch menu highlights the bold, colorful flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean. Start with two salatim, such as baba ganoush, shaved tomato and feta, or classic hummus. For the main, choose from entrees like a falafel sandwich with tahini, or a chicken thigh skewer served with a parsley-red onion salad and a side. It’s $10 more to upgrade that chicken thigh to ribeye. End on a sweet note with one of three desserts: basboosa malabi (a cake-pudding hybrid), petite beurre shortbread layers, or dark chocolate halvah. Add a glass of wine for $10. Lunch is served Tuesday through Friday, 11:30 am-2:30 pm.

Kata Robata
Chef Hori-san recently updated the lunch offerings at this Houston institution, including changes to the restaurant's popular bento boxes. Featured main options are shrimp tempura ($19), miso-marinated Alaskan black cod ($25), or Texas wagyu ($23). Each box comes with miso soup and a choice of chicken teriyaki or crispy karaage. Round out the meal with optional add-ons such as sashimi ($6), kakuni pork belly ($5), or a snow crab California roll ($4). Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11:30 am-3 pm.

Perseid
Hotel Saint Augustine is already racking up the accolades, with that excitement extending to Perseid, the first all-day concept from Bludorn partners Aaron Bludorn and Cherif Mbodji. The French-inspired menu reflects the hotel’s proximity to the Menil Collection, with a Gulf Coast influence woven through every dish.

“From the outset, we wanted to create a neighborhood restaurant in a hotel, rather than a hotel restaurant, and that means making it accessible to neighbors and businesspeople in equal measure,” Bludorn tells CultureMap. “You can come for a lunch meeting with a colleague and be finished in an hour, or you can come for a leisurely birthday party and stay all afternoon.”

The $35 prix fixe menu starts with an appetizer: Caesar salad with boquerones, carrot soup with falafel, or a smoked salmon dip served alongside homemade potato chips. For the entrée, choose from potato gnocchi with asparagus, steelhead trout with Romano beans, or chicken paillard with fingerling potatoes. Desserts are either a trio of sorbets or a chocolate entremet with salted caramel. Lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11:30 am-2 pm.

Tavola
This Uptown spot from the company behind Michelin-starred Le Jardinier offers a $28 executive lunch that’s both polished and efficient. Start with the baby spinach salad with walnuts and shaved pear, the house Caesar, or the soup of the day. For the main course, choose from one of four entrées: spaghetti cacio e pepe, a spicy cavatelli in arrabbiata sauce, crispy chicken parmigiana, or — for a lighter option — the avocado cucumber salad with either salmon or chicken. Cap it off with tiramisu or creamy vanilla gelato for an additional $8. Lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11:30 am-2 pm

Tony's
Fans of Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion will get a chuckle when they order lunch at this fine dining institution in Greenway Plaza. Chef Kate McLean’s Romy and Michele’s Business Woman’s Special ($35) is a playful nod to the cult film with two Tony’s cheeseburgers with double 44 Farms patties, fries, and Diet Cokes. It’s available for dine-in or to go.

For more variety, try the Greenway Express prix fixe ($35), which includes soup or salad, a main dish (chicken sandwich with French onion dip, short rib cappelletti, or roast hen salad), and a scoop of the day’s gelato. Pair it all with one of Tony’s lunch spritzes, such as the Front Porch Swinger ($15), a mix of Amaro Montenegro, St. George’s NOLA, and lime. Lunch is served from Tuesday through Friday, from 11 am-3 pm.

Photo by Kristen Gilliam

At Hamsa, diners can select two salatim to begin their prix fixe lunch.

where-to-eat news-you-can-eat lunch