Texas' best restaurants and bars reign at 2023 Tastemaker Awards

HATS OFF TO TEXAS

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

Photo by Ed Schipul Flickr

3 Houston-area counties among the top 10 most expensive to live in Texas, report says

LIVING IS EXPENSIVE

A new report explores just how pricey household bills are these days, and in Houston, it's not a pretty picture. Three local counties — Fort Bend, Waller, and Galveston — land among the top 10 most expensive in Texas, and Fort Bend landed in the top five at No. 3.

This, according to bill pay servicer Doxo, whose "DoxoInsights Explorer" calculates the average monthly payments for 10 of the most common household bills – mortgage, rent, auto loan, utilities, auto insurance, mobile phone, health insurance, cable and satellite, life insurance, and alarm and security – and compares them to the national average.

According to the website,the average household inNo. 3-ranked Fort Bend County pays $2,648 in monthly bills, which comes out to $31,771 a year. When compared to the national average, which is $24,552 a year, the Collin County household is paying $7,215 more per year, or 29 percent more. (Find the monthly bill breakdown here.)

Nearby Waller County came in at No. 8 most expensive in Texas. There, household expenses are 12.4 percent higher (or $3,055) than the national average, at $27,612 per year.

Galveston County also earned a spot in the top 10 most expensive counties, landing at No. 9. Household bills in the area are 12.2 percent higher than the national average at just under $2,300 per month, or $27,556 a year.

Harris County ranked far outside the top 10 at No. 20, where household expenses are 6.5 percent higher than the national average. A Harris County household pays $2,179 in monthly bills, adding up to $26,148 a year.

The good news is, residents of these counties might be able to pay their bills more easily. A report last year listed Fort Bend, Chambers, Brazoria, and Montgomery counties among the wealthiest in Texas, based on median household income.

According to Doxo.com, the top 10 most expensive counties in Texas are:

No. 1 – Collin County
No. 2 – Rockwall County
No. 3 – Fort Bend County
No. 4 – Denton County
No. 5 – Kendall County
No. 6 – Williamson County
No. 7 – Travis County
No. 8 – Waller County
No. 9 – Galveston County
No. 10 – Hays County

Texas itself ranked No. 18 among all 50 states, with Texans paying $757 (or 3.1 percent) per year higher than the U.S. average. The average household in Texas pays $2,110 per month, or $25,314 per year on bills.

Photo by GeoJango Maps on Unsplash

Most movers in 2022 set Houston as their destination, says new report

HEY SIRI, TAKE ME TO H-TOWN

Where did the most Americans relocate to in 2022? The answer, according to a new report from Penske Truck Rental, is Houston.

Many Americans relocated to Texas’ Sunbelt region in 2022, according to Penske's latest annual “Top Moving Destinations” report. This is Houston’s second consecutive year as the No. 1 moving destination, while Dallas (No. 7), San Antonio (No. 9), and Austin (No. 10) also appeared within the top 10. Based on the 2021 report, Dallas’ destination ranking remained the same, while San Antonio dropped further down from last year to No. 6, and Austin only fell one place.

Penske has been reporting on the migration patterns of Americans for 13 years, using data from the U.S. cities with the most inbound one-way consumer rentals throughout the year. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated 23.7 million Americans moved in 2022, which is about four percent more than in 2021.

In the report, Penske Senior Vice President Kevin Malloy said it’s “always exciting” to find out where the company’s customers are moving with each new release.

“We understand just how hectic the moving experience can be and pride ourselves on putting the consumer first throughout the rental experience,” he said.

Penske’s top 10 moving destinations in 2022 are:

No. 1 – Houston
No. 2 – Las Vegas
No. 3 – Orlando, Florida
No. 4 – Phoenix
No. 5 – Atlanta
No. 6 – Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 7 – Dallas
No. 8 – Jacksonville, Florida
No. 9 – San Antonio
No. 10 – Austin

With the arrival of National Moving Month in May, Penske decided to commemorate the month by releasing four specially-curated playlists on Spotify. Each playlist is under an hour and a half long, and has its own unique “vibe” to describe what it feels like to move. They also come with apt names: “Pack It Up,” “Moving on Mix,” “Forwarding Address,” and “Make This House, Home.”

The song choices are intended to “help people look forward to the journey ahead,” according to Malloy.

More information about Penske's report can be found on pensketruckrental.com.

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Latin lords Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, and Pitbull team up for Trilogy tour headed to Houston

the big 3

Three of pop music's biggest powerhouses are headed to Houston for star-studded fall tour. Latin superstars Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, and Pitbull will share the stage together for the first time ever as part of The Trilogy Tour, which will hit arenas across America this fall.

This new 19-city tour produced by Live Nation kicks off in Washington, D.C., on October 14. The tour hits Houston on Saturday, November 18 at Toyota Center as part of three-city Texas stop. Other shows include a stop at American Airlines Center in Dallas, on Friday, November 17 and AT&T Center in San Antonio on Sunday, November 19.

As one would expect, the megastars promise to deliver an electrifying mix of their biggest, career-spanning hits with tastes of reggaeton, salsa pop, dance, and electronic all thrown in for good measure. Each showman will backed by world-class production and state-of-the-art visuals, per an announcement.

Live Nation recommends that fans register now through Sunday, June 4 at 11:59 pm ET for the Verified Fan presale here. Those who are selected to receive an access code will be able to participate in the Verified Fan presale starting on Wednesday, June 7. (More information on Verified Fan can be found here).

A limited number of tickets will be sold during a general on sale starting at 10 am Friday, June 9 at Ticketmaster.com — while supplies last.

Expect a slew of VIP packages and experiences, which include perks like an invitation to the pre-show VIP lounge, exclusive VIP tour poster, specially designed VIP gift item and more. More VIP information can be found at vipnation.com.

From prince to King Enrique

The son of Latin king Julio Iglesias, Enrique Iglesias has evolved from promising pop prince to arguably the biggest Latin recording artist in music history, with a wow-worthy 154 No. 1 single’s across Billboard charts and 27 No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs Chart. Iglesias currently holds the record for most number ones in the chart’s history.

At once a sultry crooner and poppy persona, he fluidly moves between English and Spanish and genres to the tune of more than 180 million albums sold worldwide, released 11 studio albums, and three greatest hits compilations. To date, Iglesias has headlined 10 sold-out world tours and performed in front of more than 10 million fans.

Known for big collabs with Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Pitbull, and more, he boasts multiple Grammy, Billboard, ASCAP, and more major awards. His 14 billion views on YouTube/VEVO and 14 billion in streams make him one the most streamed and viewed artists on the planet.

"I am incredibly excited to be going on tour with my friends Pitbull and Ricky," Iglesias said in a tour announcement. "The Trilogy Tour will be an amazing experience for ALL of our fans. It’s going to be a once in a lifetime tour."

La Vida Ricky

A fresh-faced poser boy for '80s pop group Menudo, Ricky Martin grew up before fans eyes into a hunky, bellowing singer known for leaving it all out onstage. Often dubbed the "King of Latin Pop," Martin has scored more than 180 awards and multiple Grammy Awards, most recently for the EP Pausaa nd the album PLAY, which features collaborations with Bad Bunny, Residente, and Sting.

The Puerto Rico native is also an accomplished actor, flexing his chops and earning an Emmy nomination in FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. He's next set to star in the highly anticipated Apple TV series Palm Royale, alongside Laura Dern, Kristen Wiig, Allison Janney, and Carol Burnett.

Martin has championed HIV and AIDS causes and founded the Ricky Martin Foundation, which actively fights against human trafficking and modern-day slavery. He is a Global Ambassador for UNICEF, has received the Hispanic Federation's "Humanitarian Award" and the Human Rights Campaign's "National Visibility Award." The City of New York declared "Ricky Martin Day" to honor his musical legacy and charitable work.

"Going back on the road with not only Enrique, but now with Pitbull it’s very exciting," Martin notes in a statement. "This tour will be a wild party from beginning to end so get ready, it's going to be epic!"

Mr. Worldwide

Grammy-winning showman Pitbull — aka Mr. Worldwide — has a golden touch when it comes to singalong party anthems and killer shows. As an artist, the Miami performer boasts billions of audio streams and video views plus hundreds of gold and platinum certifications. As an entrepreneur, he co-owns the NASCAR racing team Trackhouse and tours with life strategy guru Tony Robbins on motivational speaking engagements.

Famed for his fiesta vibe, Armando Christian "Pitbull" Perez is dead serious about education as he helped establish the nationwide Sports Leadership Arts and Management (SLAM!), tuition-free public charter schools.

“It’s a true honor to tour with Enrique and Ricky, 2 music icons, who broke global music barriers for our culture and open doors for someone like myself,” said Pitbull. “We’re excited to take The Trilogy tour around the world and give our fans the time of their Trilogy lives, Dale!"

Here are the official dates for The Trilogy Tour:

Sat Oct 14 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Tue Oct 17 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Fri Oct 20 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

Sat Oct 21– Boston, MA – TD Garden

Thu Oct 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Sat Oct 28 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Wed Nov 01 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Fri Nov 03 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Thu Nov 09 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center

Fri Nov 10 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center

Fri Nov 17 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Sat Nov 18 – Houston – Toyota Center

Sun Nov 19 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center

Fri Nov 24 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

Sat Nov 25 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center

Thu Nov 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Wed Dec 06 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center

Fri Dec 08 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Sun Dec 10 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Enrique Iglesias/Facebook

Music royal Enrique Iglesias joins Ricky Martin and Pitbull.

Stylish new restaurant mixes European flair with American fare in Montrose's hottest destination

Montrose's stylish new bistro

The Montrose Collective mixed-use development continues to cement its status as Houston’s newest dining destination. Fresh off openings such as Oheya by Uchi and Picnik comes a new bistro from a veteran team of restaurateurs.

Meet The Chelsea. Now open across from Marmo, the upscale Italian steakhouse, The Chelsea serves a diverse menu of New American fare in a stylish environment that’s inspired by classic European restaurants.

Restaurateurs Shawn Rao and Jonathan Serrano teamed up with Houston operator Roveen Abante, a partner in concepts such as Be More Pacific, Sushi Rebel, and the upcoming Conservatory Galleria food hall, to open The Chelsea. Rao and Serrano are native Houstonians who found success in Dallas with the Syn Group, a hospitality company that operates a number of concepts in the Metroplex, including Don Chingon, The Social House, and America Gardens.

While those concepts are bar forward and casual, The Chelsea aspires to offer a more elevated experience, which suits its owners state in life.

Photo by Abante Photography

The Chelsea opened this week.

“I think you create the best products when you’re at the stage of your life to relate to the product,” Rao tells CultureMap. “If you create something you won’t enjoy, you may miss the mark. The Chelsea is exactly a place I’d go to. It’s like places I eat in Dallas. That’s why we decided to go this route. We really latched on to it.”

To create the proper atmosphere, Rao and his partners took inspiration from their travels across Europe. They created a space that features marble-patterned floors, shades of teal and burgundy, and lots of art on the walls.

“Our initial design was way over the top. We had to dial it back,” Rao says. Later, he adds, “We wanted to get the design right. We know Houston has a discerning eye when it comes to new restaurants. We felt we had to get it as perfect as possible.”

Chef Andre Garza contributes to those goals with his eclectic menu. Meals at The Chelsea start with raw items such as oysters, tuna tartare, shrimp and scallop verde that’s made with a Peruvian-style leche de tigre and a spicy chili crisp. Three salads round out the starters.

From there, diners may choose from a selection of shareable small plates. Highlights include shrimp scampi, miso-marinated chicken lollipops, charred Spanish octopus, and a tempura fried lobster tail. Parker House Pigs — a riff on the classic rolls that are stuffed with spicy Japanese Kurobuta sausage — emerged as an early fan favorite during last weekend’s invite-only soft opening. Those looking for a more traditional entree have a range of choices, including seafood pot pie, roast chicken, and a classic cheeseburger.

Beverage options start with a cocktail list that offers eight martinis. Look for variations such as the espresso martini, Gibson, Vesper, and a Martinez made with Maraschino and Angostura. The wine list includes about 15 by-the-glass options with most bottles priced between $30 and $180, Rao says.

“We want to be that sort of neighborhood, three-to-five mile radius, go-to for meals, go-to for drinks,” he adds. “I know everyone says that, but we want to cater to that element.”

The Chelsea opens for dinner beginning at 4 pm daily. Brunch will follow in the coming weeks.

Joel the Lab mix's big smile is one to fall in love with at Houston SPCA

Adoptable Dog

If you've always envisioned having a dog that can wow a crowd with tricks, then adopting Joel is a great first step.

This two-year-old Lab mix that's currently at the Houston SPCA is super treat motivated, which means he's eager to learn. He already knows how to sit like a champ, so training him to do more complicated commands would be no sweat.

Joel is a playful guy at 57 pounds, who loves to wrestle and run with his pals.

But if you're also seeking a pup who's into quiet time, he's never met a couch he doesn't love to stretch out on.

Joel is what's known as a VIP — Very Important Pup — so his adoption fee is 50 percent off, only $25.

That includes a microchip, neuter surgery, up-to-date vaccinations, a free sample bag of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, and a free post-exam from any VCA Animal Hospital.

Stop by the Houston SPCA, which is open every day from 11 am-6 pm, to spend some time in the play yards with Joel and many other adoptable pets.

Photo courtesy of Houston SPCA

He's eager to please and easy to train.

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