Tastemaker Awards

Fort Worth's best restaurant and top chef revealed at 2019 Tastemaker Awards

Clay Pigeon's quail roulade.

Photo courtesy of Clay Pigeon

After weeks of celebrating the best restaurants, bars, chefs, and more in our 2019 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, the winners are in.

We dedicated a special editorial series to honoring nominees in a more than a dozen categories. A panel of expert judges helped select all of the winners, except for Best New Restaurant. That was determined by you, our readers, in a bracket-style tournament.

On April 25, the winners were revealed at an awards ceremony and tasting event at Fashion Industry Gallery, emceed by award-winning chef Dean Fearing.

These are the 2019 Tastemaker Award winners:

FORT WORTH

Restaurant of the Year: Clay Pigeon
Everything at chef Marcus Paslay's restaurant is made from scratch, and they were ahead of the curve on craft cocktails, too.

Chef of the Year: Juan Rodriguez, Magdalena's
Popular chef has worked at many top Tarrant County spots including the Classic Cafe in Roanoke, Lonesome Dove, and Reata.

Best New Restaurant: Four Sisters
Vietnamese restaurant from chef Tuan Pham, named for his four sister, is a family affair.

Bar of the Year: Twilite Lounge
New Orleans-themed neighborhood bar featuring live music started out in Deep Ellum.

DALLAS

Restaurant of the Year: Bullion
Downtown Dallas opus serving classic and contemporary French dishes from Michelin-starred chef Bruno Davaillon.

Chef of the Year: Misti Norris, Petra & the Beast
Norris has enjoyed vast critical acclaim and this award is just the latest.

Rising Star Chef of the Year: Eric Freidline, Sevy's
Well-liked chef de cuisine at Sevy's is the secret weapon at this popular neighborhood restaurant.

Best New Restaurant: Taco Y Vino
Oak Cliff restaurant does a great job demystifying wine, with killer tacos to boot.

Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Mot Hai Ba
East Dallas favorite is beloved by locals for its authentic Vietnamese food.

Best Pizza: Zoli's
Italian-American sibling of Cane Rosso has the best crust in town.

Pastry Chef of the Year: Andrea Meyer, Bisous Bisous
Accomplished, creative, and hard-working, she's the queen of macarons in Dallas.

Bar of the Year: Shoals
Deep Ellum spot boasts perfectly mixed drinks, doesn't get better than that.

Bartender of the Year: Chris Unruh, Tiny Victories
This congenial all-star has poured at many establishments around Dallas.

Wine Program of the Year: Al Biernat's
Dallas steakhouse has top-tier service under the guidance of sommelier/wine director Todd Lincicome.

awards

Tastemakers of Texas

Savor this list of the best restaurants and bars in Texas for 2019

Photo by Robert J. Lerma

Olamaie, Austin Restaurant of the Year.

Each spring, CultureMap tours Texas with our annual Tastemaker Awards, celebrating the top restaurant and bar talent in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. These events have become some of the most popular food affairs of the season, with almost 3,000 folks across Texas joining us in 2019.

This year, the party started in Houston on March 27, stopped in Austin on April 10, and wrapped with a Dallas finale on April 25. At each party, we noshed on savory and sweet bites from top restaurants and chefs, sipped specialty drinks, and mingled with local culinary talent. And, most importantly, we celebrated all of the nominees and toasted the winners during our coveted awards ceremony.

So, how did we determine the best of the best? CultureMap editors collaborated with expert panels, including previous Tastemaker winners, to select the nominees in each city. The panels then selected winners in every category, except Best New Restaurant, which was determined by our readers in a heated bracket-style tournament.

The result is this list of the best of Texas dining for 2019. Savor it, and join us in raising a glass to all of the winners.

Austin