Celebrity Gala

Lonesome Dove reunion gala lures all the A-list stars to Fort Worth

As the finale to the Lonesome Dove Trail & Reunion, the grand gala held at River Ranch Stockyards lived up to the miniseries' beloved legacy. Hundreds of fans arrived dressed in their cowboy best, ready to pay homage to the cast and crew of Larry McMurtry's iconic story.

The silent and live auctions, to benefit the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University, were a treasure trove of memorabilia. Photographs by Bill Wittliff captured the stars — including Robert Duvall, Diane Lane, Tommy Lee Jones, Anjelica Huston, Danny Glover, and others — on set and in character, with autographs scrawled across the prints. Props from the film, such as the original saloon tables, and signed first edition Larry McMurtry books further sweetened the pot.

As guests mingled and admired the valuable items, large screens projected scenes from the 1989 four-part series. A special section displayed the live auction items, which included such coveted collector's items as a copy of the screenplay signed by 76 featured cast members, a Lonesome Dove crew jacket, and framed archival reproductions of the trail and town portrayed in the film.

Inside the dining room, hat racks joined flower arrangements on the tables, giving the gentlemen a place to hang their Stetsons. Barry Tubb, who played Jasper Fant, brought an easy Texas charm as the evening's emcee. He introduced integral members of the crew and artistic team, as well as Bill Wittliff himself, who reminisced about his time on set.

Shortly before the main course of steak and sea bass, Duvall, Glover, Lane, Ricky Schroder, and Chris Cooper entered to thunderous applause. Though the actors didn't speak at length — they had already shared much at the panels earlier and the day before — they listened joyfully as others shared their memories. James McMurtry, the author's son and a professional musician, closed out the evening with a set of guitar-heavy folk songs that evoked the spirit of Lonesome Dove.

Diane Lane

Celebrating the Tastemakers

Fort Worth foodies toast city's culinary stars at 2026 Tastemaker Awards

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Logan Ashe, Hailey Ashe, Pat O'Mara, Jean O'Mara

Fort Worth's very best restaurants and bars — and the talented pros behind them — were celebrated at the 2026 CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards on Thursday, April 30.

Nearly 500 food fans and cocktail connoisseurs gathered at a new venue this year, The Social Space, to raise a glass to the city's top restaurants, bars, and culinary masters. But first, they got to eat and drink.

Nominated chefs and restaurants served delectable bites, and hard-working bartenders whipped up cocktails incorporating spirits from the event's sponsors. A portion of the proceeds benefited the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation, which gives grants to up-and-coming chefs and provides assistance to those in need.

Lines formed quickly for small plates from some of Fort Worth's most popular and influential eateries, spread out across the building. Lucky VIP ticketholders got in an hour early to avoid the crowds and enjoy a bar area all their own.

Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards 2026 The decadent chocolate pecan mud pie from Bricks and Horses.Photo by Guillermo Rosas

Hungry guests were spotted going back for seconds for dishes including:

Smoked chicken lollipops and jalapeño cheese grits from BBQ on the Brazos
Beef bulgogi fried rice from Brooklyn's
Wagyu tataki with tobiko caviar from Cattlemen's Steak House
Cheese and charcuterie and an espresso martini to sip from Crystal Springs Hideaway
Tostada de atún from Dos Mares
Assorted sushi from Japanese Palace
Chicken curry puffs, Mok Ubon with premium jumbo lump crab, and grilled naem from Ko Thai
42 Rolls, Tribeca Rolls, and Royce Rolls from Oishii Sushi & Pan Asian
Mini Wagyu chicken fried steak from Rex's Bar & Grill
Braised beef and manchego sliders from Tarrant Area Food Bank
Baked potato culurgiones (stuffed pasta) from The Blue Room
The Meat Board Flight, smoked turkey bacon pinwheels, and Billionaire's Bacon from The Meat Board
The Duck (black garlic duck, slow roasted leg, smoked breast) from The Mont
The Jaybird (buffalo mozzarella, sopressata, grilled prosciutto, peppers) on Italian herb focaccia from Weinberger's Deli

There were also plenty of sweet treats, as well as coffee-centered pick-me-ups, from our Coffee Shop and Dessert Program of the Year nominees:

Chocolate pecan mud pie with choice of toppings from Bricks and Horses
Housemade honeysuckle latte from Brewed
Drip coffee and assorted cookies and scones from Crude Craft Coffee Bar
Assorted mini doughnuts and doughnut holes from FunkyTown Donuts & Drafts
Cowtown coffee toffee sundae from Melt Ice Creams

To help wet the whistle, guests could sip brews from Lone Star Beer, still or sparkling water from Saratoga Water, and a popular Bourbon Smash signature cocktail from Maker's Mark Bourbon — all valued sponsors of the event.

But this party wasn't just a feeding frenzy; we had some awards to present. For weeks leading up to the event, we published a special editorial series that highlighted nominees in nine categories.

The evening's emcee, local TV news personality Marc Istook of Marc Istook Media, announced winners, who came to the stage to accept their glass trophies. Special applause went up for Chef of the Year winner Jon Bonnell, who has faced a cancer battle in recent months and was not in attendance.

Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards 2026 Emcee Marc Istook announces Jon Bonnell as winner of Chef of the Year.Facebook/Jon Bonnell

Photo by Guillermo Rosas

Logan Ashe, Hailey Ashe, Pat O'Mara, Jean O'Mara

Winners were chosen by a panel of local food and beverage experts in all categories except Best New Restaurant, which was voted on by readers in a bracket-style competition online.

The winners were:

Best New Restaurant: Cocodrie's Bayou Kitchen
Chef of the Year: Jon Bonnell, Bonnell's, Waters, Buffalo Bros., Jon’s Grille
Restaurant of the Year: Cattlemen's Steak House
Bar of the Year: Crystal Springs Hideaway
Coffee Shop of the Year: Buon Giorno Coffee
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Levi Gardner, Westland Hospitality
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Rex’s Bar & Grill
Dessert Program of the Year: FunkyTown Donuts & Drafts
Best Sandwich: Carshon's Deli

After the awards were handed out, winners posed for photos with colleagues, fellow winners and nominees, and guests eager to find out more about their establishments — and visit them in person.

Between feasting and celebrating, attendees stopped to snap Insta-worthy photos at a photo booth and bought raffle tickets benefiting Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation.

Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards 2026 Guests pose for the photo booth.Photo by Guillermo Rosas

Among the guests spotted in the crowd, having a good time, were: Berkley Loeffler, Lauren Loeffler, Kaleigh Szurek, Krystal Watson, Brandon Watson, Sarah Whitaker, Joe Whitaker, Sarah Block-Herrera, Josie Villa-Singleton, Mouty Shackelford, Jazmin Carmona, J.D. Granger, Shanna Granger, Logan Ashe, Hailey Ashe, Pat O'Mara, Jean O'Mara, Kayla Beeler, Ann Richards, Angie Moors, Meghan Phillips, Kellie Bruce, Karen Bruce, Danny Bruce, Millicent Clark, Vince Clark, Alfonso Salvatore, Alessandro Salvatore, and hundreds more.

Scroll through the gallery of nearly 50 photos, above, to see who was there, what was eaten, and who won awards.

Hungry to be a part of it all next year? You can read about all the winners here, and we'll see you in 2027. Cheers, y'all!

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The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards ceremony was sponsored in Fort Worth by Maker's Mark, Lone Star Beer, H-E-B, Saratoga Water, and NXT LVL Event. A portion of the proceeds benefit our nonprofit partner, the Fort Worth Food and Wine Foundation.

tastemaker awards fort worth restaurants chefs tastemakers