Toasting the Tastemakers
Biggest Tastemaker Awards party yet celebrates best in Fort Worth dining for 2024
Nearly 500 Fort Worth food lovers filled the 4 Eleven venue on Thursday, May 2 for the 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. It was the biggest crowd yet for our annual celebration of the very best food and drink in the city.
Before the crowd raised a glass to the award-winning restaurants, bars, and chefs of the year, they ate and drink to their hearts' content.
More than a dozen nominated chefs and restaurants served delicious bites, and busy bartenders whipped up cocktails incorporating spirits from the event's sponsors. A portion of the proceeds benefited Cuisine for Healing, a Fort Worth-based nonprofit that delivers healthy, nourishing meals to those battling illness.
Lucky VIP ticketholders got into the party an hour early, so they could be first in line to try the tastiest plates of the night, including:
Photo by Ashley Gongora
Patrons who liked to drink beer were in good hands with sponsor Deep Ellum Brewing Company.
- Toro Toro's Grilled Tiger Prawns
- Plank Seafood Provisions' Plank Redfish Ceviche
- 97 West Kitchen & Bar's Texas Antelope
- Baked Bread & Pastry's Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
- Dayne’s Craft BBQ's Bacon Brisket Tacos
- Shady Oaks Country Club's Espresso Pork Tenderloin, Street Corn Mini Tacos, and Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Atlas' Cuban Sandwich
- B&B Butchers' Tommy’s Bacon
- Bricks and Horses' Mud Pie
- Loft22 Cakes' Raspberry Chambord Cake
- Teddy Wongs' Rosewood Wagyu Wontons
- Three Danes Baking Co's Hindbaersnitter Danish “Pop-tarts,” Smørkage, and Kringle
Dayne’s Craft BBQ's Bacon Brisket Tacos were a hit.Photo by Ashley Gongora
The bars poured signature cocktails featuring the spirits of sponsors Still Austin Whiskey Co. and Tito's Handmade Vodka: Made in Texas Mule, Gold Rush, Tito's Dirty Shirley, Tito's Mango-Rita, and, and Strawberry Fields Mocktail. Guests rehydrated with plenty of Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water.
Beer drinkers made themselves at home in the Beer Garden presented by Deep Ellum Brewing Company. 8th Wonder Cannabis poured out something new to many attendees - low-dose THC-infused seltzers in flavors like lime, cherry limeade, watermelon ranch water, and paloma.
Shady Oaks Country Club's plate was an entire three-course meal.Photo by Ashley Gongora
But this party wasn't just a food and drink extravaganza; we had some awards to present. For weeks leading up to the event, we published a special editorial series that highlighted nominees in eight categories. Most winners were chosen by a panel of local food and beverage experts, except for the category of Best New Restaurant, which was voted on by readers in a bracket-style competition online.
The evening's emcee, Fort Worth chef Jon Bonnell, announced the following winners:
- Rising Star Chef of the Year: Michael Rios, Pantry on Magnolia
- Pastry Chef of the Year: Tareka Lofton, Loft22 Cakes
- Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Los Asaderos
- Bar of the Year: Thompson's Bookstore
- Best Patio: Joe T. Garcia's
- Best New Restaurant: Plank Seafood Provisions
- Chef of the Year: Preston Paine, Emilia's, The Blue Room
- Restaurant of the Year: 61 Osteria
Cheers went up from the supportive Fort Worth crowd as winners were called to the stage to accept their glass trophies and pose for photos.
The team from Plank Seafood Provisions celebrates winning Best New Restaurant.Photo by Ashley Gongora
Between feasting and celebrating, attendees stopped to snap Insta-worthy photos at an interactive photo booth and bought raffle tickets benefiting Cuisine for Healing.
Spotted among the crowd, enjoying the night, were Jennifer Salzman, Dani Whitehair, Jared Salzman, Joe Guerrero, Celia Guerrero, Andrew Lotz, Amber Arnold, Molly Brennan, Taylor Dye, Sherrell Fixico, Tina Taylor, Cindy Whitner, Katie Schwausch, Stacey Dove, Julie Porter, Ashley Ledford, Lauren Bryan Patterson, Lauren McGovern, Casey McGovern, Carlene Dailey, David Dailey, Lacee Wilson, Marvin Mendoza, Samantha Ma, Jarrod Henderson, Carolina Pérez, Norma Pérez Duran, Martha Prudhomme, Cahill Hooker, Trina Hooker, Nina Jacobs, Adriana Pérez, Sergio García, and hundreds more.
Hungry to be a part of it all next year? You can read about all the winners here, and we'll see you in 2025. Cheers!