One Fort Worth restaurant makes list of James Beard Award finalists

Awards News

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An unprecedented number of DFW chefs and restaurants, including one from Fort Worth and five from Dallas, are in the running for a prize from the James Beard Foundation, which has selected finalists for its annual Restaurant and Chef Awards.

The awards recognize chefs and other culinary professionals in a wide range of categories, ranging from Outstanding Chef to Best New Restaurant. These finalists emerged from a pool of semifinalists announced in January.

Candidates from Dallas-Fort Worth who are in the running for national awards include:

Best New Restaurant: Don Artemio Mexican Heritage, Fort Worth
Best New Restaurant: Lucia Dallas
Outstanding Bakery: Kuluntu Bakery, Dallas
Outstanding Bakery: La Casita Bakeshop, Dallas
Best New Restaurant: Restaurant Beatrice, Dallas

Don Artemio has been on a winning streak. It's been nominated for Best New Restaurant in CultureMap's 2023 Tastemaker Awards, and also made the latest list of Best New Restaurants by Texas Monthly.

In addition to the DFW nominees, three other Texan restaurants and chefs are in the running for national awards:

Best New Restaurant: Tatemó, Houston
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: Nancy’s Hustle, Houston
Outstanding Bar: Las Ramblas, Brownsville

Texas also gets its own regional award in the category of Best Chef: Texas. The finalists are:

Reyna Duong, Sandwich Hag, Dallas
Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen, Houston
Emiliano Marentes, Elemi, El Paso
John Russ, Clementine, San Antonio
Ernest Servantes and David Kirkland, Burnt Bean Co., Seguin

Notably, all of this year’s finalists for both the national categories and Best Chef: Texas are new. None received nominations in 2022.

Last year, Texans did well in the awards, with Houston cocktail bar Julep winning Outstanding Bar Program, Austin chef Edgar Rico (Nixta Taqueria) winning Emerging Chef, and Austin chef Iliana de la Vega (El Naranjo) winning the first ever Best Chef: Texas.

In addition, two Texans won media awards — Austin chef Jesse Griffiths (Dai Due) for his cookbook, The Hog Book: A Chef’s Guide to Hunting, Butchering and Cooking Wild Pigs and Texas Monthly taco editor Jose Ralat for his Tex-Mexplainer columns.

The Foundation will reveal its Restaurant and Chef Award winners at an awards ceremony on Monday, June 5 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Media Award winners will be announced on June 3.

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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

The Tastemaker Awards toast the best in Texas dining for 2023

A taste of Texas

It’s another one for CultureMap’s history books. The 2023 Tastemaker Awards, which recognized Texas' best chefs, restaurants, and more culinary superstars of the year, have finally come to a close.

The series kicked off April 13 with our sold-out Houston Tastemaker Award at Silver Street Studios, then we came home to Fort Worth, to the 4 Eleven, for our second annual event, April 27. The Texas culinary tour steered us over to Dallas' 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.

While a panel of local food and beverage pros choses a majority of the winners, the winner of Best New Restaurant is determined by our readers in an online, bracket-style tournament. New this year in each city, a sizzling on-site Burger Throwdown sponsored by Goodstock Beef by Nolan Ryan.

Without further ado, let’s meet our 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards winners, listed by city:

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.

Houston:

CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards 2023

Photo by Ashley Gongora

The ants garnishing Guapo Taco's chips were the talk of the Fort Worth event.

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

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

These are the 5 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

This week in gluttony

Doughnuts, burgers, and whiskey – oh my! A sweet collaboration happens this Friday night. Also plan for a summer afternoon tea, a complimentary wine tasting, museum happy hour, and a hysterical wine tasting event themed after a hit comedy.

Thursday, June 1

Crimson Wine Tasting at Neighbor’s House Grocery
The boutique downtown grocer and eatery hosts complimentary wine tasting for sipping and shopping. Guests will get to try four different wines from Napa’s Crimson Wine Group. Drop by anytime from 4:30-6:30 pm.

Friday, June 2

Kimbell Happy Hour
Friday means it’s time for the Kimbell Art Museum’s weekend happy hour. Visit from 5-7 pm for beverages and bites, along with live music by the Allegro Guitar Society. Members will receive 10 percent off drinks.

Doughnut-Burger Collaboration at Whiskey Ranch
Whiskey Ranch does National Doughnut Day with a sweet and savory collab featuring three Fort Worth favorites: TX Whiskey, FunkyTown Donuts, and JD’s Hamburgers. The $35 ticket includes three different TX cocktails paired with gourmet mini doughnuts, including a bacon burger doughnut slider by JD’s. Cocktails include Blackberry Sour, Pecan Old Fashioned, and Parker County Peach TX Whiskey Tea. There’ll also be DJ music and a build-your-own-doughnut hole sundae bar. The event will run from 6-9 pm.

Saturday, June 3

Catalina Canned Wine Mixer at Truck Yard Alliance
Truck Yard in Alliance is throwing a “bro-down” party themed after the 2008 hit movie Step Brothers. Wear your best tuxedo t-shirt for a wine tasting, photo ops, food trucks, and a Step Brothers cover band. Admission is free, but a $15 wine tasting is offered from 7-9 pm, featuring six wine samples and a souvenir glass filled with frose. Costume contests will be held at 5 pm and 10 pm.

Sunday, June 4

Summer Afternoon Tea at Indulge
The downtown cooking studio and tea room will host a Sunday afternoon summer tea party. Enjoy three courses including chicken tarragon sandwiches, roasted vegetable phyllo cups, and street corn crostinis, along with scones with clotted cream and jam, cream puffs, madeleines, and shortbread cookies. Tea choices include black or herbal blend. The tea service is $65 and begins at 2 pm.

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