Tastemakers 2020

CultureMap brings Austin's Tastemaker Awards to your home with new virtual edition

Tastemaker Awards 2018 bartender Leslie Ross Krockenberger

Join us for the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards — Virtual Edition on July 23.

Photo by Emily Jaschke

Events look a lot different amid COVID-19, and that includes our annual CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. For the first time ever, we'll bring the party to your home with the Tastemaker Awards — Virtual Edition.

Join us on July 23 as we celebrate the top restaurant and bar talent in Austin and San Antonio in a whole new way.

In lieu of our live tasting event, guests will receive an exclusive Tasting Tote, featuring everything you need to bring the Tastemaker experience to your home: savory and sweet bites from nominees, complimentary beverage kits, gifts, and games to play throughout the night. And, of course, you'll have access to the star of the show: our awards ceremony hosted by Bun B and streamed on CultureMap July 23 at 7 pm.

There are two ticket options available: general admission, featuring all of the above, and VIP, everything listed above, plus elevated food and beverage pairings and your tote delivered to your door on the day of the event.

If you already purchased a ticket to the live event, it will be transferred to the virtual experience. And if you still want to get in on the fun, tickets are on sale now, starting at $60 for general admission and $105 for VIP. (Prices will increase ahead of the event.)

Stay tuned as we resume our editorial series highlighting this year's nominees, including Restaurant of the Year and Chef of the Year. And mark your calendar for early July, when our Best New Restaurant tournament returns.

Participating nominees and more details will be announced soon, but grab your tickets now for a Tastemaker experience unlike any other.

tastemakers

Cheers to the Tastemakers

Tastemaker Awards toasts the best Texas restaurants and bars right now

The Charles

The Charles Dallas, Dallas Restaurant of the Year.

The mission of our annual CultureMap Tastemaker Awards is to shine a spotlight on the top restaurant and bar talent in Texas. This summer, we honored the best of the industry and celebrated their resilience with our first-ever virtual Tastemakers.

In true 2020 fashion, the Tastemakers transformed from an in-person party to an in-home tasting experience. We kicked things off with the Austin and San Antonio awards, sponsored by Dripping Springs Vodka, Oskar Blues Brewery, Grandes Vinos, and Topo Chico, on July 23. Dallas-Fort Worth followed on July 30, and we wrapped up in Houston on August 6.

Each event featured a streamed awards show hosted by the legendary Bun B, who first guided guests through the makings of the at-home party. Then, with the help of some special guests, he announced the local 2020 Tastemaker Awards winners. (If you missed the Austin show, you can watch it here.)

Nominees for each city were selected earlier this year by CultureMap editors and local panels of industry experts, including past winners. The panels then selected the winner in each category, except for Best New Restaurant, which was chosen by readers in our bracket-style tournament. This year, we also added a special Hero Award to honor individuals in the industry who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic.

Below, meet all of our 2020 Tastemaker winners, and join us in toasting them once again.

Austin