A Taste of Tastemakers
Foodies gather at Tastemakers to celebrate the best of Austin's restaurant and bar scene
- A sold-out crowd gathered at Brazos Hall for the 2015 Tastemakers.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Olive oil cake from Arro.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Bites from Juliet.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Savory samples from 416 Bar & Grille.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Sala & Betty.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Sweets from Pastry Chef of the Year Callie Speer of Swift's Attic.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Noble Sandwich Co.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Delicious bites from Lucky's Puccias & Pizzeria.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- The team from Arro.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Best New Restaurant npminee Fixe.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- The lines were long for legendary Black's Barbecue.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Apis Restaurant and Apiary served refined, crowd-pleasing fare.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Brett Andrade, Anja Marie, Eric Rogers, and Brooke Shenkin goof off in the photo booth.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Jacoby's Restaurant and Mercantile dished up delicious bites.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Laura Furr, Jordan Slagter, Shannon Kolensky, and Sibylle Rhein.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- A guest congratulates 416 Bar & Grille on the delicious bites.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Jessica Sanders of drink.well. prepares cocktails for guests.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Rene Castro, Dania Abbasi.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Michele Giese, Bryan Landes.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Silver coin margaritas made with Herradurra Tequila were a hit.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Guests in the Cadillac lounge area snacked on Tiny Pies.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Margaret Metz, Evelyn Sher, Lindsey McCalmont.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Robert Blackard, Rachel Pond.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Carley Dunavant of the JW Marriott prepared cocktails for guests.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Megan Behrens, Matthew Confer.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Allison Winslett, Maria Palazzo, Karisa Burke, Kait Weiland.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Herradura Tequila was on hand.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Guests sipped beers from Alaskan Brewing Company and Odell Brewing Company.Photo by Shelley Neuman
- Wine was served by The Austin Winery.Photo by Shelley Neuman
At the Tastemaker Awards, we celebrate Austin's top food and drink talent. And on Tuesday, guests of the fourth annual affair got a taste of some of the best — and newest — culinary offerings in the city.
Chefs, bartenders and foodies sipped signature cocktails, sampled fabulous fare and celebrated this year's stellar group of nominees. Winners of the 2015 Tastemakers were announced live throughout the evening, starting with Jason Stevens of Bar Congress. The bartender, who is a fixture in Austin's craft cocktail scene, snagged the Bartender of the Year award, and Bar Congress was named Bar of the Year.
Drinks in hand (silver coin margaritas made with Herradura Tequila, beer by Alaskan Brewing Company and Odell Brewing Company, and wine from The Austin Winery were a hit), guests circled the room sampling bites from 2015 Tastemaker nominees. Highlights included Kin & Comfort's Asian fusion offering, savory pumpkin panna cotta from soon-to-open Juliet, and signature puccias from Lucky's Puccias and Pizzeria. The line for legendary Black's Barbecue was well worth the wait.
Sweet cravings were satisfied by an assortment of desserts, including adorable offerings from Tiny Pies, Tiff's Treats courtesy of Cadillac, and several goodies from Pastry Chef of the Year winner Callie Speer of Swift's Attic.
Spotted in the crowd: Erica Waksmunski, Brandon Fuller, Drew Curren, Shawn Cirkiel, Evelyn Sher, Rene Castro, Dania Abbasi, Tom Thornton and Matt McGinnis. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit the Austin Food & Wine Alliance.
