News from My Table
Winners Announced at the 2008 Houston Culinary Awards
Houston’s culinary creme de la creme gathered at the Glass Wall on Sunday, October 5, for My Table magazine’s 12th Annual Awards for Culinary Excellence in Houston. The gala reception and dinner was hosted by Lance Fegen, the 2007 Restaurateur of the Year, and My Table publisher Teresa Byrne-Dodge.
You can view photos online at Kim Coffman Photo.
Houston’s top chefs, restaurateurs, industry professionals and local “foodies” gathered to honor winners of the 2008 Houston Culinary Awards with a special tribute to Bear Dalton, recipient of the 10th Legends of Houston Restaurants Award. A donation was made to the Houston Food Bank’s Kids Cafe program.
The 2008 Houston Culinary Awards winners are:
Restaurateur of the Year
Bryan Caswell & Bill Floyd (co-owners, Reef)
Chef of the Year
Bryan Caswell (Reef)
Up-and-Coming Chef of the Year
(age 35 or younger)
Jeff Axline (Olivette/The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa)
Outstanding Wine Service
Reef
Pastry Chef
Catherine Rodriguez (The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa)
Bar Service
Gravitas
Service Person of the Year
(Includes dining room managers and wait staff)
Kathryne Castellanos (Brennan’s)
Houston Classic
(A new category honoring a restaurant in business for 10 or more years. It replaces Caterer of the Year.)
Brennan’s
Best Interior Design
The Grove
Best New Restaurant
(Open since June 1, 2007)
The Grove
Underwriters of the 2008 Houston Culinary Awards include My Table, Glass Wall, Republic National Distributing Co., Central Market, Schepps Dairy, the Grand Wine & Food Affair, Sysco Corp., A la Carte Foodservice and Winn Meat Company. Winners of the 2008 Houston Culinary Awards were presented hand-crafted glass and wrought iron awards created by local artist Gene Paul Michal.
The Houston Culinary Awards were founded in 1997 to recognize and honor local chefs, restaurants and restaurateurs exhibiting high standards and likely to make a lasting impact for years to come. In its first two years, four awards were presented; the list was expanded to 10 awards in 1999.
