For the fifth yr in a row, the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards consists of the class Greatest Pop-Up/Startup. It acknowledges food-based companies that don’t function in conventional bar or restaurant settings.
These entrepreneurs attain customers in a wide range of methods, together with on-line gross sales, farmers markets, and pop-ups at bars and breweries. It takes dedication — and a savvy social media presence — to construct a loyal following.
It’s additionally a strong path to success. Not solely have eating places resembling Tatemo, Chopnblok, and Avenue to Kitchen all participated on this class in years previous, they’ve gone on to realize nationwide acclaim.
Discover out which nominee takes the prize at our Tastemaker Awards ceremony April 3 at Silver Avenue Studios. Dine on bites from this yr’s nominees, sip cocktails from our sponsors, and witness as we reveal the winners. Purchase your tickets now earlier than they promote out.
Ally Barrera, Candy Bee Bakehouse
From her kitchen in Pearland, Barrera seems a variety of each croissants and different pastries. Followers come to her for a number of the Houston space’s finest butter croissants in addition to originals just like the Nutella Roll, which wraps crispy croissant dough round nutella pastry cream and chocolate chips. Barrera says her future consists of plans to maneuver to a business area, which may make her treats accessible on a each day, quite than a weekly, foundation.
Andrea de Gortari, The Bake Taking place
Houstonians flip to Gortari after they want an creative, customized cake for any event. From an area cowgirl theme to a placing a cute spin on a child’s love of bugs, Gortari all the time turns her buyer’s wild concepts right into a deliciously edible actuality. Folks may also discover her popping up at markets and supporting causes resembling hospitality well being nonprofit I’ll Have What She’s Having.
“The Bake Taking place is the place artwork, taste and chaos meet,” the baker tells CultureMap.”I concentrate on flavors and substances impressed by my lovely culture-rich metropolis, My blue and yellow marbled corn cookie with sal de totomoxtle (blue corn husk ash) is one in every of my finest sellers.”
Gabriel Gooley, Gabriel’s Goodies
One in all this yr’s first time nominees, Gooley has developed a loyal for his expertly-made chocolate chips cookies, sourdough bread loaves, and different creations — all of which promote out in minutes by way of weekly “drops” that he promotes by way of a rising Instagram account. A part of what units Gooley aside is how fastidious he’s about his substances and strategies. Since his sourdough is of course leavened, it takes three days to make, for instance.
“I take satisfaction and pleasure in every thing I make and hope everybody else does too,” he says.
Gabriel Medina, Subo
After closing Click on Digital Meals Corridor on the finish of 2022, Medina spent a while working as a personal chef. Now he’s again with this pop-up that celebrates his Filipino heritage. Served each Saturday on the City Harvest farmers market, Subo places a Filipino spin on breakfast with dishes resembling a garlic fried rice with selection of pork stomach, garlic ribeye, or coconut-chili greens. He’s additionally collaborating on dinners with different cooks, together with fellow nominee Suu Khin.
Garrett Rice and Ryan Kristensen, Bayou Butchers
Usually, dry-aged beef is simply served in steakhouses — as at Pappas Bros., which famously ages its beef in-house, however Bayou Butchers desires to vary that notion. Rice and Kristensen are showcasing the meat in sandwiches resembling a Philly cheesesteak, chopped cheese, and a Chicago-style Italian beef. “We’re right here to create a novel consuming expertise for everyone,” Rice explains.
Joseph Boudreaux, Boo’s Burgers
The chef has earned vast approval for his tackle the traditional smash burger. A part of the keenness stems from the care that goes into every burger, as Boudreaux grinds his personal meat, makes his personal pickles, and developed a customized burger sauce. All that spotlight element will serve Boudreaux properly when he opens a everlasting location on the Navigation Esplanade later this yr.
Luciana Emiliani, La Crumb
Each weekend, Emiliani posts up at Houston espresso outlets with a rotating menu of candy and savory treats. Simply don’t get too hooked up to anyone particular, as Emiliani likes to change issues as much as make the most of seasonal substances or pay homage to holidays.
“My favourite a part of my pop up is all the time after I inform individuals what I’ve baked for the day and I see their eyes kinda widen,” she tells CultureMap. “My aim is all the time to maintain a lil character in what I do and hold everybody’s requests in thoughts. All in all, I’m very grateful for everybody who comes out.”
Michelle Wallace, B’tween Sandwich Co.
After a profitable stint at Gatlin’s BBQ, the chef set out on her personal to show as soon as and for all that Houston has nice sandwiches. On the bimonthly Rice Village market and different occasions, diners line up for dishes like an egg and cheese on one in every of Wallace’s signature biscuits or globally-inspired sandwiches like a smoked lamb torta.
“There’s magnificence in reimagining meals and providers,” Wallace says. “We’re stretching the parameters of barbecue, sandwiches, and Southern-inspired meals and serving them, at a excessive degree, at farmers markets. And I believe that’s unimaginable!”
Ralph Palmer and Daniel Andrade, Deckle & Conceal
Impressed by the barbecue lessons he took at Fact BBQ and Austin’s LeRoy & Lewis Barbecue, Palmer, a podcast host and occasional CultureMap contributor, started popping up at native breweries in collaboration with Andrade, a welder, started infusing his Mexican heritage into Deckle & Hyde’s menus. The outcomes are fan favorites like birria tacos, charro-style beans with smoked pork, and the soon-to-be-famous Elote Jalapeño Cheese Sausage.
“We’re bizarre. Like actually bizarre. Spectacles, costumes, and meme-based barbecue occasions are all on the desk,” Palmer acknowledges. “The one factor our outfit takes critically is the the preservation of the craft and the way our little outfit suits into the story of Houston meals.”
Suu Khin, Burmalicious
After bursting onto the scene by making the finals of season 11 of the Gordon Ramsay cooking competitors present Masterchef, Khin has continued to construct a powerful following for flavorful Burmese fare. She even drew the eye of the James Beard Awards, which lately named her a semifinalist within the Rising Chef class. Whether or not at a market or her month-to-month look at Cucharita, she’s shared her tradition with dishes resembling laphet (tea leaf salad) or mohinga (lemongrass fish noodle soup).
“We’re on a mission to make Burmese delicacies extra accessible in Houston,” Khin affirms. Might a brick and mortar be far behind?
—-
The Tastemaker Awards program is dropped at you by Stella Artois, Topo Chico Glowing Mineral Water, PicMe Occasions, and extra to be introduced. A portion of proceeds will profit our nonprofit accomplice, the Southern Smoke Basis.
