Events Calendar

The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards return to celebrate Houston’s top restaurant and bar talent for 2025. Our mission is to shine a spotlight on the people and places that make Houston a world-class culinary destination. Benefiting Southern Smoke Foundation.

We’re going back to the future…AGAIN! Just like in the hit 1985 film, we will look to the past with a pitstop in 2015 in order to preserve our future, honing in on what some of our chefs were up to during that very year. In addition to nostalgic favorites, the evening will also highlight current dishes made famous by our talented lineup of chefs—featuring our very own Doc, Houston chef, Eat Like a Local host and Southern Smoke Foundation co-founder Chris Shepherd, along with a few of his proteges: Patrick Feges, Erin Smith, Lyle Bento, Ryan Lachaine, Lucas McKinney, Kaitlin Steets, Nick Vera, Chris Bednorz, JD “Nooji” Woodward and Nick Fine.

In an intimate, family-style setting, these chefs will prepare a multi-course menu with wine and beverage selections hand-picked by Matthew Pridgen.

Reminiscent of the old days, we’ll gather around the butcher table—yes, THAT table—to share fun memories from cooking together and the stories behind each dish. And for old time’s, sake we’ll shotgun a beer or two! All proceeds benefit Southern Smoke Foundation.

“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” – Dr. Emmett Brown

Join us in 2025 for the ‘unofficial kick-off to the summer,’ a spectacular weekend of premier epicurean adventures at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen! This leading culinary event which has been a must-visit experience for four decades consists of three incredible days of cooking demonstrations, wine & spirit tastings, and panel discussions led by world-class chefs and beverage experts. In 2025, Food & Wine will continue its efforts to raise funds and awareness for culinary causes with Food & Wine Gives. Food & Wine will donate a portion of net proceeds to charity partners, No Kid Hungry and Southern Smoke Foundation.