Everyone pulling their weight in Austin\u2019s food scene is important to its vitality. Some chefs disappear into their projects, giving every ounce of their energy to making spectacular food. Others become the face of the restaurant, drawing in crowds with the force of their personality.<\/p>\n
Either way, Austin\u2019s top chefs give the restaurant scene its all-important human element that staff, guests, and yes, even journalists can run with. The judges for the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards<\/a>, who include past winners and editorial staff, took that into account when choosing this year\u2019s batch of Chef of the Year nominees.<\/p>\n Find out which acclaimed nominee will win this Thursday, April 9 at the 2026 Tastemaker Awards<\/a> party at Distribution Hall. We\u2019ll dine on bites from this year\u2019s nominated restaurants and sip cocktails from our sponsors before revealing the winners in our short and sweet ceremony. We’re just days away from the big event, so be sure to buy your tickets<\/a> now, while they’re available. <\/p>\n You can meet all of the 2026 Tastemaker Award nominees in our special editorial series<\/a>. And don’t forget to vote<\/a> in the Best New Restaurant tournament. We\u2019re down to the final matchup: Moderna Bar & Pizza versus VanHorn\u2019s.<\/p>\n Now, step into the kitchen with our 10 nominees for Chef of the Year 2026:<\/p>\n Ben Savage, Kalimotxo Casey Wall, Le Calamar Daniela Landaverde and Rosa Landaverde, La Santa Barbacha Joseph Gomez, Sana Sana Taqueria Joseph Zoccoli, Casa Bianca Kareem El-Ghayesh, KG BBQ Laila Bazahm, Siti Michael Carranza, Tare Philip Speer, Comedor Tatsu Aikawa, Kemuri Tatsu-Ya —<\/p>\n The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards ceremony is sponsored in Austin by Maker’s Mark, Diplom\u00e1tico Rum, Fords Gin, Garrison at Fairmont Austin, Lone Star Beer, NXT LVL Event, Tequila Herradura, and more to be announced. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Central Texas Food Bank<\/a>.
<\/a>Ben Savage is the only chef de cuisine on this list, but he\u2019s essential for keeping Kalimotxo soulful. Since the Spanish restaurant and cocktail bar\u2019s move in 2024, it\u2019s gained a sense of permanence and gravitas \u2014 miraculously, without losing the light touch of the neatly executed tapas-based menu. <\/p>\n
<\/a>The French-Texan restaurant Le Calamar, successor to Korean wine bar Underdog, immediately made a strong mark when it opened in 2025. Chef Casey Wall moved to Austin to make it happen, and he did so in style, starting with all Texas-sourced ingredients and seafood from the Gulf of Mexico. Not only did Wall live up to expectations; he raised the bar.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Sisters Daniela and Rosa Landaverde have every right to brag about their Mexican culinary education \u2014 resulting in some of the city\u2019s prettiest and most delicious tacos \u2014 but after five years and high praise from the Michelin Guide and James Beard Foundation, they\u2019re as approachable as ever. Catch them anytime with smiles and a habit for shifting credit to their team and community.<\/p>\n
<\/a>After the closure of Con Todo, starting a new pop-up, and taking a \u201cjourney\u201d learning to nixtamalize corn, Chef Joseph Gomez has found a home for his South Texas-inspired tacos in downtown Austin. His use of artisanal Mexican ingredients adds a wealth of authentic flavor to every dish, and he pairs them with a passion for uplifting immigrant voices in the industry.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Casa Bianca\u2019s handmade pastas and fresh seafood are the result of two seemingly mismatched things in Joseph Zoccoli\u2019s life: Italian heritage and a decade of experience in Japanese cuisine. Experimental dishes like the crab and n’djua arancini and the hazelnut ragu cavatelli with lamb fit the restaurant\u2019s \u201cmaximalist\u201d M.O. while also serving elegance without pretension.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Most chefs will say food is about connecting with people. Pitmaster Kareem El-Ghayesh lives it. Not only does he use his Egyptian culture to serve some of the most unique barbecue in Texas, but he fires up his personal charm on TV shows, food tours, and more. It\u2019s fun to watch a local chef make a name nationally, but, so far, Austinites get the barbecue all to themselves.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Laila Bazahm earned her stripes as a restaurant owner with Spanish restaurant El Raval in 2023, and her new concept Siti has become a big success for Austin\u2019s Southeast Asian culinary scene. Most of Siti\u2019s menu offerings are meant to be shared family-style so guests can feel more connected during meals.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Tare chef and owner Michael Carranza is another South Texas native with a culinary background set in Austin sushi restaurants across town as well as his own private omakase business. At his first brick-and-mortar restaurant in North Austin, he emphasizes the chef-guest connection through a kappo-style omakase service.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Chef Philip Speer grounded himself in Austin\u2019s food scene with his Mexican restaurant, Comedor, and recently took on Sicilian fare with his new speakeasy endeavor, Garage Pizza. Speer also champions healthy habits within the local community with the Comedor run club and Ben\u2019s Friends, a sobriety coalition for hospitality professionals.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Tatsu Aikawa has range, from the acclaimed and adventurous Kemuri Tatsu-Ya to the casual Ramen Tatsu-Ya and more in between. The Tatsu-Ya landscape is always shifting, but it looks like the chef\u2019s capacity for making whimsy cool will always stay the same. With a so-far unrevealed new concept on the way, he has yet another shot at reinvention.<\/p>\n