Mediterranean grill house Ladino and James Beard finalist John Russ were the big winners Thursday night at the annual CultureMap San Antonio Tastemaker Awards.
Russ claimed Chef of the Year honors for his work at Clementine while Ladino was named Outstanding Restaurant at an awards ceremony held at the Briscoe Museum.
“A lot of hard work went into Ladino being open” in 2022, said corporate chef Danny Parada, who accepted the award for chef Berty Richter who was in Israel. “We’re happy everyone has been accepting of us. It feels great to win this.”
The Tastemaker Awards drew hundreds of guests and dozens of nominees for a night honoring San Antonio’s top restaurant, chef and bar talent for 2025.
Alessia Benavides claimed Pastry Chef of the Year for her work at Chocolatl while rock-n-roll bar Gimme Gimme was named Bar of the Year.
Also: Roadmap Brewing Co. won for Brewery of the Year, Freight Fried Chicken captured Best New Restaurant, Cullum’s Attagirl was named Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year and Folklores Coffee House claimed Best Coffee Shop.
A panel of 11 judges, which included industry experts and past winners, voted for all Tastemaker Awards except one. CultureMap readers determined the Best New Restaurant winner.
The awards ceremony and tasting event featured food and drink samples from a range of kitchens, bakeries and bars, such as Best Quality Daughter, Gimme Gimme, Freight Fried Chicken, Rooster Crow Bakery and Back Unturned Brewing Co.
Clementine, known for its globally-inspired seasonal menu in Castle Hill, drew lots of attention Thursday evening.
Russ emerged from a strong field of 10 finalists to capture Chef of the Year. A 2023 James Beard finalist for Best Chef: Texas, Russ’s Clementine was a Tastemaker finalist for Restaurant of the Year. His wife, Elise Russ, was a Tastemaker finalist for Pastry Chef of the Year.
In 2024, Clementine won the Tastemaker Award for Best Neighborhood Restaurant.
Chef and restaurateur Nicola Blaque captured another Tastemaker Award. A two-time Tastemaker Chef of the Year, her new concept, Freight Fried Chicken, won for Best New Restaurant.
Freight is Blaque’s tribute to Black women who worked as waiter carriers in the South in the late 1800s.
“This win is not about me,” Blaque said. “It’s about the women waiter carriers. This win is for them.”
