Dallas’ next‑gen chefs named

CultureMap has named 10 Rising Star Chef of the Year nominees for Dallas in 2026, putting a new class of kitchen talent at the center of this year’s Tastemaker Awards. (dallas.culturemap.com) The 10 nominees are Belal Kattan of Bazaar, Benjamin Norton of Norman’s Japanese Grill, Brian Kim of Domodomo Ko, Eduardo Osorio of Meridian, Kelly Vargas of Curuba Colombian Kitchen, Mollie Guerra of Written By the Seasons, Reilly Brown of Rye, Scott Girling of Maison Chinoise, Sonia Mancillas of Via Triozzi, and Tatsuya Sekiguchi of Tatsu Dallas. (dallas.culturemap.com) The list is part of CultureMap’s annual Tastemaker Awards program, which also names nominees for Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, Bar of the Year, Best New Restaurant, Pastry Chef of the Year and Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year. (dallas.culturemap.com) The awards arrive after a stretch of restaurant turnover and openings in Dallas in 2025 and early 2026, with places such as Norman’s and Meridian among the additions or returns that reshaped where Dallas diners were spending money. (dallasobserver.com) (dmagazine.com) Several nominees are tied to restaurants that opened, reopened or gained momentum within the past year. Meridian returned after roughly a year of renovations with Eduardo Osorio in the kitchen, while Norman’s Japanese Grill opened in Oak Lawn in August 2025. (dmagazine.com) (dallasobserver.com) Belal Kattan’s nomination also reflects how Dallas diners are rewarding chefs who build followings outside the usual full-service model. D Magazine reported in February that his Bazaar pop-up was drawing word-of-mouth crowds with Syrian flavors and handmade noodles, and later previewed a collaboration dinner with Meridian. (dmagazine.com 1) (dmagazine.com 2) CultureMap’s 2026 Dallas Tastemaker Awards event is scheduled for May 7, when the publication says winners will be revealed. Until then, the Rising Star list functions as a snapshot of where Dallas restaurant ambition is landing right now: pop-ups, polished new openings, and dining rooms trying to define the city’s next wave. (dallas.culturemap.com)