APRIL 12-19, 2017
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Best Brewmaster Gabe Montoya (DeadBeach Brewery) Gabe Montoya is an OG to the El Paso beer scene. Although DeadBeach Brewery opened less than two years ago, he’s been brewing on a large scale for about 10 years. He got his start at Jaxon’s Restaurant & Brewing Company brewing for seven years. When it closed down in 2012, he and fellow brewer Justin Ordoñez thought to open up their own brewery. Fast forward to today and that dream has proved that Montoya isn’t just a guy with a couple of recipes and tricks up his sleeve, but a man with vision – vision to realize that a love of El Paso means making it known beyond the city limits. One of El Paso’s few breweries, Deadbeach has reached out all the way to San Antonio via Hoppy Monk. They’re the first to sign on with a distributor (Ben E. Keith) to get their beer farther out into Texas. “I compare us to Odell, Adelbert’s in Austin and St. Arnold’s in Houston,” Montoya said of Deadbeach. “We keep ourselves at such a high mark, because that’s what we deserve.” He said the beers he brews are an homage to the city he loves. “Made for El Paso, by El Paso.” DeadBeach Brewery, 406 Durango St, El Paso, TX 79901, 855-915-2337, DeadBeach.com Runner-up: Albert Salinas, Ode Brewing – 53233 N. Mesa St., 915-351-4377
he’s been at the restaurant nearly every morning and night, perfecting Catteman’s steaks and taking pride in his team’s work. “We run so many tests on everything and we buy meat from the packer directly so that we get specific sizes of everything that we want,” Sanchez said. “We age our own meat, which takes a long time, and it takes a lot of planning.” If you want steak tips, don’t even try getting any of Cattleman’s recipes; those are top secret. “We have 150 employees, but probably only four or five people know the recipes,” Sanchez said. “They sign paperwork where you can’t disclose recipes.” Cattleman’s Steakhouse, 3450 S Fabens Carlsbad Rd, Fabens, TX, 915-544-3200
Cheers to brothers Matt and Joe Poe of Blackbird Cantina Deluxe!
Best Bartender Poe Brothers
(Blackbird Cantina Deluxe) This is the second year in a row twin brothers Matt and Joe Poe won the title Best Bartender. Now they each have an award they can hang next to their trademark Depression-era hats! The second and third most famous Poes in El Paso (R.I.P. to the homie Dick), they both got into bartending through other passions: skateboarding and punk rock. Making connections through those communities, it was Matt who initially took to bar backing and brought Joe on as a member of the Lowbrow Palace team. Now at Blackbird Cantina Deluxe – last year’s winner for Best Tasting Mixed Drinks – these self-taught brothers not only have signature looks, but signature cocktails. Ask for the Steve McQueen and you’ll be drinking a bit of all of
Matt’s favorite things in a single drink – chocolate and bourbon. Truly friendly and courteous guys, there isn’t a ZZ Top joke they haven’t heard, so save yourself the embarrassment. Blackbird Cantina Deluxe, 533 W Franklin Ave, El Paso, TX 79901, facebook.com/BlackbirdCantina. Runner-up: Taylor Aikman, King’s X – 4119 N Mesa St., 915-544-4795, TheKingsX.com
Best Chef Ben Sanchez (Cattleman’s Steakhouse) Since he was a kid, Ben Sanchez had a passion for cooking. “I just basically fell in love with the kitchen,” Sanchez said. He’s been at Cattleman’s Steakhouse since 1987 and took charge of the kitchen in ’91. Since then,
Runner-up: Rudy Valdes, Crave – 300 Cincinnati Ave, 915-351-367; 8889 Gateway Blvd W, 915-599-9866; 631 Resler Dr., 915-581-2213; 11990 Rojas Dr., 915-5947971, CraveKitchenAndbBar.com
Best Chiropractor Dr. Ben Leyva (My Life Chiropractic) Dr. Ben Leyva is a living testament to the power of chiropractic. He knows firsthand how much the practice can transform patients’ lives, because it helped him avoid surgery after a basketball injury in college. Since then, he’s made it his mission to help others going through similar tribulations. Leyva says his upbringing inspired him to help his community. “I was born in Segundo Barrio in 1984 in not such good socioeconomic conditions, and people in the community have always been there for me to give me advice, to guide me, to show me how to be
Dr. Ben Leyva
a good person to others,” Leyva said. “I feel a deep sense of commitment to try and give back to others.” His website outlines what patients can expect from their initial visits as they embark on a journey to improve their physical well-being. Still feeling uneasy about chiropractic? Just skim through Dr. Leyva’s reviews for further proof of the high-quality care you can expect. “Hands down the best staff and chiropractic care I have received,” wrote patient Syvannah Ramirez. The care she received also helped prevent the need for surgery. “I don’t have any more back pain. I feel normal again. Seeing Dr. Leyva has been the best decision I could have made for my health.” 1393 George Dieter Ste. E, 915-228-4915, MyLifeChiroPracticElPaso.com. Runner-up: Dr. Liliana Sifuentes – 9005 Dyer St. Ste B, 915-751-9791 Balance4LifeChiro.com