Pitmaster IndexTootsie Tomanetz
Pitmaster
Tootsie Tomanetz
Snow's BBQ55+ years activeLexington, TX
“I'm going to do this until the good Lord tells me I can't.”
Signature:Brisket — cooked with a subtlety and tenderness that reveals itself over multiple bites, not on the first one
Norma Frances 'Tootsie' Tomanetz has been cooking BBQ since the 1960s, and at 87 years old she still arrives at Snow's BBQ at 1am every Saturday to light the fires. When Texas Monthly named Snow's the best BBQ in Texas in 2008, Tootsie became an overnight celebrity — though she'd been quietly mastering her craft for decades. She was featured in the Netflix documentary series 'Chef's Table: BBQ' in 2020, introducing her story to a global audience.
Philosophy
I don't have a secret. I just get up early and tend the fire. The fire does the rest.
Technique
All post-oak wood in custom offset smokers. Starts fires at 1am for an 8am opening. Cooks by feel, not thermometer. Decades of muscle memory.
Recognition
- Texas Monthly #1 BBQ in Texas (2008)
- Netflix Chef's Table: BBQ (2020)
- Texas BBQ Hall of Fame
Influences
Her grandfather's ranch cookingCentral Texas farm tradition