Thanks for asking. I also am interested - but you might think about saying whether you want face-frame cabinets or frameless - lots of cabinet makers only do one or the other or at least prefer one over the other. (Also, whether mostly painted or stained might be useful too.)

Are you set on custom cabinets or have you considered prefabricated cabinets? We install a lot of kitchens and have seen *most* custom shops really start compromising on quality while some of the prefab companies have worked hard to improve their standards. We used to always recommend custom, but have been very disappointed to see that custom doesn't mean what it used to anymore. Also, don't just find someone that can "hang" the cabinets. If you don't use a good finish carpenter, things can go badly. This link gives some insight on why you really need to be choosy about your installer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Today's Cabinet Installers

Thank you for the suggestions. I was actually looking for a local cabinet maker rather than a particular brand of cabinet. If anyone knows of any please let me know.

flysonic, any update on who you finally went with and if you were satisfied with their work?

Yes I went with a reseller of Amish cabinets. Amish Cabinets of Texas. You can see many reviews of their work at Angie's List, if you are a subscriber. Their website is http://amishcabinetsoftexas.com/. I couldn't be happier with their work. The kitchen was finished in 2014. A year later I hired them to do the master bathroom, which was finished last year. Below are a couple threads of the reveal on both projects. they are currently working on my home office: some bookshelves and free standing cabinets

Kitchen: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2666370/wanted-to-share-pictures-of-my-kitchen-with-you?n=48

bathroom: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4083305/master-bathroom-reveal?n=27

I was going to recommend them. Super nice people. They gave us a quote and we really wanted to use them but because we were using the funds from fema we could not afford them.

Thanks so much for the info flysonic. I am a little apprehensive that the price might be out of my budget...and hate wasting anyone's time if they are! Quality is very important to me, but budget has a way of bringing me back down to earth!