Xochi Will Bring Oaxacan Dishes and Edible Insects to Houston in January

Dynamic duo chef Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught have finally revealed new details about their forthcoming restaurant, Xochi. On Thursday, the H Town Restaurant Group confirmed that the full-service eatery headed for Marriott Marquis Houston Downtown hotel will debut in next month with an Oaxacan-inspired menu.

“Oaxaca is so rich with culinary diversity and traditions and is a place I never tire of visiting,” chef Ortega says in a statement. “Its large size and numerous geographic regions hold endless interest for me as a chef and as a Mexican native.”

Courtesy of Xochi

Xochi will serve a variety of dishes from the coastal region of Mexico including tlayudas (large, crunch tortillas topped with beef, pork, and other ingredients), Queso del Rancho (cheese paired with fried pork belly, guacamole, and “a trio of insects”), and Barbacoa de Res de Zaachila (braised skirt steak rolled with hoja santa, guajillo and costeño pepper broth, potato, carrots, and masa dumplings). Diners can also expect a whole section of the menu devoted to regional styles of mole.

Courtesy of Xochi

Pastry chef Ruben Ortega will be bringing an array of traditionally prepared chocolate-based desserts to Xochi alongside dishes devoted to Oaxacan herbs and native fruits. Barside, Xochi will be very on-trend with its salute to Mezcal, an Oaxacan spirit that’s having a moment at restaurants across the country.

The Marriott Marquis-based eatery will join a family of acclaimed H Town restaurants that includes Hugo’s, named one of America’s essential dining spots by Eater critic Bill Addison this fall. The restaurant is slated to open in early January 2017. Stay tuned.

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• It’s (Almost) Official: Chef Hugo Ortega Plans Restaurant For New Downtown Hotel [EHOU]