Xochi

Xochi at 1777 Walker Street in downtown Houston is chef Hugo Ortega's second major restaurant project and his most focused expression of Oaxacan cuisine in the United States. Named for the Aztec goddess of flowers and beauty, Xochi opened in 2017 inside the Marriott Marquis Houston adjacent to the George R. Brown Convention Center, giving it both a hotel-dining function and an independent culinary identity that earned immediate critical attention. The kitchen focuses on the ingredients and techniques of Oaxaca, Mexico's most culinarily complex state: the seven moles of Oaxacan tradition are represented and made from scratch using dried chiles, chocolate, nuts, and spices toasted and ground in-house. Tlayudas—large Oaxacan flatbreads topped with black bean paste, string cheese, and meat or vegetables—arrive from a wood-burning oven. The chocolate program reflects Oaxaca's deep connection to cacao, from savory applications in mole to desserts built around single-origin chocolate. The mezcal and agave spirits selection is the most extensive in Houston, spanning artisanal mezcal producers from Oaxaca and Guerrero alongside house cocktails that use mezcal as a base spirit. Weekend brunch extends the menu into morning applications of Oaxacan ingredients, drawing downtown Houston residents and hotel guests equally. The dining room is elegantly appointed with folk art references and warm colors that channel the visual culture of Oaxacan craft. Ortega and his wife Tracy Vaught's restaurant group also operates Hugo's and Backstreet Café in Houston, making Xochi part of a collection that represents some of the strongest Mexican regional cooking in the southern United States.