This new offering from longtime
Houston restaurateurs Tracy Vaught and
Chef Hugo Ortega (of Backstreet Café fame)
is a lot of things – most of all,
it’s flat out good. Chef Ortega seems
to have found the perfect outlet for his
native Mexico City cuisine – this
is no Tex-Mex joint. The food is sophisticated
and innovative, and although the restaurant
does serve a mean Margarita, this is wine
food.
The wine list boasts outstanding
reds that match beautifully with the roasted
meats, smoky flavors, and flavorful sauces
that dot the menu. Sommelier Sean Beck
has crafted a beautiful list that
is helpfully organized (like the "Reds
to call upon when it’s móle time"
category) and fun to read. Plenty of great
white wine choices too, with big bold
Chardonnays that can stand up to the highly
seasoned cuisine leading the way.
Appetizers are lots of fun,
with starter-sized versions of many of
the entrée ingredients, like the Gorditas
Infladas con Tinga de Conejo – shredded
rabbit served with puffed masa crepes.
The stuffed ancho chile with chorizo and
potatoes is a standout, along with the
squash blossom soup and red snapper tamales.
If you’re craving something more
familiar, they make darn good guacamole
– you’ll even get some freshly
made tortilla chips. On the other hand,
we've been generally underwhelmed by the
tacos and quesadillas.
If appetizers are good (and
they are), the entrées are even better.
Garlicky shrimp spiked with lime-garlic
oil are light but super-flavorful. Traditionally
styled Cabrito and Carnitas are wonderfully
tender and full of flavor. Roasted
chicken is smothered in a smoky adobo
sauce. And the Chile Rellenos, bursting
with roasted chicken and cheese, are gathering
strength as the best version in town.
Desserts at Hugo’s
should not be missed – and we don’t
say that lightly. Given our wine tendencies,
we’re usually more interested in
a cheese course or just more wine, rather
than desserts that are too often a letdown.
But Hugo’s sweets are well worth
the indulgence. Made in-house and beautifully
presented, they’re all good. (Yes,
we’ve now tried them all…) Our
favorites were the Capirotada, a sort
of Mexican bread pudding with delicious
cane sugar syrup and crushed peanuts,
and the Chocolate Flan, a heavenly
creamy custard set-off against tart kumquat
sauce. Then again, the goat cheese
cake was exquisite, too. Creamy but tart
and not too sweet, served with a dollop
of blueberry compote.
The restaurant is housed
in a refurbished commercial building with
soaring ceilings bearing the original
tin tiles. Cushioned chairs, banquettes,
and leather barstools are all great looking
and comfy. Which is a good thing, given
the slightly slow (but terribly friendly)
service and deafening buzz. Such is the
price of being the latest hottest thing,
no? A big cup of the house coffee, Café
de Olla, spiked with heady cinnamon and
lightly sweetened, is just the thing to
sharpen you up after a wonderfully exhausting
evening. (09/02)
1602 Westheimer
Tel: 713.524.7744
Appetizers $4-9
Entrées $12-28
