Puebla

Chef Chat, Part 3: Ruben Ortega of Hugo's and the Traditional Foods of Mexico

This week, we've been chatting with Ruben Ortega of Hugo's and Backstreet Cafe. This is the third and final part of a three-part Chef Chat series. If you missed our previous posts, you can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. Ruben is the lesser known sibling of Hugo Ortega, and his official title at ... More >>

Cinco de Mayo

Celebrating Mexican culture with family-friendly events and lots of parties.

The Eating...Our Words 100: Enrique Bravo of Pollo Bravo on How Selling Chicken Helped Him Realize His American Dream

Who he is: Ask Enrique Bravo who he is, and he'll tell you, "I'm just a guy from Puebla, Mexico." Dig a little deeper and you'll find that he's much more than that. He's a restaurateur who's made it against all odds -- a guy who made a reality of his American dream. When he arrived on United Stat ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 3: Sylvia Casares of Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen and the Reason People Call Her Houston's Enchilada Queen

Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen 6401 Woodway Drive Tel: 713-334-7295 www.sylviasenchiladakitchen.com This is Part 3 of a three part Chef Chat series. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. This week, we became acquainted with a woman who plunked down all her life savings into a restaurant at the ... More >>

Cinco de Mayo As Celebrated in Five of America's Whitest Cities

Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow, meaning restaurants and bars are all going Mexican-themed with their specials and events. The day has grown to be a big deal in the U.S., if not Mexico, where it's not Mexican Independence Day or anything. Everyone's hopping on the Cinco de Mayo bandwagon, including some ... More >>

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Houston's Top 10 Margaritas

You don't have to wait for Cinco de Mayo to enjoy one of the city's favorite cocktails, but it doesn't hurt to have a few in celebration, either. Just remember to toast the Battle of Puebla (after all, that's what Cinco de Mayo commemorates -- not Mexican Independence Day.) 10. Sorrel Urban Bistro ... More >>

Where to Party This Cinco de Mayo

Salt, tequila and lime

Cinco de Mayo at Talento Bilingüe de Houston

Mac and More

This spot started out serving its namesake dish and nothing else. Expanding the menu was a good idea.

Fast Times: Fajitas Puebla Tacos At Taco Cabana

Don't gotta tell me twice. ​Oh, Taco C, how I love thee. Maybe it's because I lived off Taco Cabana tortillas and queso in college; every great night at the square or float down the river in San Marcos ended with a trip to TC. Drunk, sober or hungover, it hits the spot. So when I saw an ad f ... More >>

SPECIAL COMIDA EDITION: Who Harvested Maize First — the Aztecs, or the Mayans?

And what are the three milks of Pastel de Tres Leches?

The Enchilada Empress

Sylvia Casares keeps the crowds happy with her Tex-Mex classics.

Seis Ways to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

hispanicallyspeakingnews.comWow. I think I just felt my liver twitch. ​While many view Cinco de Mayo as a Mexican holiday, the United States was very much involved in the events that took place on May 5, 1862 in Puebla, Mexico. American Union soldiers fought side by side with the Mexican army ... More >>

Avoid the Clear Beer Bottles This Cinco de Mayo

You can't go wrong with a beautiful brown bottle.​"I don't drink much Mexican beer," laughed Justin Vann over the phone on Tuesday afternoon. I'd called on the beer and wine manager at Central Market in hopes of getting some recommendations for off-the-beaten path Mexican beers for Cinco de M ... More >>

First Look: Jus' Mac

​I have something to confess: I've been stalking Jus' Mac (2617 Yale) for quite some time now. I have basically used every excuse in the book for driving by the corner of 26th and Yale. As a diehard mac n' cheese fan, I have been very impatiently awaiting its opening. The building itself is ti ... More >>

Openings & Closings

It's not like they didn't warn you at Moon Tower Inn.​Two noteworthy restaurants opened this past week, noteworthy if only for the refreshing simplicity of their respective menus. The first of the two, Jus' Mac (2617 Yale), features -- as the name would suggest -- just macaroni and cheese. Bu ... More >>

Living La Vida Local at Hugo's

Courtesy of Paula MurphyHugo Ortega with some fresh tomatoes from his garden.​The last week of August marks the end of squash blossom season at Hugo's (1600 Westheimer), the restaurant that popularized the edible flowers here in Houston. Hugo Ortega, chef and owner, is sad that another season ... More >>

SPECIAL COMIDA EDITION

Mexican in the Big Apple

Chef Chat, Part 3: Sylvia Casares of Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen

​After discussing Sylvia Casares's unique cuisine, it was getting hard for me to hear her over my growling gut. She presented two sampler plates. The first came with beef carne asada, her famous chili-gravy enchilada, and grilled quail. The carne asada and quail were cooked on her mesquite gri ... More >>

Robb Walsh's 100 Favorite Houston Dishes: #39 Mole Poblano at Hugo's

​Over the course of the next few months, I'm counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others for their cultural or historical significance, and others because they are just so damn tasty. Share your own nominations in ... More >>

Game Time: Cinco De Mayo...Frenchies, Bye Bye-Oh!!

Mexico joins the not-so-exclusive "We kicked French ass" club​Go to any Cinco de Mayo celebration today and ask ten of the patrons what exactly they are celebrating and you're likely to get a range of answers that looks like this: -- Six drunks slurring that it's Mexico's Independence day -- Two ... More >>

Cinco De Mayo Tips and a Playlist For Gringos

​ All right, our non-native Mexican brothers. If you're going out tonight to have some Coronas, hit on drunk Latinas and take silly pictures while wearing a sombrero, at least try not to look like a total jerk. Rocks Off is going to help you, but we need to start by schooling you on the basics. ... More >>

Mexican Sandwiches at La Guadalupana

Photo by Katharine Shilcutt​No, it's not a torta. This is a cemita, a traditional Pueblan sandwich that's different from the omnipresent torta in several important ways: A cemita traditionally comes with avocado, raw onions, salsa roja, quesillo cheese and your choice of meat - nothing else ... More >>

Top 11 Houston Restaurant Openings of the Decade

Since I started my job as restaurant critic of the Houston Press in May of 2000, I've had a chance to observe the Houston restaurant scene for just about the entire decade. Our fine dining scene has evolved in the last ten years, and so have our ethnic cuisines. Houston became the birthplace of some ... More >>

Cold Sweats: Hot Foods for Cold Weather

Sylvia's enchilada tour​Leftovers are dwindling and we're all disgusted by turkey, but that doesn't necessarily mean we're left with cravings for salad. Why not continue to bask in the warmth of comfort food another week? Below are a few savory meals you probably didn't have last Thursday. Sy ... More >>

Comic Defense and Descendent Pride

The Reconquista and Mexican States

In the Little Stalls Behind Canino's: Papalo

Photo by Robb WalshAfter the item about the Mexican herb chepil appeared, Tracy Lee Vaught, of Backstreet Café and Hugo's, emailed me. "Next time you are at the market, pick up some papolo and put it in your tacos. It is quite peppery," she wrote. "Hugo uses the chepil in his rice when he can get ... More >>

2009 Cinco de Mayo Celebration

It was when the Mexicans defeated the French, damn it. Try to keep up.

Mexican Moors?

More likely than you think

Holy Mole! Cooking Class

Web exclusive!

Comics, MasterMinds, Revolutionaries, Apartments and Transsexuals

Comic Love

Greek 101

Robb Walsh wrote about Ekko's this week in the Press. A couple of days ago, someone asked me whether "gyros" was singular or plural and I thought I'd share this with you so that you can dazzle the Greek guy behind the counter the next time you're out and about. Like many words that come from fore ... More >>

Nuevos Huevos at La Guadalupana Bakery and Café

Be Thankful for Mole

  The photo here is of a tortilla enmolada at Otilia's, one of several restaurants in town that make mole from scratch. The mole of Mexico is a rich gravy, made of combining chile puree (reconstituted dried chiles), fruits, toasted bread, nuts, herbs and, in some cases, chocolate. The gravy is ... More >>

Authentic Cemitas at Puebla Bakery

Cinco de Mayo Festival

Houston artists Las Fenix and Fito Olivarez are headliners for the Mexican celebration at Miller Outdoor Theatre

Illegal Immigrants in the Restaurant Industry

Mexican immigrant Hugo Ortega went from washing dishes to owning Houston's best Mexican restaurant — now he has a few things to say about immigration

What's the Deal with Bikini Babes in Car Commercials?

Tall-Tale Tacos

Is Doneraki famous for its authentic Mexican food or for giving away chile con queso?

Home Sweet Home

Hugo's

Best Place to Pretend You're in the Hill Country

Juicy Juxtaposition

Al's Quick Stop serves up Mexican and Middle Eastern foods side by side

Best Restaurant

Hugo's

A Tale of Two Moles

To make from scratch or use a paste -- that is the question

August Meals

Siestas fit in perfectly with Houston's climate

The Authenticity Myth

The Mex-Mex issue

The Mother Flavor

With its fresh masa and mole straight from Puebla, La Bamba Meat Market gets in touch with its ancestral tastes

Taking It to the Street

El Taconazo is a transforming experience, in more ways than one

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