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Owner/chef Hugo Ortega has become a Houston legend alongside wife and restaurateur Tracy Vaught - who also operates Prego, Trevisio and Backstreet Cafe - and their longtime sommelier, Sean Beck. The Hugo's team established the interior Mexican restaurant as one of the finest restaurants in the city, period, and set the bar for modern Mexican food across the country with their success. Ortega has continued to turn out stunning food since opening in Montrose in 2002, including his famous lamb barbacoa, mole poblano and the best Sunday brunch in town.
This is Part 2 of a three-part Chef Chat series. You can read Part 1 here, and Part 3 in this same space Friday. EOW: So at Hugo's, you're sort of the man behind the man. RO: Well, Hugo's the boss... More »
This is the first part of a three-part Chef Chat series. Come back to read parts two and three in this same space on Thursday and Friday. In the Houston food world, everyone knows Hugo Ortega. The c... More »
What she does: Tracy Vaught is the owner of Hugo's and Backstreet Cafe and a partner at Prego and Trevisio. ""I do all the planning, train managers, set all the standards for the restaurants, design... More »
From holiday classics like the Easter bunny and roast leg of lamb to Mexican-style brunch buffets and live bands, here's where to eat this Easter:Brunch Buffets: Cafe Chino 3285 Southwest Fwy. | 713-... More »
The finalists for this year's James Beard Foundation Awards were announced in several categories today that spanned the breadth of the food world from culinary writing to cooking. And just as Houston ... More »
Who needs to go to Vegas when you can get Sunday brunch at Hugo's? The Sunday all-you-can-eat brunch consistently offers an excellent sampling of regional Mexican cuisine that is the staple of Hugo's trademark. Beautiful shrimp and octopus salads, hearty rich seafood soups, rack of lamb and roasted pork ribs, along with traditional brunch fare of eggs Benedict and huevos rancheros, are just some of the savory items on rotation every Sunday. By 11 a.m., a live Mexican band starts playing... More »
The tequila selection alone at Hugo's -- more than 40 choices, counting its bottles of mezcal -- should indicate that you're in for a serious cocktail at this Mexican favorite. Sommelier Sean Beck dreams up exciting twists on the classic cocktail, like El Sueño Profundo with smoky mezcal, but it's the standard Hugorita for $7.50 that we like best. Created with Sauza Silver, Hiram Walker Triple Sec, simple syrup and fresh lime juice, it's mixed tableside. We also love the Y... More »
The mushroom tamales at Hugo's are mind-blowing. Mushroom tamales may sound like an upscale spin on Mexican food, but they're actually very traditional. Hugo Ortega serves mushroom tamales as a side dish with lamb and makes another kind of mushroom tamal called a zacahuil for an appetizer. The zacahuil is made by layering banana leaves in a clay pot and then baking the tamales inside. Ortega explains that mushrooms are part of the traditional cuisine of Veracruz, Oaxaca, Puebla and Tlaxcala,... More »
The restaurant roasts its own cocoa beans and grinds them by hand in an old-fashioned stone mill that chef-owner Hugo Ortega brought back from Oaxaca. The fresh-ground cocoa paste is used to make its signature mole poblano, as well as the cup of hot chocolate that comes with some of the desserts. Seasonal dishes at Hugo's, like the chiles en nogada, are better than the supposedly definitive versions found in Mexico City. Hugo's serves chiles en nogada through the fall or as long they can get... More »
Forget nachos, tacos and Tex-Mex in general. At Hugo's, the brunch features regional Mexican cuisine at its finest. Set the scene with Bloody Marias or a pomegranate mimosa and enjoy the live music coming from the upstairs balcony before venturing to the elaborately decorated buffet. It contains an incredible variety of delectable dishes not found in your average cantina. Start out with a soothing corn soup; then try the sweet corn pudding or the delicious ceviche or the ensalada de nopales... More »
Hugo Ortega's upscale version of Mexican cuisine draws on his family's roots in Puebla, as well as on his training in the Houston restaurant business. The bar is loaded with premium tequilas, the guacamole is outstanding, and they make their own tortillas. Mexican-food enthusiasts will delight to find such exotica such as huitlacoche and squash blossoms on the seasonal specials list. The botanas platter, a huge appetizer assortment, is a good way to sample lots of offerings. But for a tour... More »
Goat isn't the kind of meat you just throw on the grill and smother with a slice of cheddar. Roasted long and slowly, good cabrito is as hard to come by in Houston as a village campfire. But the closest thing you'll find to the real deal -- the Mexican pueblito method of steaming a cabra whole in a pit of flames -- can be found on a table amid the socialites at Hugo's. Here the chefs wrap big pieces of goat in banana leaf along with chile de arbol, morita peppers, avocado and bay leaves.... More »
Did Hugo Ortega know he was creating the most cutting-edge Mexican food in town when he opened his eponymous restaurant? Or was he simply paying homage to the diversity and culinary gifts of his homeland? Either way, he's at the forefront of 21st-century Mexican cuisine -- both locally and nationally. First-timers can expect to be challenged and surprised by the menu offerings: pato en mole poblano (roasted duck in red mole), cabrito (roasted goat meat pulled from the bone) and conejo... More »
Houston is a Mexican food town. And Hugo's Mexican food is among the best in the nation. Rick Bayless in Chicago and Zarela Martinez in New York are chef Hugo Ortega's main competitors -- few others come close. As a native of Puebla who received his culinary training here, Ortega has a big advantage. His grasp of Mexican flavors is so confident that he doesn't feel the need to prove himself all the time. While others slavishly imitate out-of-date Mexican culinary concepts in the name of... More »
Chef Hugo Ortega, long the top toque at Backstreet Cafe, is now turning out cutting-edge Mexican food at this stunning new spot on Westheimer's restaurant row. You won't find any nachos, fajitas or chips and salsa here. What you will find is roasted rabbit in guajillo adobo with mashed sweet potatoes and jicama-radish salad, and quesadillas stuffed with mushrooms and huitlacoche. Chef Hugo is smart enough to call his cooking "original Mexican food" rather than fall into the authenticity... More »
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