Benjy Levit’s Native Meals Group isn’t afraid to modify issues up. Constructing on their latest successes of reworking French restaurant Eau Tour into smash hit Italian restaurant Milton’s and wine bar Lees Den into cocktail bar Lee’s, the corporate has made some main modifications to Maximo, its Mexican restaurant within the coronary heart of West College Place.
Despite the fact that Maximo opened final spring as an evolution of El Topo, the food-truck-turned restaurant, modifications wanted to be made, LFP artistic and culinary director Seth Siegel-Gardner tells CultureMap. As a substitute of a neighborhood-focused, quick informal restaurant that primarily serves taco and burgers, the corporate determined to remodel Maximo right into a extra destination-worthy Mexican restaurant that higher utilized the skills of 26-year outdated govt chef Adrian Torres.
“We had been fortunate sufficient to have Adrian right here from the start, even earlier than Native Meals Group joined the staff right here,” Siegel-Gardner says. “We’ve got this superb expertise within the constructing. Why don’t we let him use his voice with the meals? That’s what we’re getting with this new menu and the relaunch.”
Starting this Wednesday, January 15, Maximo will reopen with a brand new menu created by Torres (with some steering from Siegel-Gardner). Whereas each Maximo and El Topo all the time nixtamalized corn for tortillas, the brand new iteration will lean extra closely into masa — part of the menu Torres calls his “delight and pleasure” — with a devoted part on the menu that features a shrimp tostada, cochinita pibil sope, bean and cheese tetela, masa cornbread with butter and caviar, and extra. Though the El Topo barbacoa taco is gone (at the least for now), the tempura mushroom, brisket suadero, and crispy fish tacos all stay out there.
Whereas Torres, whose resume consists of each Hugo Ortega’s Xochi and Michelin Bib Gourmand Stomach of the Beast, desires his delicacies to make the most of Mexican substances and strategies, he’s additionally keen so as to add in just a few world touches that showcase his data of Peruvian, Japanese, and French strategies. Tikin Xic Papillote is a riff on salt-crusted fish that makes use of a masa crust diners will crack open. Each a yakitori grill and smoker from Texas fabricator Mill Scale powers the menu’s smoked pork chop, grilled oysters, and roasted rooster. Taken collectively, they’re the sort of dishes that diners will probably wish to expertise throughout a 3 or four-course meal.
“I’ve realized what the house is able to, what our company actually get pleasure from. I’m lastly able the place I could be heard on that opinion,” Torres says. “I all the time imagined this constructing as a hidden gem the place individuals are driving by means of the neighborhood. They arrive right here, they’re getting lovely meals, artistic cocktails, a fantastic wine listing, and nice hospitality. That’s one thing i’m actually excited for.”
Serving to ship that nice wine listing and nice cocktails are two different latest additions to Native Meals Group — wine director Mark Sayre, who got here to the corporate from March, and director of bars Máté Hartai, a veteran of Tongue-cut Sparrow and Refuge. Siegel-Gardner pictures showcasing the restaurant’s meals, wine, and cocktails in an reasonably priced tasting menu.
“I would like there to be a small, perhaps five-course tasting menu that can rotate continually as effectively,” he says. “You possibly can do that fast, quick, rally attention-grabbing tasting by means of the menu. A five-course for $55 or $60. After which mixed-beverage pairings: agaves, a Mexican sake. [Mixed beverage pairings] had been tremendous well-liked at The Go. I feel it speaks to Adrian’s model of cooking, and we’re highlighting Máté and Mark from the staff as effectively.”
To associate with the brand new menu, Maximo can be altering its hours. The restaurant will solely serve dinner on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday with brunch and dinner out there Friday-Sunday (closed Tuesday). All of those modifications exhibit the corporate’s willingness to maintain tinkering till it finds one thing that resonates with diners as a lot as its namesake sandwich store Native Meals does.
“I wish to assume that Native Meals Group ideas are ever-changing and all the time enhancing
to please the likes and palates of Houstonians and guests,” Levit provides.”The extraordinary staff now we have in place can dream, pivot, and execute thoughtfully and swiftly, and I feel others will see that precept at work with the modifications at Maximo. We’re actually proud to spotlight, rally round, and complement chef Adrian’s creations by means of service, drinks, and extra.”
