{"id":68020,"date":"2024-09-18T00:01:14","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T06:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68020"},"modified":"2026-04-12T11:36:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T17:36:53","slug":"mixtli-san-antonio-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68020","title":{"rendered":"Mixtli – San Antonio, Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mixtli, Maybe The Best Mexican Restaurant In the Country<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A quote attributed to Marcel Marceau, the French mime famous for his sad-faced clown, aptly describes my attempts at describing a meal at Mixtli: \u201cDo not the most moving moments of our lives find us without words<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 (not that being without words has ever stopped me). Life\u2019s events often include moments which move you deeply and stir your very soul. My inaugural dining experience at Mixtli was not so profound and cathartic as to move me to drastically change my life, but it certainly prompted a stirring awakening as I experienced what was conceivably the best restaurant meal I’ve ever had.<\/p>\n

Several of the other effusive reviews I\u2019ve written are mere hyperbole in comparison to what I\u2019d like to say about Mixtli if I was skilled enough to do so. Mixtli is simply the best restaurant in which I’ve dined (yes, even better than Topolobampo<\/strong><\/a>).\u00a0 It’s so far superior to other restaurants I previously thought were outstanding that I scaled down my ratings for many of them.\u00a0 Mixtli is so much more than\u00a0 a restaurant that serves a great meal.\u00a0 It’s a restaurant that will give you a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable dining experience.\u00a0 From start to finish, you’ll be attended to by personally by a dynamic and knowledgeable staff.\u00a0 Consider yourself in the lap of luxury.<\/p>\n

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The Mixtli Dining Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mixtli translates to “cloud” in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs.\u00a0 Like a cloud, a meal at Mixtli is ethereal, as if floating over the nation which inspired its culinary fare.\u00a0 If your conception of Mexican food includes such adjectives as heavy, cheesy, spicy, unhealthy and fatty, Mixtli will blow those misconceptions out of the water.\u00a0 As Mixtli’s website explains, “To define Mexican cuisine is impossible. Mexico is as diverse as it is vast. Within its borders lie rocky mountains, humid jungles, arid deserts, and endless coasts: a stark diversity that forced each region to develop uniquely rich cultural and culinary histories<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

Mexico is a tapestry of diverse cultures, traditions, and languages. Each of its 31 states boasts its own unique identity in terms of gastronomy, culture and identity.\u00a0 Even the nickname differs for inhabitants of each state. Mixtli celebrates the diversity of Mexico’s cusine with state- or region-specific menus focusing on the gastronomy unique to that state or region: \u00a0“Like clouds, our menu travels from place to place offering a tour in Mexican gastronomy. If the state has a border with the ocean, we start our trek on the coast and work inland, bringing dishes specifically from that region or state. After each season, the cloud travels to other lands and we begin again<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

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Mixtli’s Bar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the night of my inaugural visit, the region being honored was the “Tierra Caliente<\/em>” or “hot land,”\u00a0 a cultural and geographical “region in southern Mexico that comprises some low-elevation areas of the states of Michoac\u00e1n, Guerrero and Mexico. As the name suggests, the region is characterized by a hot climate. The overall precipitation is also low – around 24-inches per year, but can be as low as 16-inches in some low-lying areas of Michoac\u00e1n and Guerrero.”\u00a0 <\/em>I’m intimately acquainted with the cuisine of Michoac\u00e1n, “the soul of Mexico,” but not of Guerrero.<\/p>\n

If you’re wondering how a restaurant can be so familiar with the cuisine in 31 Mexican states whose cuisine can be diametrically different, remember that San Antonio is the home of the University of Texas – San Antonio (UTSA).\u00a0 UTSA is home to the nation\u2019s largest Mexican cookbook collection<\/strong><\/a>, dating to the 1700s. The recipes used on Mixtli’s menu are taken directly from those tomes.\u00a0 UTSA provides a unique opportunity to interact with the collection.\u00a0 UTSA boasts about 2,500 books and manuscripts for chefs and writers to explore and Mixtli’s chefs do so regularly.\u00a0 Many of the texts have been translated and digitized for the general public to peruse and enjoy.<\/p>\n

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Sandita Fresca<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mixtli is the brainchild of \u00a0chef-owners Diego Galicia, a native of Toluca, Mexico and Rico Torres, a scion of El Paso, Texas.\u00a0 Though highly regarded chefs on their own, the two saw the opportunity to collaborate as a way to realize their shared vision of exploring Mexican cuisine from ancient to modern times through their collective lenses.\u00a0 \u00a0In 2013, they leased a renovated railroad car in Olmos Park.\u00a0 Their liliputian enterprise was much smaller than their goals with only one long twelve-seat communal table to accommodate all guests.\u00a0 The restaurant quickly became a runaway success.\u00a0 By 2017 Food & Wine<\/em>\u00a0named the pair\u00a0to its list of best new chefs in the country. A year later\u00a0they were semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation\u2019s Best Chef: Southwest award.<\/p>\n

It soon became apparent that the only limit to Mixtli’s continued growth and success was its tiny quarters.\u00a0 Reservations for the twelve seats were the toughest ticket in town.\u00a0\u00a0 After significant searching, they found an airy location in the flourishing Southtown neighborhood.\u00a0 The indefatigable co-owners designed the space and selected the furniture and art themselves. Mixtli began a new era in June, 2021.\u00a0 Their new venue seats up to 43 diners, including overflow space on a patio.\u00a0 On the Wednesday evening of my visit, ten diners had the entire restaurant to themselves.<\/p>\n

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Corunda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though no restaurant would be successful without swelling crowds, the benefit to diners is an intimate atmosphere with more singularly-focused attention from the staff.\u00a0 At Mixtli that meant frequest visits from bar manager Lauren Beckman and sommelier extraordinaire Hailey Pruitt as well as from a certified spirits specialist (SSS) whose name escapes me.\u00a0 The trio put up with all my questions and compliments.\u00a0 One of the factors that made my visit to Mixtli a culinary experience and not solely an extraordinary meal was the delivery of each course by the chefs.\u00a0 On each visit, the chef explained the provenance of each dish, its ingredients and the technique employed to create it.\u00a0 They, too, were bombarded with questions and compliments I might not have been able to give had the restaurant been full.\u00a0 UPDATE<\/strong>:\u00a0 In November, 2024, Laren and Hailey were well-deserving recipients of 2024 the MICHELIN Guide Texas Outstanding Service Award<\/strong><\/a> Winners.<\/p>\n

Arriving thirty-minutes early, I was escorted to Mixtli’s magnificent bar.\u00a0 Though “bar” is usually something I equate only to soap, bar manager Lauren Beckman made me feel right at home.\u00a0 She regaled me with her experiences at the 2024 James Beard Foundation’s annual award ceremonly.\u00a0 Though Mixtli did not win the Foundation’s coveted national award for “Outstanding Restaurant,” it was one of five finalists.\u00a0 That gives it an exclusivity and prestige that ranks it among the country’s very best.\u00a0 UPDATE<\/strong>: In November, 2024, Mixtli became one of fifteen restaurants<\/strong><\/a> from the Lone Star State to earn a star from the MICHELIN Guide Texas.\u00a0 The iconic rating is awarded to restaurants that meet exceptionally high standards of cooking.\u00a0 Mixtli also earned a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand rating denoting restaurants serving high-quality fare at moderate prices and are often personal favorites among Michelin inspectors when dining on their own time.<\/p>\n

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Mole Rosa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As an avowed teetotaler, my (small) disappointment at Mixtli not offering Big Red quickly abated when Laura told me about Mixtli’s bar program.\u00a0 That program includes a panoply of non-alcoholic beverages<\/strong><\/em> for those of us who don’t imbibe the “adult” stuff.\u00a0 Each non-alcoholic beverage showcases Laura’s immense talent and creativity.\u00a0 Like the restaurant’s cuisine, the bar program\u00a0 offers a variety of cocktails rooted in the history and romance of Mexican lore .\u00a0 Whether it be wine, spirits, cocktails or mocktails, you’re in for a treat.\u00a0 \u00a0While seated at the bar, my first course arrived.\u00a0 The corn esquites tart<\/strong><\/em> (charanda, tepache foam) was a one-bite masterpiece of deliciousness, so sublime I wanted a platter of ten.\u00a0 Laura explained that charanda is typically a Mexican spirit made from sugarcane, but she doesn’t allow it to ferment long enough to become alcohol.\u00a0 Similarly tepache is made by fermenting fruit skins with piloncillo, spices and water.\u00a0 Apparently I was so eager to try my hand at imitating Guy Fieri, (he of the Jaws one-bite mouth) that I forgot to photograph one of the best first courses you’ll find anywhere.<\/p>\n

I likewise forgot to photograph the sopa de aguacate (crab, avocado, tomatillo) which may have been the most “familiar” dish of the evening.\u00a0 Fortunately I’m not above occasionally borrowing with pride (with all due credit to mysanantonio.com<\/strong><\/a>).\u00a0 \u00a0I’ve enjoyed sopa de aguacate<\/strong><\/em> (literally avocado soup) at every restaurant in which I’ve had it, but none more than Mixtli’s version.\u00a0 As with the rest of the restaurant’s culinary program, the sopa showcases the region’s agrarian bounty.\u00a0 There are literally hundreds of versions of this soup, but Mixtli makes it their own with ingredients that shine.\u00a0 Tomatillo, for example, provides a hint of tangy citrus.\u00a0 A single crab claw (mine was not quite as big as the one pictured below) complements the traditional Mexican soup and lends a briny, sweet flavor.<\/p>\n

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Sopa De Aguacate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My first non-alcoholic beverage was a sandita fresca<\/strong><\/em> (watermelon rind, green apple, cucumber, basil, lemon), a blend of fruits with one herb (aromatic basil) and cucumber<\/strong><\/a>, which is technically both a fruit and a vegetable.\u00a0 This refreshing beverage is named for sandita, (also known as little watermelon, mouse melon, Mexican sour gerkin, or cucamelon), a crunchy slightly sour cucumber hailing from Central and South America.\u00a0 There is alchemy in this beverage, a magic that will delight your taste buds as it cools and refreshes you.\u00a0 Somewhat resembling Mountain Dew, it’s the first of four wondrous beverages that I would make reservations to enjoy.<\/p>\n

Next along the culinary cavalcade was corunda<\/strong><\/em> (white corn, rajas, koji jocoque)\u00a0 a traditional Mexican tamale that originated in the pre-Hispanic period in the state of Michoac\u00e1n. Corundas are usually triangular or spherical in shape and are often eaten with sour cream and red salsa.\u00a0 Mixtli’s rendition is made from white corn enveloping rajas (strips of vegetables) and topped with jocoque, a creamy, slightly sour dip somewhat resembling Lebanese labneh, a yogurt cheese made by\u00a0 draining yogurt twice.\u00a0 A dollop of caviar crowns the corunda.\u00a0 Needless to say, it’s the best tamale I’ve ever had and I’ve had hundreds of them.\u00a0 \u00a0(My friend Melinda Martinez tells me her brother Chris Guardiola<\/strong><\/a> makes the best tamales in Texas, but I have yet to try them.)<\/p>\n

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Michoacan Thyme<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each dish delivered to my table prompted delberation: “How could Mixtli possibly top this<\/em>?”.\u00a0 That was my reaction even before having tried the mole rosa<\/strong><\/em> (roasted beets, smoked hibiscus, pomegranate) which looked like one of those “worth a thousand words” images now permantly enscribed on my mind.\u00a0 Now I can say I visited San Antonio and had the very best taco offered in a state renowned for its tacos.\u00a0 The mole rosa acquired its distinctive color from beets and was served atop a blue-corn taco gently carressing smoked and shredded hibiscus with a smattering of pomegranate seeds.\u00a0 I’ve had mole rojo many times, but never before mole rosa.\u00a0 Mole is an amalgam of ingredients working concordantly together.\u00a0 The mole rosa played a symphonic opera on my taste buds.<\/p>\n

Were it not for Mixtli’s version of horchata, the Michoacan thyme<\/strong><\/em> (mango, thyme, lime, honey-coconut foam)<\/em> would have been my favorite among the beverages.\u00a0 Served on a distressed clay mug seemingly more appropriate for a hot beverage, it even resembled steaming coffee courtesy of the honey-coconut foam.\u00a0 From among all the beverages served, this may have been the most complex–or at least it had the most going on in terms of different notes making love to different parts of my palate.\u00a0 \u00a0When the liquid portion was but a memory, I savored the thyme, reminding me why thyme is one of my favorite culinary herbs.\u00a0 I may have to move to Mexico to have Michoacan thyme again.<\/p>\n

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Pasta De Rancho<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When introducing the pasta de rancho<\/strong><\/em> (requezon, lemon, tomato), Chef Torres elucidated that Italians from the Lombardy region settled in the Michoac\u00e1n and Guerrero regions.\u00a0 That explains\u00a0 this unique pasta dish made with very traditional and very familiar Italian ingredients.\u00a0 Submerged below strewn requezon (a soft, white, lumpy cheese made from sour milk) and a tomato sauce lagoon is a single stuffed pasta tablet.\u00a0 This Italian inspired dish not only inherited the comfort food qualities of Italian dishes with the vibrant personality of Mexico.<\/p>\n

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Tepache<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tepach\u00e9, a refreshing, slightly fermented drink made from pineapple peels and piloncillo (conical shaped brown sugar) contains less alcohol (two- to three-percent alcohol-by-volume) than many of Mexico’s fermented drinks.\u00a0 Mixtli offers a tepach\u00e9 (corn husk, pineapple skin, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, pilocillo, lime) on the nonalcohol beverage menu.\u00a0 The reason it’s nonalcohol is that it isn’t allowed to ferment.\u00a0 That makes it perfect for an alcohol abstainer like me.\u00a0 Served in a stemmed glass and sans ice, it’s similar to the color of ice tea with a sweet, citrusy flavor all its own.\u00a0 Cinnamon and clove impart a warm, spicy, and sweet flavor with a touch of citrus and earthiness.<\/p>\n

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Lengua X Plantain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The second of three moles is yet another revelation as well as an exemplar of the diversity of mole.\u00a0 Mole isn’t even the name ingredient.\u00a0 Lengua X Plantain<\/strong><\/em> is.\u00a0 Mole, however, is what I couldn’t wait to try.\u00a0 Mole is another\u00a0Nahuatl term,<\/span> meaning “sauce,” but it’s so much more than that.\u00a0 \u00a0Much like “salsa,” in contemporary Mexico the term is used for a number of sauces, some quite dissimilar.\u00a0 This was my first experience with peanut mole, a blend of\u00a0 Afro-Indigenous and native flavors.\u00a0 Hopefully it won’t be my last experience.\u00a0 Like all moles, it’s created from dried chiles, nuts, seeds, perhaps chocolate and more.\u00a0 Some traditional moles require anywhere from thirty to one-hundred ingredients.\u00a0 Perhaps that’s why it’s so challenging to pinpoint the nuances and complexities of one of the most complex and flavorful dishes there is.<\/p>\n

A ribbon of thinly sliced luenga (beef tongue) sits atop a single plantain.\u00a0 Lengua has a rich, distinct flavor and a tender texture.\u00a0 Some claim it tastes like a delicious, tender steak, while others say it’s similar to pot roast with a hint of a musky flavor.\u00a0 Maybe its true flavor is tastebud specific.\u00a0 I do know that some diners won’t even try it.\u00a0 Just the thought of eating tongue is off-putting to many. Having had lengua in various ways and on many occasions, there’s nary a notion to me that it’s off-putting.\u00a0 Lengua should be on every foodie’s repertoire.<\/p>\n

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Mole De Cafe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The troika of magnificent moles was made complete with a mole de cafe<\/strong><\/em> (brined pork chop, apple, marigold).\u00a0 Chef Torres explained that the region’s volcanic terrain is responsible for the rich, fecund soil in which the wonderful Michoac\u00e1n coffee is grown.\u00a0 The nuances and subtleties of that coffee is redolent in the richness of this wonderful mole which is studded with flower seeds.\u00a0 Medallions of perfectly pink brined pork chop are served in a separate bowl.\u00a0 I counted eight medallions along with a pork chop bone from which more meat could be extricated.\u00a0 The pork chop was porcine perfection, as good a chop as I’ve had in quite a while.\u00a0 An invigorating apple slaw was provided as\u00a0 a palate-cleanser.<\/p>\n

\"Intermezzo\"
Intermezzo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the realm of music, an intermezzo is a movement coming between the major sections of an extended musical work (such as an opera).\u00a0 Its application in the culinary arena is similar.\u00a0 Mixtli’s version of intermezzo<\/strong><\/em> (at least on the night of my vist) was a single (and far to small) scoop of a citrusy sherbet flanked by finely cut pieces of pineapple and watermelon.\u00a0 This dessert-quality offering was of exhiliarating “I could die happy now” caliber (but then, so was everything else).\u00a0 My Kim is the frozen dessert (ice cream, sherbet, gelato, sorbet, etc.) fanatic in our family.\u00a0 She would have loved this one.<\/p>\n

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Nieve De Pasta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The final course on my night of indulgence was nieve de pasta<\/strong><\/em> (corn custard, caramelized milk, hazelnut).\u00a0 Nieve de pasta (caramelized milk ice cream) is a Michoac\u00e1n dish. Translating to “paste ice cream\u201d in English, it\u2019s typically an ultra-thick and pasty cream reminiscent of condensed milk or dulce de leche.\u00a0 Mixtli’s unique approach is in using a corn custard topped with crushed hazelnuts and edible flowers.\u00a0 The corn custard is nestled in a whisper-thin, layered shell similar to filo dough.\u00a0 It adds a delightful textural contrast to a world-class dessert.<\/p>\n

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Horchata<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My final beverage was horchata<\/strong><\/em> (banana milk, toasted pepita seeds, cacao nibs).\u00a0 It was the most unique and delicious horchata I’ve ever had, thanks largely to the banana milk.\u00a0 I expected it to be outstanding because sommelier Hailey told me it was her favorite.\u00a0 What I didn’t expect was that it had the perfect amount of cinnamon (usually my Kim and I ask for more).\u00a0 Invariably horchata is sweet, creamy, and refreshing beverage that usually tastes like almonds.\u00a0 This one tastes instead of toasted pepita seeds, a variation that makes it absolutely wonderful.<\/p>\n

In October, 2017, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)\u00a0 named San Antonio a Creative City of Gastronomy<\/strong><\/a>, making it one of just two cities in the U.S. (the other is Tucson, Arizona<\/strong><\/a>) to be so honored.\u00a0 To be designated as the Creative City of Gastronomy makes it a city well worth visiting for all foodies.\u00a0 Mixtli is an exemplar of the standards and qualities that make San Antonio worthy of UNESCO’s honor.\u00a0 It’s my new all-time favorite.<\/p>\n

Restaurant Mixtli<\/strong>
\n812 S Alamo Street, Suite 103
\nSan Antonio, Texas<\/strong>
\n(210) 338-0746
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>:\u00a0 18 September 2024
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 1
\nRATING<\/strong>: N\/R
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$$$$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Horchata, Corunda, Nieve De Pasta, Mole De Cafe, Lengua X Plantain, Tepache, Pasta de Rancho, Michoacan Thyme, Mole Rosa,
\nREVIEW #1420<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A quote attributed to Marcel Marceau, the French mime famous for his sad-faced clown, aptly describes my attempts at describing a meal at Mixtli: \u201cDo not the most moving moments of our lives find us without words\u201d\u00a0 (not that being without words has ever stopped me). Life\u2019s events often include moments which move you deeply and stir your very soul. My inaugural dining experience at Mixtli was not so profound and cathartic as to move me to drastically change my life, but it certainly prompted a stirring awakening as I experienced what was conceivably the best restaurant meal I’ve ever had. Several of the other effusive reviews I\u2019ve written are mere hyperbole in comparison to what I\u2019d like to say…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":68262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3916,4291,4844,2836,57,5668,5647,5667,35,553],"tags":[4301,4300,4297,4298,4303,4295,4302,4515,4516,4514,4296,2764,4292,2763,4293,4294],"class_list":["post-68020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-james-beard-foundation-jbf-outstanding-restaurant-finalist-2024","category-james-beard-foundation-jbf-outstanding-restaurant-semifinalist-2024","category-2025-james-beard-foundation-outstanding-hospitality-finalist","category-james-beard-award-best-chef-restaurants","category-mexican","category-michelin-one-star","category-rating-n-r","category-restaurants-which-have-earned-michelin-honors","category-texas","category-across-america","tag-31-mexican-states","tag-abandoned-rail-car","tag-chef-diego-galicia","tag-chef-rico-torres","tag-food-wine-magazine-best-new-chefs","tag-guerrero-x-michoacan","tag-james-beard-foundation-award-finalist-2024","tag-michelin-2024-outstanding-service-award","tag-michelin-bib-gourmand","tag-michelin-star","tag-nahuatl","tag-padma-lakshmi","tag-progressive-mexican-culinaria","tag-taste-the-nation","tag-the-cloud","tag-tierra-caliente"],"yoast_head":"\nMixtli - San Antonio, Texas - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68020\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mixtli - San Antonio, Texas - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A quote attributed to Marcel Marceau, the French mime famous for his sad-faced clown, aptly describes my attempts at describing a meal at Mixtli: \u201cDo not the most moving moments of our lives find us without words\u201d\u00a0 (not that being without words has ever stopped me). 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