Rico Torres and Diego Galicia first met at a restaurant pop-up and quickly bonded over their love for authentic Mexican cuisine. The duo, who both have roots in Mexico, wanted to create dishes that reflected the flavors they love so much. Together they opened Mixtli in San Antonio, to showcase the diverse flavors of Mexico’s regions.

Over 10 courses, they unveil the textures, flavors and techniques of a singular Mexican state. After forty-five days, their ‘cloud’ (Mixtli means “cloud” in Nahuatl) travels to a new state to highlight a new menu. The result is an ephemeral, elevated, locally focused approach to indigenous and pre-Hispanic ingredients and flavors.

The culinary duo spend as much time researching regional dishes as they do creating them. Rico says that if their food makes someone cry, they know they’ve done their job. This heartfelt take on Mexican cuisine has earned fair recognition: they were named Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs 2017 and James Beard Foundation semifinalists in 2018. Their dishes are like a trip for the tastebuds—and you never even leave your seat.

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