"Houston’s Mexican food scene would not be complete without James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega, who has explored the cuisine repeatedly with his restaurants Hugo’s, Caracol, and Urbe. At Xochi, Ortega focuses in on the Oaxaca region, with menu highlights like the mole flight, memelas served with roasted pork rib and tomatillo-avocado sauce, and plenty of cocktails fueled by agave-based spirits. If you drive: Xochi is located in the heart of Downtown in the Marriott Marquis hotel. Be prepared to find nearby street parking or conveniently park in the restaurant’s valet lot on Crawford Street for $11 with validation. Valet parking is only available during dinner Monday through Saturday (starting at 4 p.m.) and during Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m." - Brittany Britto Garley