Year of Hugo Continues

Houston chef rises from humble beginnings to join pantheon of legendary Southern food icons

Hugo Ortega is having a memorable 2017.

On Saturday, the Southern Foodways Alliance presented Ortega with its Craig Claiborne Lifetime Achievement Award. Given annually since 1999, the award recognizes "an individual whom all thinking eaters should know, the sort of person who has made an indelible mark upon our cuisine and our culture, the sort of person who has set regional standards and catalyzed national dialogues."

The theme of this year's SFA conference is "El Sur Latino," with presentations and study devoted to the contributions Latinos have made to modern Southern foodways. Winning the award puts Ortega in a pantheon of legendary Southern food icons that includes New Orleans restaurateur Ella Brennan, cookbook author Edna Lewis, and ham purveyor Allen Benton.

The recognition is only the latest for Ortega, whose inspirational story of rising from dishwasher to chef-owner, tireless work ethic, and cheerful demeanor have made him a beloved figure in Houston. The chef earned the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in his sixth year as a finalist. Xochi, the Oaxacan restaurant he and his wife/business partner Tracy Vaught opened in the Marriott Marquis hotel, has been hailed as one of America's best new restaurants.

Recently, Ortega has been collaborating with acclaimed chef Michael Mina on the latest version of MINA Test Kitchen. Dubbed Mi Almita, the pop-up introduces Bay Area diners to Ortega's take on classic Mexican cooking.

Mina will return the favor when he comes to Houston on October 28 to participate in the Chefs Unmasked fundraiser for the Greater Houston Restaurant Association's Houston Hospitality Employee Relief Fund. Other participating chefs include Chris Shepherd (Underbelly/One Fifth), Richard Sandoval (Bayou & Bottle), Ortega, and Danny Trace (Potente). Tickets are on sale now.

(Update 10/13: The SFA documentary about Ortega is now available online. Watch it below)

Hugo from Southern Foodways on Vimeo.

Hugo Ortega, Tracy Vaught, Ruben Ortega, and a team of cooks at the Southern Foodways Alliance.

Hugo Ortega Tracy Vaught Ruben Ortega Southern Foodways Alliance

Photo by Paula Murphy

Hugo Ortega, Tracy Vaught, Ruben Ortega, and a team of cooks at the Southern Foodways Alliance.

awards chefs

here comes the sun

Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr serves up a new pickleball bar in Midtown

Solarium owners Lance McCullers Jr., Juan Carlos de Aldecoa, and Jimmy Doan

Photo by Swiggard Creative

Rex Hospitality partners Lance McCullers Jr., Juan Carlos de Aldecoa, and Jimmy Doan

A new destination for cocktails, bar bites, and social gaming has arrived in Midtown. After a quiet soft opening this weekend, Solarium is now officially open for service daily.

Located in the former Holman Draft Hall space, Solarium unites Rex Hospitality — the group behind Maven at Sawyer Yards that includes Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. as one of its founders — with the Kirby Group, the veteran bar operators behind Heights Bier Garten, Pitch 25, and more. Together, they’ve transformed Holman into a luxurious new sports bar built around pickleball.

At the heart of the renovations is a glass-walled indoor/outdoor bar area — the eponymous solarium. It offers a range of seating options, including community tables for large groups and more intimate bar-height tables. Design details include velvet chairs and and an “earthy palette,” according to a release, that features “Rolex green” fabric.

Next to the bar, patrons will find six outdoor courts — four pickleball and two padel. They’re available via reservation beginning at 9 am daily for rates that vary from $10 to $30 for pickleball and $20 to $40 for padel. An adjacent pro shop offers all the gear necessary to play either for rental or purchase.

Surrounding the courts are five private rooms. Made from repurposed shipping containers, they offer glass walls with a view of the games, as well as servers who will bring food and drinks. These VIP-style suites are part of how Rex Hospitality and The Kirby Group aim to distinguish Solarium from other, similar pickleball bars that have been opening around the Houston area. That’s consistent with the company’s approach with Maven, which adds cocktails to the familiar coffee shop model.

“Though the concept isn’t related to Maven in a direct way, it is in in line with the Rex vision and the ethos of Maven an indirect way,” Rex Hospitality president Nina Quincy tells CultureMap. “It is a unique take on a common pastime. We have taken something and added a unique and elevated twist, so in that sense I think it meshes well with the overall Rex vision and shares a similar ethos with Maven.”

A menu created by Rex Hospitality culinary director Nico Baizán features takes on familiar pub fare such as burgers, po’ boys, skewers, wings, and “bang bang” shrimp. At brunch, the bar’s menu includes pancakes, shrimp and grits, and shakshuka. Dessert options include a banana split and a build-your-own sundae.

Pair them with cocktails, beer, wine, or nonalcoholic sips. Brunch cocktails include mimosas and spritzes.

The bar and restaurant opens at 11 am Monday-Friday and at 10 am on weekends.

$Solarium \u200bowners Lance McCullers Jr., Juan Carlos de Aldecoa, and Jimmy Doan$

Photo by Swiggard Creative

Rex Hospitality partners Lance McCullers Jr., Juan Carlos de Aldecoa, and Jimmy Doan

news-you-can-eat openings pickleball solarium midtown