Modern Mexican restaurant Mexta opens in Louie’s 106 space at Sixth and Congress next week
Two Mexican chefs with world-class pedigrees will breathe new life into a historic space when a new hospitality team opens modern Mexican restaurant Mexta on March 22.
The restaurant is located in the Littlefield Building (106 E. Sixth St.), which for almost 30 years was home to Louie’s 106. The space has since languished in the dining wilderness awaiting a viable long-term tenant.
The modern restaurant, which will serve a menu that stretches across the vast expanse of Mexico, comes from a team created by majority owner Jesús Chávez, a Mexico City native whose career in development and business led him to a life in Austin. His group includes chefs Jonatan Gómez Luna Torres and Mikel Alonso. Luna Torres previously worked for the Azul Sensatori hotel, and landed its restaurant, Le Chique, on the 2020 list of the 50 Best Restaurants in Latin America thanks to its molecular gastronomy and refined tasting menu. Alonso founded the since-shuttered restaurant Biko in the Polanco neighborhood in Mexico City, a restaurant that was also named at one point to the 50 Best Restaurants in Latin America.
Both chefs are members of the Culinary Institute at Southwest University in El Paso and are joined in the ownership team by university president Benjamin Arriola, and Rodrigo Quintanilla, co-founder of the Culinary Institute.
The menu at the restaurant, named as a hybrid of “Mexico” and “ATX,” will rely on modern technique and include dishes like a tomahawk ribeye with mole negro and goat cheese fondue; pesca del día estilo Zarandeado with roasted plantain puree and salsa macha; and arroz con leche.
“The cultural inspiration behind this menu draws from Mikel’s and my respective backgrounds. Each dish showcases the vibrant flavors of Mexico, telling a story in a way that engages locals and visitors," Gómez Luna Torres said in a release.
The 140-seat restaurant, which takes the place of the short-lived Simi Estiatorio, was designed by Houston-based architect Carlos Castroparedes and features wooden ceilings inspired by a full moon ceremony in Tamaulipas.
Mexta will be open 4:30 to 10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and 4 p.m. to midnight Thursday-Saturday. Find them on Instagram at @mextarestaurant.
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Mexta Mexican restaurant to open in Austin at Sixth and Congress
