Beard Award-Winning Nixta Taqueria Launches Flor Xakali
By A. Richmond and Melanie Haupt, June 26, 2023, 11:38am, On the Range
One of Austin’s most lauded restaurants, Nixta Taqueria, has announced plans to expand its gorgeous front patio into a new venture, the poetically named Flor Xakali.
Announced in January, Flor Xakali will launch on July 5, with seatings at 6pm and 8:30pm every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The eight-course tasting menu is meant to tell the story of chef Edgar Rico’s family, from “Roots” to “The Future of Masa,” with a keepsake zine guiding the story along with the dishes. (The zine features a brief appearance of Cesar Chavez, who Rico's grandmother worked alongside in California.)
“Flor is Edgar's mom's name and Xakali is a Nahuatl word that means ‘shelter,’” says Sara Mardanbigi, Rico’s spouse and business partner. “We wanted the space to feel like a little casita and his mom has always been a huge inspiration in his cooking. This is a way for us to storytell through food.”
The multisensory experience starts under your feet, with pavers and breeze blocks from Mexico. You’ll smell copal herbal blends burning in a Mexican clay vessel, and you’ll see an undulating floral installation designed by Gypsy Floral. You’ll sit on hand-built communal tables and take in a new mural, painted by Stacy Silva. And that’s before you even partake of the menu, which will change seasonally and reflect Rico's culinary interpretations of his formative life experiences.
”Since our inception, we always wanted to share a story and keep it personal,” says Mardanbigi. “I’m really excited to share this beautiful representation of Edgar’s mom’s past and all the shared memories and experiences they had.”
Each seating accommodates 12 diners, who can secure their spots with prepaid reservations. The omakase costs $125 with an optional $60 wine pairing.
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