Xel-Ha: Yucatecan Cuisine in River North

Walking to the train tonight I noticed that the space formerly known as Meztiso has renamed itself Xel-Ha, presumably after the water park on the Riviera Maya.

I didn't spend too long scanning the menu since it was awfully cold, but I noticed the name of the peripatetic Dudley Nieto on the menu.

Entrees were in the $16-20 range, if I recall, and there were 4-5 dishes for each stage of dining (apps, entrees, etc).

None of the things on the menu were things that I recognized as Yucatecan (i.e. tikin xic) but I'm not the most expert in that area.

It's close to work, so I'll probably try to give it a shot some time soon. Then again, I thought that about Meztiso for a while and they closed before I ever got there...

Xel-Ha
710 N. Wells
Chicago

germuska wrote:Walking to the train tonight I noticed that the space formerly known as Meztiso has renamed itself Xel-Ha, presumably after the water park on the Riviera Maya.

The Wife and I got a 8X8 cement bunker for the night on the bay of Xel-ha in the 70s. It was like five bucks a night and came with a candle for when the lights went out (with the sun). The bay was gorgeous...though I don't remember a water park.

Thanks for the heads-up about this restaurant.

Hammond

Yeah, there's a sorta natural, sorta Disneyfied theme park there now. We did its sister park Xcaret with the kids once. If you sense something less than total enthusiasm in this description, you are correct.

I saw that sign too, a couple of weeks ago, and will be curious if there's any real basis to its Yucatecanitude.

The idea is that the menu will be Yucatan heavy, if not totally focused on the Yucatan. Better get there quickly after it opens-between the luck of that location and the itchy feet of the chef one would suspect a small window of opportunity indeed.

Chef Nieto himself on the new venture, from our good friends at Dish:

“I have always loved the Yucatán way of cooking,” says Nieto. “It’s like being in a different country within the Mexican territory. They use a lot of different recaudos. Marinades with different seasonings. They remind me of curries. You go to the markets in Yucatán and families will have their own recipe that passes from generation to generation, just like the moles do.”

Yum. As Stewed Coot said, though, get there fast. As I think most of us know, Mr. Nieto's rep is that he's here today, gone later today...

I called them to update the listing on TLT, and Xel-ha's hours are Mon - Thur 5 to 10pm, Fri & Sat 5 to 11pm, and they hope to open for lunch soon.

Any thoughts on why this location, and the new Aigre Doux's spot, seem to fare so poorly?

http://thelocaltourist.com/blog/2007/01/19/xel-ha-aigre-doux/

take a look
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=112519#112519

Warning: It Ain't Soup Yet.

Went to Xel-Ha tonight and concluded: give this new restaurant another 2-3 weeks.

The menu had very few entrees that you'd expect to find in a Yucatecan place. Tomorrow, a new menu will be in effect, and we were told it will feature such items as sopa de lima, queso relleno (pork-filled edam husk), turkey in black recado and venison.

Had the pleasure of dining with Vital Information and meeting Dudley Nieto, but otherwise this evening was pretty much a train wreck: inept ceviche, reheated-seeming entrees, store-bought tortillas...

One hopes this place may turn-around with a menu that is more distinctly Yucatecan.

David Hammond wrote:Went to Xel-Ha tonight and concluded: give this new restaurant another 2-3 weeks.

LTH,

Had the pleasure of the sagacious David Hammond's, along with the ever delightful Trixie-Pea and diamond sharp Pigmon's company at Xel-Ha Friday night and, at ten days later, Xel-Ha seems to be getting it's footing, though not there yet. Physical space is attractive, interesting artwork, small fireplace and a few nooks and crannies for semi-private dining.

Xel-Ha's bar is quite comfortable with a friendly knowledgeable bartender and good selection of tequila. We tried two reposado's, Cielo, which is aged to 364-days, the maximum allowed by regulation that can still be labeled reposado and Corazon which is aged in oak barrels. My preference was the slightly more aggressive Corazon, though I prefer a bit of bite in tequila, which is why I drink reposado as opposed to anejo.

Fresh tortilla chips and habanero salsa (Xnipec) provided a good start, though we had to ask for our Xnipec (Nose of the Dog) to be amped up. Our first appetizer, Empanadas De Platano stuffed with crab was surprisingly bland for a dish with both guajillo and a serrano salsa and drew a ~shrug~ from all four diners.

Papadzules fared slightly better, the hard boiled egg filled tortillas enhanced by pumpkin seed "Green Recado and Chiltomate" I say slightly as the dish was not warmed all the way though and the cold center detracted from our enjoyment.

Cochinita Pibil was flavorful, with distinct fruit flavored notes, but was slightly chilled as well. Pickled red onions provided accent and I quite liked the accompanying beans.

Cochinita Pibil w/Frijoles Colados


Zic De Venado, shredded venison with orange-lemon vinaigrette, was warmed all the way through, but the meat was quite dry. The Pavo en Recado Negro (turkey in a black recaso w/xcatic chiles) suffered the same fate.

Pavo en Recado Negro (Turkey in a Black Recado with Xcatic Chiles, epazote and Chihuahua cheese tomato crepe)


My favorite dish of the evening, by a wide margin, was Queso Relleno which, upon ordering, the manager regaled us with stories of Dutch traders sailing through the Yucatan.

Queso Relleno (Edam cheese filled with ground pork, beef, olives, raisins and boiled egg. Served with Salsa Blanca)


Comparisons to Xni-Pec are inevitable and the Queso Relleno illustrates the difference well. At Xel-Ha it's a well made flavorful dish that, in the context of the trendy Wells street area Xel-Ha is located, is quite an adventurous dish. At Xni-Pec in Cicero it's three or four standard deviations more intense, soul satisfying if you will. From my perspective Xel-Ha is to Xni-Pec as Smoque is to Honey One or Sapore di Napoli is to Spacca Napoli.

Tortillas made in-house, efficient waitstaf, manager at the ready to interestingly and authoritatively answer questions and Dudley Nieto in the kitchen, an overall enjoyable evening.

Tortillas are made in-house


Dudley Nieto


Enjoy,
Gary

Xel-Ha
710 N Wells
Chicago, IL 60610
312-573-9947

Gwiv,

The Queso Relleno at Xel-Ha was significantly different than Xni-Pec, as you observe was the case with other dishes as well. At Xel-Hal, the cheese stands alone, over all; at Xni-Pec, the cheese was afloat in a bowl of two different sauces, one component of many, more egalitarian. Honestly, I liked both dishes quite well, and as dickson said, the Xni-Pec version held up on the next-day-reheat (I believe The Wife ate both containers I brought home).

Did you feel that the cochinita pibil was griddled before serving?

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:Did you feel that the cochinita pibil was griddled before serving?

Hammond,

Now that you mention it, quite possibly, though the fact that the mound of cochinita was served with a slightly cold center seems to indicate otherwise.

Enjoy,
Gary

It seems this place is closed.

David Hammond wrote:It seems this place is closed.

Yes.