A Birthday Lunch at Hugo’s
I often describe Hugo’s as “upscale Mexican food.” Located in Montrose, Hugo’s serves traditional Mexican fare but is not a casual lunch kind of place. I love the food and the service is excellent, but the prices tend to run a little on the high side. So I reserve visits there for special occasions and important meetings. For example, birthday lunches… which is why I was there recently.
The restaurant is known for their Carnitas and the Chiles Rellenos. Both are safe choices for taste and are “affordable” items at $18 each. From appetizers to desserts, they offer the expected and unexpected (including quail, duck, and sautéed grasshoppers).
As usual, I ordered the Empanadas de Plátano, plantain turnovers stuffed with frijoles refritos (not pictured). These are a wonderful combination of flavors with the plantain and the beans topped with a dab of cheese and cream. These are always a pleasure to eat, and this visit was no exception. We also ordered the Flautas de Conejo, rabbit “flutes” served with crema fresca. The flautas were crispy without being oily.
For this visit I opted to try something new for the main course: Barbacoa. Usually barbacoa is made of beef, a slow-cooked version of shredded beef. At Hugo’s, of course, it’s a little bit different. Here the barbacoa is lamb marinated in chiles, onion, garlic and avocado leaves, then slow roasted in agave skin and served with chopped onion and fresh cilantro. Price: $27.
I’m going to be honest, the barbacoa was good but overpriced. I probably won’t order it again. It wasn’t that the food was disappointing, it wasn’t. It was exactly what good barbacoa should be. It was that I decided that I would have enjoyed something else more. My friend’s Carne Brava, however, I’m going to order next time. The skirt steak was perfect: tender, moist and delicious. Did I mention perfect?
We topped off the meal with the Crepes de Cajeta and Cafe de Holla.
— Written by Sandra Fernandez
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Sandra Fernandez is a professional communicator, tech enthusiast, book lover, and blogger. You can find her main blog at SandraSays.com and more of her writing at HispanicHouston.com.
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