Hugo Ortega

Where else but in America can a poverty stricken boy from Puebla, Mexico selling “chicklets” on the street grow up to be named Best Chef by The James Beard Foundation, hailed as writing one of “just six essential Mexican cookbooks” by Saveur Magazine and named Top Table by Bon Appetit? With three restaurants serving some of the best damn dishes a diner can enjoy, Hugo maintains he’s just lucky and humbly credits Houston and his team for his wild success.