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Xico (restaurant)

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Coordinates: 45°30′18″N 122°37′31″W / 45.5049°N 122.6252°W / 45.5049; -122.6252
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Xico
The restaurant's exterior in 2021
Map
Restaurant information
Established2012 (2012)
ClosedMarch 2023 (2023-03)
Owner(s)Liz Davis
Head chefKelly Myers
ChefDavid Haddow
Food typeMexican
Street address3715 Southeast Division Street
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97202
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°30′18″N 122°37′31″W / 45.5049°N 122.6252°W / 45.5049; -122.6252

Xico (/ˈtʃiːkoʊ/ CHEE-koh)[1] was a Mexican restaurant in Portland, Oregon's Richmond neighborhood, in the United States. The restaurant opened in 2012; sibling establishment Xica Cantina opened in northwest Portland in mid 2019. Xico closed in March 2023 for financial reasons.

Description

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Xico was a Mexican restaurant in southeast Portland's Richmond neighborhood. Eater Portland's Brooke Jackson-Glidden said the "contemporary" restaurant had a "Pacific Northwestern [take] on Mexican food".[2] Xico's queso had chorizo and salsa verde.[3] The drinking menu featured a mezcal collection and a habanero-caramel hot chocolate.[4][5] As of 2015, the restaurant offered a popular rotisserie chicken dinner for two.[6] Xico began serving lunch in February 2018.[4]

History

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Xico opened in 2012 and was owned by Elizabeth Davis, as of 2019.[2] Liz Davis has also been credited as a co-owner, as of 2018.[7] David Haddow was the sous-chef, as of 2016.[8] In 2018, the restaurant's executive chef Kelly Myers suffered a stroke.[9] Michael Russell of The Oregonian described how the community rallied behind her.[7] Myers' quelites recipe is featured in the 2018 cookbook Saving Pan, which was compiled by local students to raise money for the Jane Goodall Institute's Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of Congo; the book also features a paper collage inspired by Myers.[10]

In June 2019, the LLC behind Xico, Normal Activity, confirmed plans to open sibling restaurant Xica Cantina along Northwest 23rd.[2] Xica Cantina began operations by the end of the month,[11][12] and held a grand opening on July 5.[13] In 2019, Willamette Week's Matthew Singer described Xica as the "casual cousin" to Xico.[14] Xico and Xica both offered pickup service during the COVID-19 pandemic, as of May 2020.[15][16][17][18]

Xica closed during the pandemic.[when?] Xico closed in March 2023 for numerous financial reasons, including the temporary closure during the pandemic, staff turnover, and rising costs.[19][20] In 2024, the chain Harlow announced plans to operate in the space previously occupied by Xico.[21]

Reception

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In 2016, Willamette Week's Martin Cizmar and Matthew Korfhage ranked Xico first in the "best overall" and "best margaritas" categories in their overview of the "six most bougie taco spots" in southeast Portland.[22] The newspaper's Beth Slovic wrote, "Xico will change how you think about Mexican food".[23] Samantha Bakall of The Oregonian called the restaurant's hot chocolate a "soothing way to finish dinner" in her 2017 overview of the city's "best drinking chocolate".[5] Alex Frane of Eater Portland included Xico is his 2019 list of the city's "most enticing" margaritas.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Russell, Michael (February 21, 2013). "Southeast Portland's Xico: uneven, but even so..." The Oregonian. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (April 17, 2019). "Xico Will Open a Regional Mexican Restaurant and Mezcal Bar on NW 23rd". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on June 16, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  3. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (April 30, 2019). "Ask Eater PDX: Where Do I Find Legit Queso in This Town?". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Forster, Tim (February 9, 2018). "Bar Casa Vale Unveils Brunch With Churros And Fried Chicken". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Bakall, Samantha (December 6, 2017). "Holiday cocoa crawl: Portland's best drinking chocolate". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  6. ^ Centoni, Danielle (February 9, 2015). "Dealfeed: Little Bird Bistro, Xico and Smallwares Help Make Mondays Tolerable". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on August 28, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Russell, Michael (May 18, 2018). "Portland restaurant community rallies behind stroke-afflicted chef". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  8. ^ Korfhage, Matthew (October 17, 2016). "Xico Sous Chef Looks to Be Opening a New Spot on Williams Avenue Called Chalino". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  9. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (April 30, 2018). "Xico Chef Kelly Myers Suffers Massive Stroke". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  10. ^ Mancuso, Jo (April 28, 2018). "Portland Girls' Cookbook Raises $10,000 for Jane Goodall Chimps". OPB. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  11. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (June 26, 2019). "Xico's Sister Bar, Xica Cantina, Is Open in Northwest Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  12. ^ "The Top Five Places to Drink in Portland This Week". Willamette Week. July 3, 2019. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  13. ^ Russell, Michael (July 5, 2019). "Northwest Portland's Xica Cantina brings Dorilocos indoors". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  14. ^ Singer, Matthew (July 16, 2019). "Xica Cantina is the Casual Cousin of a Southeast Division Favorite, Serving Margaritas, Mezcal and, Yes, Gummy Bear Nachos". Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  15. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (March 16, 2020). "Where to Find Takeout and Delivery During Portland's COVID-19 Outbreak". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  16. ^ "The Portland Mercury's TAKEOUT TUESDAY". Portland Mercury. May 19, 2020. Archived from the original on October 6, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  17. ^ Frane, Alex (May 27, 2020). "Where To Find Family Meals for Takeout and Delivery in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  18. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (May 21, 2020). "Where to Find Barbecue in Portland for Takeout or Delivery". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  19. ^ Russell, Michael (March 22, 2023). "Xico, Southeast Portland restaurant with sweet patio and great margaritas, has closed". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  20. ^ Bjorke, Christopher (March 22, 2023). "Portland Mexican restaurant Xico has closed". Portland Business Journal. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  21. ^ Wong, Janey (March 1, 2024). "Vegan Cafe Harlow Is Moving Its Flagship Southeast Location, But Not Far". Eater Portland. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  22. ^ Cizmar, Martin (August 16, 2016). "We Went For Tacos and Margs at the Six Most Bougie Taco Spots in Southeast—Here's the Best of Everything". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on March 29, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  23. ^ Slovic, Beth (October 24, 2016). "Xico Will Change How You Think About Mexican Food". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  24. ^ Frane, Alex (May 1, 2018). "Where to Find Portland's Most Enticing Margaritas". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
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