The most glamorous of the restaurants run by Tracy Vaught and chef Hugo Ortega, this pale, sleek room always jumps with an equally sleek international crowd jamming the high-level bar and extensive front terrace. While Mexican seafood is the theme, meat-eaters aren’t left out (witness the very fine beef tlayuda at lunch; or dinnertime’s short rib or duck in mole sauces). There’s even a rather lovely vegetarian menu. And while such classics as the wood-roasted oysters with chipotle-buttered bread crumbs always remain, along with the refreshing fish and shellfish crudos, there’s frequently something new and intriguing on offer. Squid stuffed with house-made squid-ink-and-huitlacoche chorizo, say; or a brittle tortilla puff hiding smoked crab salpicon made with serrano and prickly pear.
713-782-3777
