Tatemo

I have to be honest, when one of my business partners said we were having a dinner at Tatemo I was nonplussed. An unmarked (sign on monument signage but not on restaurant itself) Mexico City-cuisine omakase in an industrial strip mall in a gritty part of Houston sounded pretentious, try hard and, using the language of my youth, so very poser. And, frankly, thus far, the Houston Michelin starred experience has felt purchased, forced and not reflective of dining in NYC and Bay Area restaurants in their guide. But they should have given Tatemo two stars and it will deserve three when it moves into a bigger space and gets a liquor license (they currently share a wall with a church in the strip mall so it is BYOB). The food is f***ing amazing. I could try to put that in less profane prose with some try hard of my own (someone sent me where the Chronicle’s recently retired food critic wrote that a new local spot was a wonderful local chef’s “Eras Tour” and I vomited in my mouth a bit as I conjured Steve Buscemi in a ball cap saying “how do you do fellow kids”). And it is not just the food, the front of the house was also exceptional. Incredibly personable and knowledgeable. And the knowledge was shared with warmth and genuine friendliness without any pretentiousness. It was, without a doubt, one of the best meals of my life anywhere. As good as Lucali, Dishoom, Kata Robata and Burnt Bean Co which currently occupy the top of my personal list while also being on par with the finest of dining experiences at Per Se, Le Bernardin and Protege. Get a reservation and go. ASAP. The Food: 1. Tuna and caviar tostada. 2. Gordita. 3. Quesadilla. 4. Chileatole. 5. Enmolada with duck carnitas. 6. Encachetada with wagyu ribeye. 7. Toasted pineapple and mango sorbet. 8. Chocolate bunuelo, mango pate and a brown sugar concha.