Mixtli-ing it Up

Award-winning chef team unveils innovative new restaurant in San Antonio

Carrots roasted in Suadero fat, served with requeson and a smoked orange and chile oil.

Courtesy photo

The duo behind one of Texas' hottest restaurants is unveiling another concept. Three months after announcing their much-loved Mixtli was moving from San Antonio's Olmos Park neighborhood to hip Southtown, fans have finally learned the real reason behind the move: Kumo.

Taking over for its sister restaurant at 5251 McCullough Ave. in San Antonio, Kumo is a contemporary Mexican omakase scheduled to open in early November. It's the second concept for chefs Diego Galicia and Rico Torres, both of whom have been semifinalists for the James Beard Award and were named Food & Wine's Best New Chefs for Mixtli.

Here in Austin, foodies have had no shortage of opportunities to try Torres and Galicia's cuisine at events like the Austin Food & Wine Festival and a headline-grabbing collaboration with Emmer & Rye in 2018.

Kumo, or "cloud" in Japanese, focuses on tacos and "handheld" dishes. Like Mixtli, the menu will change frequently with an emphasis on seasonality and include tacos, tostadas, ceviches, and small bites with Japanese influences. The restaurant itself will be BYOB, and a daily agua fresca, which will change with the menu, will be available for purchase.

"Kumo is a unique departure from traditional dine-in ordering," says Torres in a release.

In keeping with the omakase style of service (omakase means "I leave it up to you"), diners hand control of the dining experience over to the chef. Meals consist of eight to 10 dishes, and are curated by Galicia and Torres depending on the customer, seasonality, and whim. Ultimately, says Torres, it is designed to "create distinct experiences for guests."

Tickets are purchased in advance for $85, and during the reservation process, diners are able see pairing suggestions to bring along to the restaurant with them. In keeping with the intimate nature of the restaurant, Kumo will only host six table of two guest each. Reservations are now open on the website.

"We are looking forward to serving our guests in a really fun and unique way. San Antonio has such a diverse community, and we know our guests will embrace the experience.”

openings

Taco News

Popular Austin taco truck Con Todo wraps up business after 3 years

contodotacos.com

Con Todo is closed, but Chef Joseph Gomez is looking forward to the future.

A very popular Austin taco trailer at Celis Brewery has suddenly shut its ordering window. Con Todo chef Joseph Gomez made the announcement on his Instagram account, which was previously the business' account.

As Gomez points out in the message, the account predated Con Todo and will survive it, too, under his own name. It's a clear handle for what the chef plans to do: continue his career and the things Con Todo stood for, but not under the Con Todo name or project.

"Sorry for delay on posting but, after much thought, I’ve made the difficult decision to close the doors to Con Todo 😢. This is one of the hardest choices I’ve ever had to make," Gomez wrote. "Con Todo wasn’t just a business — it was my livelihood, my passion, so deeply personal to me. For those of you who know me, you understand how much heart, soul, time, effort I put into it."

Gomez lists several identities and callings he plans to continue expanding: among them, advocacy, cooking, writing, and being "a proud ADHD weirdo."

"My commitment to supporting migrant workers’ rights remains is as strong as ever, and I’ll continue that work through new projects, as I always have," he writes. "You’ve heard me talk about this mission before, and this year is going to be especially important to take a deep dive into it and explore what’s happening on the border towns where I am from. I won’t be quiet about it."

Gomez and Con Todo have garnered acclaim from food industry and media sources including the James Beard Foundation, Texas Monthly, and CultureMap's own Tastemaker Awards; however the chef doesn't seem too concerned with formal praise from the Michelin Guide as he signs off with the snarky Spanish "#michelinmisnalgas." (He had already been using the hashtag for years prior to winning a recommendation from Michelin in November 2024, and the team did attend the ceremony.)

According to Con Todo's website manifesto, cuisine at Con Todo was both deeply personal to Gomez and representative of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), so it seems likely that Austinites will get to enjoy eats in the same style from Gomez going forward.

"In the mean time, keep an eye out for me doing pop ups, events, talks, panels and a little pot stirring," Gomez writes. "Nos vemos pronto!"

closings tacos food trucks