ASHEVILLE - The Mexican-cuisine restaurant with a "secret" tequila window now has a speakeasy-style taco door with a window to spice up dining out on Taco Tuesday and any other day of the week.
With a simple ring of the bell or tap of a lion-faced knocker, customers alert the kitchen staff to place orders for tacos, quesadillas, margaritas, beers and more.
"We were trying to find a unique way for people to order and receive their food," said co-owner and Executive Chef Scott Linquist.
Xico Chico, opened in July, is the smaller, casual counterpart that operates from a colorful door off the restaurant's parking lot on the lower level of the main restaurant, Xico.
Last November, Xico (pronounced shee-ko) debuted at 175 Biltmore Ave., offering a menu
of upscale Mexican-style cuisine with larger plates such as Xiqueño — seared Rohan duck breast and carnitas-style leg, green corn tamale, roasted peach salsita, crushed peanuts and red mole sauce.
Xico, named after a small village in Veracruz, Mexico, does not offer tacos, leaving room for its Xico Chico to shine and deliver.
"It allows people to experience the tastes of Xico but a little more casual and a little less expensive," Linquist said.
The secret taco window at Xico Chico
Linquist owns Xico and Xico Chico with Dave McFarland, an Asheville native and owner of the neighboring Southern-inspired Daddy Mac's Down Home Dive. Linquist has 35 years of culinary training and experience in traditional and modern Mexican food and restaurants from Mexico to Florida to New York.
Xico Chico was inspired by the historic wine windows in Florence, Italy, which have been used to sell wine directly to the consumer since the 1550s.
The Italian tradition was ideal for the Mexican restaurant since Xico Chico doesn't have an indoor dining room. The concept is designed for to-go orders. Or diners may enjoy their meals and alcoholic beverages on the enclosed patio.
Xico's tequila and mezcal window was first introduced at the restaurant, supplying guests in the private dining room with quick access to the spirits and cocktails.
On the menu: The taco rundown
Xico Chico offers four taco styles: the Pastor al Trompo, Pollo al Carbon, Carne Asada and Hongos con Huitlacoche.
The Carne Asada is made with local Angus skirt steak from Brasstown Beef in North Carolina, topped with chiles toreados, pico de gallo and fresh cilantro.
The Pollo al Carbon features charcoal-grilled ancho chile and citrus-marinated chicken, with jicama orange salsita, pickled red onions and fresh cilantro.
Linquist said the restaurants use meats that are free-range, pasture-raised and antibiotic-free. Authentic recipes are used for its marinades and sauces.
"It's authenticity with quality ingredients," he said.
Xico and Xico Chico use a Josper charcoal- and wood-fired grill, custom-designed in Barcelona, Spain, that can reach 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It's used to cook items including Carne Asada and Pollo al Carbon. The mushrooms are roasted in the wood- and charcoal-fired oven.
"The wood and charcoal give off a unique flavor for anything cooked in the oven or on the grill," Linquist said.
The Pastor al Trompo taco is made with a traditionally roasted pork al pastor, cooked using a trompo, a traditional vertical broiler that spins as it cooks. The meat is shaved off, placed in the tortilla and topped with roasted onion and pineapple and finished with cilantro.
The locally cultivated mushroom mixture features shiitake, oyster and cremini mushrooms roasted with onions, garlic, and oregano and finished with huitlacoche, a high-protein Mexican mushroom delicacy that grows on corn, also known as corn truffle.
"It's an interesting ingredient; very earthy, very umami corn mushroom," he said.
Xico Chico tacos cost $10.50 to $11.50 per order of two.
More to order at Xico Chico
Xico Chico's menu continues with the Quesadilla Gringa and Burrito, made with a choice of protein.
Corn tortillas are made fresh from masa daily, pressed, and cooked in-house using a comal, a griddle commonly used in Mexico. Flour tortillas are sourced from the local tortilleria, Tortillas La Regia.
"The texture and the flavor of the tortilla when it's fresh; a hand-pressed tortilla is much softer and more delicate and has a freshness to it you can't get from a packaged tortilla," Linquist said.
Tortilla chips are also made throughout the day, finished with a touch of sea salt. The three house salsas are salsa verde, chipotle, and mango and habanero.
Guacamole is handmade fresh, using perfectly ripened Hass avocados. It's made in a molcajete, a large stone mortar and pestle.
"They're the best avocado. They're the richest, and they have the creamiest texture, and they're rich in avocado oil and fat," he said. "We take the aromatics ― the onions, chilis, cilantro, lime juice and sea salt ― and grind it all up in the mortar and pestle, and then we add the avocado."
The avocado oil is released, bringing out the full flavor, before the guacamole is mixed. It's made in small batches throughout the day to ensure freshness.
On the sweet side of the menu, after housemade churros, filled with dulce de leche made from goat's milk, tossed in cinnamon and sugar, and served with a warm Mexican chocolate sauce that's similar to ganache.
"We use a traditional Mexican chocolate from Oaxaca, and we combine that with a Belgian-style chocolate that gives it a rich, creamy texture. The Mexican chocolate is unique because it has Mexican cinnamon called canela," he said.
Dining at Xico Chico
Xico Chico is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.
The beverage menu features freshly made margaritas, Mexican beers and nonalcoholic sodas, and the Xico Mexican-style Lager, a custom brew from Green Man Brewery.
"We're in the brewery district. We have Green Man Brewery right across the street, so there's a demand in the area for quick-serve food, and we supply food to Green Man, and people can order from (the taproom)," Linquist said.
Xico Chico's Taco Tuesday special offers guests a free individual order of chips, salsa and guacamole with the purchase of an entree. Margaritas and the Xico beer are $5 each.
Xico and Xico Chico's patio is planned to be expanded to include an upper deck, offering views over South Slope.
Mobile and online ordering is available, with delivery service to to be added soon.
"It's a unique experience. For people who haven't been to the restaurant (Xico), it's a good way to get a bit of a taste of Xico. It's quick and easy," Linquist said.
Xico Chico
Where: 175 Biltmore Ave., South Slope, downtown Asheville.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.
Info: For more, visit xicoasheville.com and follow @xicoasheville on Instagram.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Co., covering the food and beverage industry, including the James Beard Awards, Michelin Awards, restaurant openings, closings and other hospitality industry news and events. Tips, comments, questions? Email tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram. Sign up for AVL Bites and Brews, our weekly food and drink newsletter here.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: It's Taco Tuesday: Xico Chico speakeasy eatery's delicious deals
