WZZM13 #PascuaPitstop

 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Today's #PascuaPitstop heads to a Mexican restaurant and Tequila/Mezcal bar located in downtown Grand Rapids that offers a dining experience that is rather unique.

Chef Oscar Moreno, a native of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico creates cuisine that brings a modern touch to classic pre-Hispanic food of Mexico. His passion for food was rooted in the importance it had in his family-life while growing up. That passion grew while he worked under chefs from different countries.

Meanwhile, manager Anthony Murhpy showcases some of the cocktails you can order at the Tequila/Mezcal bar.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to Celebrate Grand Opening of MeXo!

CDKI Dining Celebrates the Opening of its newest Grand Rapids Restaurant

GRAND RAPIDS, MI (JUNE, 2018) - On July 3 rd , 2018 at 2:00pm, Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss will perform a traditional ribbon cutting ceremony at MeXo, a Pre-Hispanic Modern Mexican restaurant that recently opened in Downtown Grand Rapids. The ceremony, which will be held at 118 Fulton Street East in downtown Grand Rapids, will mark the official Grand Opening of the restaurant that opened its doors in April of 2018.

Named by combining the words “Mesoamerica” and “Mexico”, MeXo is a fusion of Pre-Hispanic,
Mesoamerican culture and modern authentic Mexican cuisine. The restaurant’s unique dining concept is the first of its kind in Grand Rapids. MeXo’s cuisine is complimented with a tequila/mezcal bar that carries an extensive collection of more than a hundred varieties of tequila and mezcal.

MeXo’s parent company, CDKI Dining, is known for its popular West Olive based establishment, Sandy Point Beach House, a casual fine dining restaurant. CDKI Dining also opened Zoko 822 in December of 2017. Zoko features a small plate collection of recipes that are inspired by the Basque region of Spain and is located at 822 Ottawa Ave. in Grand Rapids.

“Our passion is to build a world class dining culture here in Grand Rapids,” said Geoff Gaskin, President of CDKI Dining.

Members of the community and the press are welcomed to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony and to stay and enjoy food and cocktails along with complimentary appetizers. MeXo’s award winning chef, Oscar Moreno, will be available to greet guests at the event. Chef Oscar will also be preparing special lunch features for the celebration.

To stay up to date on the latest news regarding MeXo, everyone is invited to follow the restaurant on Facebook (MeXoGR), Twitter (@MeXoGR) and Instagram (@MeXoGR) or at www.mexogr.com.

grbj - Group opens 'pre-Hispanic' restaurant downtown

A local restaurant group has opened a “pre-Hispanic” restaurant in downtown Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids-based CDKI Holdings opened its third restaurant, MeXo (pronounced “Mezzo,” as in Mesoamerican) this spring in the former Brian’s Books space, at 114 Fulton St. E.

The company — which also owns Zoko 822 in Grand Rapids and Sandy Point Beach House in West Olive — plans to host a formal grand opening with food and cocktails on July 3 at 2 p.m.

MeXo is fusion of pre-Hispanic, Mesoamerican culture and modern Mexican cuisine and is the brainchild of Executive Chef Oscar Moreno, who was hired by CDKI to develop the concept.

“We have been preparing to bring Chef Oscar’s flavors to Grand Rapids for some time now,” said Geoff Gaskin, president, CDKI Dining.  “We’re excited to show off his talent and have our guests be amazed by his influences.”

Process and menu

Most of the ingredients for Moreno’s recipes are imported from Mexico or locally sourced as available.

MeXo grows many of its herbs on-site in a lower-level greenhouse visible from the restaurant entrance.  Moreno uses “authentic processes and utensils” in the kitchen, including an in-house mill to grind corn.

Pre-Hispanic dishes on the menu include caldo de piedra, or stone soup, historically prepared by men in the Oaxaca region of Mexico who would spend the day fishing, collecting stones and preparing a fire in order to make the soup for the community.

At MeXo, guests can watch tableside as the server removes the river rock from the boiling soup.

Other dishes include ceviche, moles, cuitlacoche and a variety of soups and salads. The menu includes a glossary of terms and translations for those new to the style of cooking.

The restaurant serves more than a hundred varieties of straight tequila and mezcal, as well a selection of cocktails, wine and beer.