New Mexican bistro Xolo (29 Dunham Pl.) recently opened near the Williamsburg waterfront. Xolo, short for Xoloitzcuintle, is named after an ancient Mexican dog and the national dog of Mexico.
The restaurant’s stark white exterior stands out in the shadow of the Williamsburg Bridge. The airy interior matches it with whitewashed brick walls and a white marble bar. The dining room is lined with steel blue leather banquettes and wood tables, handmade light fixtures, and paintings by Oaxacan artists.
The menu starts with shareable appetizers like chicharrones with chile, lime and salt and delicious mini meatballs al pastor with pineapple. Do not miss the fried goat cheese appetizer with honey, pistachio cream and crushed pistachios.
The rest of the menu includes a variety of tacos, salads and main dishes such as chile poblano relleno de queso served with rice and beans and Milanesa de Pollo with an avocado and cherry tomato salad, pickled cucumbers and salsa verde.
Xolo told Greenpointers that desserts will be rotating on a monthly basis and include some spins on classics like horchata panna cotta, blue corn pineapple upside-down cake, and tres leches coco meringue.
The menu is influenced by the Mexican upbringings of owners Jorge Boetto and Willians Lopez. Xolo said it “brings a contemporary spin to dishes reminiscent of their youth.”
Boetto, born and raised in Mexico City, has been in the restaurant business for nearly two decades, and is currently the owner of two other Williamsburg restaurants Mesa Coyoacan and Zona Rosa. Lopez, who also hails from Mexico, has fifteen years of experience in the industry.
Underneath Xolo is Bar Milagro, a lounge with 2,000 hand-painted Mexican charms, known as milagros, on the ceiling, known to symbolize protection, good luck, good health and hope. Boetto’s wife, Gigi Boetto, is an artist who designed the ceiling of milagros for Bar Milagro and created paintings for Xolo.
Bar Milagro offers cocktails like the Tropical Mezcalito with mezcal, passion fruit, campari, the Fuerte Como La Muerte with tequila, mezcal, lilet, and orange, and the Mojito Colada with rum, pineapple, and coconut cream. The bar also serves fun boozy milkshakes in flavors like Mexican chocolate or piña colada. Plus, patrons can order shareable food items like guacamole or quesadillas.
Xolo truly is an all-day cafe as it also functions as a morning coffee shop with a selection of breakfast items like pastries, tamales and tacos.
Xolo is open everyday for breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Bar Milagro is open Wednesday and Thursday from 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. and Friday to Sunday until 1 a.m.