A new Mexican restaurant is opening this Wednesday right across the street from Armature Works within The Pearl. Xochitl Cocina Mexicana (pronounced so-cheel) is stationed on the ground floor of the apartment complex—which is also soon to be home to a Jeni's Ice Creams this summer.
The menu has yet to be shared for the forthcoming joint, but according to the restaurant's website, we can expect "carefully curated dishes to pair with an impressive roster of drinks and style." In some reposts from Xochitl's friends and family dinner, a menu showed botanas (snack or appetizer) including guacamole and salsa roja with house corn tortilla chips, elotes (Mexican street corn), and Alitas de Mole (duck wings with mole.) As well as slew of tacos like carnitas, grouper, carne asada, pork belly, summer squash and chorizo. For dessert, churros with spiced dark chocolate sauce and mezcal caramel sauce.
Among signature cocktails from the full bar, the concept is also set to host Hidden Springs' ZFG IPA. In a social media post, Xochitl shared that Hidden Springs is brewing limited edition batches made solely for the Mexican restaurant.
The concept offers up table, booth and bar seating in the presence of a massive colorful mural of Princess Xochitl framed in flowers executed by Daniel Barojas of R5 Imaging. The Pearl is located at 307 W. Palm Ave. in Tampa Heights.
Other concepts to be on the lookout for in Tampa Heights is Woven Water Brewery, Strandhill Public Irish pub, and Jeni's Ice Creams.
Want to know everything going on with Tampa Bay's food and drink scene? Sign up for our Bites newsletter.
This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 5, 2020.