Tomorrow welcomes the first day of February. You know what that means. Potentially two more months of gray skies and blistering cold. Lucky for you, you live in (or not to far from) a city where restaurants keep their innovative flames burning well into this “slow” season. Xochitl also welcomes February, and chef Lucio Palazzo brings you ‘Dish and Cocktail’ pairings throughout the entire month.

Owner Steven Cook says “from the heat of traditional spices to the sweet glow of a well-made cocktail, there’s no better way to beat the winter chill,” and we have to agree. Tequila is usually our go-to summer libation, but seeing as though this winter isn’t going to end anytime soon, we can see to changing that. We’ve grown weary of the staple comfort foods of winter, and we head to Xochitl whenever we’re looking for something totally out of the ordinary to stir up our senses. If you’re feeling the same, who else but Steven Cook, and Michael Solomonov, (also owners of Percy Street Barbecue and Zahav) to bring you unusual but authentic flavors of sunnier places.

Here you have the week by week schedule of ‘Dish and Cocktail’ pairings:

Week One, 2/1 – 2/6:  Chicharrones, house-fried pork rinds served with radish, mint and salsa verde, paired with Bochito, El Jimador blanco tequila, Aperol, simple syrup and hand-squeezed lime ($13)
 
Week Two, 2/7 – 2/13:  Mollejas, veal sweetbreads a la plancha, served with root vegetable ceviche, grapefruit, avocado and habanero, paired with El Fumador, Del Maguey Vida mescal, El Jimador blanco tequila, muddled grapefruit, sugar and habanero ($17)
 
Week Three, 2/14 – 2/20:  Albondigas, veal tongue meatballs served with tomato-chipotle salsa, almonds, Castelveltrano olives and rice, paired with Nublado, red wine with tequila, orange, hibiscus, canela and strawberries ($20)
 
Week Four, 2/21 – 2/28:  Arroz con Pollo, a half chicken roasted with carnitas and served with beer, creamy rajas, celery and rice, paired with Michelada, Dos Equis amber lager with spicy tomato and a chili-salt rim ($18)

Xochitl – 408 S. 2nd Street