Xixa

The creation story of Xixa is one of truth and fantasy.

The truth is as follows: Jason Marcus and Heather Heuser met while working in a restaurant in San Diego in 2005. Eventually Jason (a nice jewish guy from Jersey), and Heather ( a nicer non-Jewish girl from New Hampshire) fell in love and decided to travel through Europe, move to New York, and open a restaurant called Traif. Along their travels in Europe they came across a bar in Barcelona called “Xix,” pronounced “chicks” in Catalan. They thought, wouldn’t it be something if we one day had another establishment called “xixa,” pronounced “shiksa” in Spanish in honor of Heather, Jason’s “shiksa,” or non-jewish girlfriend in Yiddish.

In April 2010, Heather and Jason did open Traif restaurant. One January morning while walking to coffee about a year and a half after opening Traif, Heather and Jason decided to ask the landlords of a vacant former restaurant down the street of their intentions with that space. After a positive meeting, Heather and Jason began to wonder about their next venture. Shortly after and coinciding with two visits to Mexico and their overall passions for Mexican cuisine and wine, Heather and Jason began formulating the idea of a Mexican restaurant and wine bar, but… different, like a Traif version Mexico City.

Here’s where the fantasy twist to the Traif story begins. So, what if instead of meeting in San Diego, Heather and Jason met in Mexico? What if almost everything else was the same: Jason travelled throughout Europe and Asia, worked in various Michelin kitchens, and grew up gardening and cooking with mom just like in real life… and what if Heather found her passion for service and hospitality while working in major hotels, boutique restaurants, and tiny dive bars…

What if Jason and Heather met in a restaurant in 2005… What if they dreamed of opening a restaurant in their home’s capital featuring the type of foods, beverages, service, and ambiance they loved… but what if this capital was Mexico City? What if Jason (a good Jewish boy from the suburbs of Mexico City—go with it) was enchanted by his non-Jewish girlfriend Heather much like his connection to cooking and they wanted to honor this notion of seduction with their new restaurant—a place where familiar meets foreign, home meets away, and the accepted meets the forbidden? And, what would they call this place?
Xixa is the real answer to this fictional question. At Xixa, Heather and Jason hope to capture this parallel dream of Heather and Jason version Mexico City. The food will be globally inspired but grounded by the flavors, techniques, and memories of a chef whose home lies in the suburbs of Mexico City.

The ambience and service will reflect Heather’s cosmopolitan experiences, but be grounded by an affinity for traditional and modern Mexican aesthetics and culture. The beverage program featuring an extensive wine list, focused tequila/mezcal list, and craft beer list, will reflect Heather and Jason’s desire to showcase the essences of Mexico’s classic drinks: agave, hops, and grapes. As Heather and Jason’s next step, they hope guests will enjoy the familiar concept offered at Traif, but enjoy making the journey with them to a new place, Xixa.