Between its James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant and spot on Bon Appétit's own year-end list, Oro by Nixta hit the ground running in 2024. Chefs Gustavo and Kate Romero first launched their business as a love letter to masa during the pandemic — one that was expressed through pop-ups, weekly takeout dinners and some of the country's most complex heirloom corn tortillas. That mission now carries on over to a dine-in menu that's meant to be shared and devoured.

Oro by Nixta is a culinary masterpiece that is highly recommended for anyone looking for a classy and sophisticated Mexican dining experience. The restaurant, led by the well-known chef Gustavo Romero, pushes the envelope and provides a fine-dining experience deeply steeped in the depths of Mexican cuisine. For those who want to enjoy Mexican food in a classy atmosphere where each dish is a masterfully prepared creation, Oro by Nixta is the place to go.

Nominated for the Best New Restaurant in the 2024 James Beard Awards cycle, the Oro by Nixta crew is making waves with their upscale Mexican fare. Their work incorporates corn into nearly every dish on their menus, including drinks and desserts. Oro honors pre-colonial preparations of masa, meats, and vegetables and often hosts guest chefs who share their values, commitment to high-quality ingredients, and cultural preservation.

The extraordinary heirloom masa is the backbone of Oro’s menu, with ground corn kernels doing the heavy work in everything from chips and tacos to tamales and pastries. Order the carnitas taco for perfectly crisped bits of pork paired with a creamy avocado salsa. Anything with mole is also a must, especially the duck enmoladas that get a slight bittersweet taste from dark chocolate in the sauce.

We box up the pizza and head a few doors down, to Oro by Nixta, where I found a new favorite dish: the lengua taco ($7 each). Slippery organ meat is cooked until tender, with a little heat from the chile de arbol that's softened by the cured onion, and it's all snugly wrapped within those mythical corn tortillas. "Just a taco each?" asks co-owner Kate Romero.

I personally love Mexican food and Mexican chefs, and you can see that in the list: El Sazon, Nico’s, Taqueria y Birrieria, Las Cuatro Milpas, Andale, Oro by Nixta, and more. We wanted to make sure some of the underrated gems were on the list, like Joan’s in the Park and Brunson’s Pub. And we made sure we had east metro and west side representation, too.

Dining here is really like taking a senior seminar in our continent’s most important native grain, corn. Try it in fresh-made tortillas that might smell oaky or even meaty, depending on the corn variety. Try it in one tamale stuffed with confit rabbit or in another tamale with strawberries and rhubarb.

A 2024 James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant, Oro by Nixta utilizes heirloom corn from Mexico in its tortillas and masa. The tortillas perform double duty in the fish tacos, which star tortilla-crusted mahi mahi, guacamole, chipotle crema and slaw.