Today, we honor Houston's famous chef, Hugo Ortega!  Ortega feeds Houston's hungry masses at his three restaurants, including the likes of former US President and First Lady, George and Barbara Bush.  From this FoxNews Latino article:

After arriving illegally in Houston, Texas in 1983, Ortega worked as a dishwasher and line cook – a far cry from earlier tasks like toasting cacao. But life slowly led Ortega back to his Mexican roots. Like his abuelita, he had a knack for cooking. He got a green card, went to culinary school and eventually became a citizen and an executive chef. Finally in 2002, he opened Hugo’s, his restaurant offering home-style Mexican dishes elevated to upscale, sophisticated fare.

Since then, Hugo’s has received numerous accolades: The Houston Press named it “Best Restaurant” in the city in 2003.  Ortega received the award for “Chef of the Year” at the 2011 Houston Culinary Awards presented by local magazine My Table in early October.

Here are links to Ortega's three restaurants, all of which look spectacularly yummy and we plan to try the next time we're visiting my native Houston. Congratulations on your success in America, Mr. Ortega!

Hugo's Restaurant

Backstreet Cafe

Prego