Huarachitos to Resurface in South Seattle

Seattle's scoring a lively Mexico City eatery in spring 2013, when Huarachitos Cocina Mexicana opens in South Seattle as early as April.

When the much-loved (and former) Huarachitos (war-uh-CHEE-tohz) Mexican Taqueria closed due to a fire in 2011, husband and wife Jose Luis Pantiga-Flores and Ana Martinez promised to begin again. And that's exactly what they are doing.

The stylish, brand new, and much bigger space in The Station at Othello complex on the light rail line (near Deo Valente Cafe and the Tacos El Asadero truck) is shaping up under the direction of architect George Hanson. Planned for 100-120 seats, many will have street views through huge windows on the front and the side of the building.

The Mexico City menu will have old favorites front and center, along with new dishes, and yes, there will be cabeza, hard-to-find delicacies and the eponymous cornmeal huarachitos bread.

The new spot will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner plus happy hours and a weekend brunch.

Asked how they found the fab new location, Martinez said, "The space found us" when the landlord contacted them about the corner spot.

Owner/chef Jose Luis Pantiga-Flores, who comes from a Mexico City restaurant family, was a chef at The Space Needle and the Columbia Tower before opening the first Huarachitos, and trained at Le Cordon Bleu, Seattle.

· Huarachitos [Facebook]