Oro by Nixta grew out of Nixta Tortilleria, the artisanal tortilla operation in Northeast Minneapolis that works with heirloom corn and time-honored nixtamalization techniques. The restaurant takes those tortillas and masa and builds a full-service menu of original Mexican dishes around them, set in the city's Arts District.
Gustavo Romero, who cooked in Mexico, Miami, Italy, San Francisco, and Minneapolis before this project, leads the kitchen as the restaurant's self-described "maize-ologist," with Kate Romero working the line as chef de tournant after time in Chicago, Krakow, Minneapolis, and San Francisco.
The recognition has piled up fast. Oro by Nixta made Eater's Essential 38 and Mpls St Paul Magazine's Best 2026 list, was named to The New York Times' Restaurant List and Bon Appétit's Best New Restaurants in 2024, and was a James Beard Foundation finalist for Best New Restaurant that same year. The kitchen was also named a 2026 James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Midwest.
Gustavo Romero, who cooked in Mexico, Miami, Italy, San Francisco, and Minneapolis before this project, leads the kitchen as the restaurant's self-described "maize-ologist," with Kate Romero working the line as chef de tournant after time in Chicago, Krakow, Minneapolis, and San Francisco.
The recognition has piled up fast. Oro by Nixta made Eater's Essential 38 and Mpls St Paul Magazine's Best 2026 list, was named to The New York Times' Restaurant List and Bon Appétit's Best New Restaurants in 2024, and was a James Beard Foundation finalist for Best New Restaurant that same year. The kitchen was also named a 2026 James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Midwest.