Chef Raul and Olga Reyes come from Alvarado, Veracruz, a town built on a mile-wide strip of land with the Gulf of Mexico on one side and a brackish lagoon on the other. With the bounty of the sea close at hand, fresh seafood is a way of life in Alvarado. But Veracruz is also home to wild boar and turkey, to vanilla orchids and cacao, to tropical fruits and a rainbow of chiles. For nearly five hundred years, the cuisine of Alvarado has evolved through the influence of indigenous, Spanish, French and African cultures in the port city. This same authentic coastal cuisine Raul and Olga have been cooking and eating since their childhood is offered at Dallas’ favorite fine Mexican restaurant, Mesa.