STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A culinary destination continues to evolve in Rosebank, where chefs Roberto Hernandez and Wilver Romero have transformed the former Bayou restaurant space into XO Mexican Kitchen and Bar, offering an ambitious 13-course tasting menu alongside à la carte options.

Now with a liquor license, the partners will pair dishes with select cocktails and wine.

“XO” stands for Xotchitl, which means “flowers” in Spanish and is also the name of Hernandez’s wife. Located at 1072 Bay Street, the three-month-old establishment now features a $110 tasting menu that puts diners in the hands of its chef-owners. Hernandez, a sommelier at Manhattan’s La Coucou restaurant, brings his expertise to a menu that includes signature dishes like pork ribs al pastor (pineapple) and queso birria,

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