About Xolo Kitchen

I was asked to come travel to Tulum,  Mexico in December, 2019 to consult with the chefs at Maya Tulum on how to change their a la carte and buffet menu to make it more plant centered, cohesive, inspired and delicious. And I did just that! After closing our restaurant, VO@ Vegan Cafe in May, I was searching for inspiration on my next project. While walking around town, I came across a sketch book with a beautiful image on the cover drawn by my now friend, Andy Malpica. I read a bit about the image and it’s significance and immediately knew this was going to be important in my life in some way.

XOLO (pronounced ‘ZOLO’) is short for Xoloitzcuintle, a Mexican hairless dog since pre-Hispanic times. The Mexica culture considers him the companion of the dead towards the underworld (Miclan), his image represented life and death as deity and his main feature is his lack of fur demonstrating both strength and vulnerability.

When I first saw the image and read the short description/story of xoloitzcuintle, I immediately thought about the connection first to my son, Dylan. How I hoped and imagined he had Xolo with him when he crossed over and that they were still together. I imagined the animals in my life living and gone. The two dogs that passed away that I know are with Dylan now. I also thought about the symbolism around crossing back and forth between 2 worlds. I don’t believe that Dylan took a one way trip but is crossing back and forth and hopefully Xolo is with him along the way.

(Some of you have noticed the tattoo on my right arm. That is the original drawing).

Now to the business part. I have been a vegan and passionate about animal, human, social justice for many years. Our family opened a vegan restaurant in 2013. Dylan worked there with me and my husband Steven and younger son Deven did too.  It was part of a bigger business that had a yoga studio and wellness center. We had a little apartment and would stay there with our dogs as well. This was going to be our “city” home. The boys were homeschooled all their lives and our priority as a family was working, traveling, playing, and having as many adventures as possible. This was part of that plan. In 2014, Dylan was diagnosed, for the first time, with cancer. He was 12 at the time. He was in and out of the hospital for 5 years and in between. we did our best to continue travel, play and adventures. Because the business was in Boston, and so were the hospitals, the desire for our family to be there became less and less. We closed the business a few months after Dylan left us.

Since then, I have had this urge to begin something new, that incorporates so much about what he is and was and also my passion for cooking and food, especially vegan. Dylan was also passionate about animals and was vegan from the age of 10. Here is where Xolo comes in. I realized that I did not want to get back into the restaurant business in the way that I was before. Rather, I planned  to start a consulting business where I work with restaurants and food service companies to help them become inspired and empowered with plant-based cuisine, create plant-based entrees or items for their menu to add to and complement what they already have and in their own style. In essence, I want to help restaurant owners and chefs cross back and forth between 2 worlds rather than having to be stuck in just one. In honor of Dylan’s birthday, May 10, 2020 ( his 19th birthday), we launched this new venture, XOLO Kitchen.