aschie30 wrote:True, but I think Arreola has been gone a long time now (at least as long as Rustico Grill has been open, I think).

No doubt, which is why I think getting more recent feedback is critical. Head chef leaves (or becomes focused elsewhere) and things will remain the same on day 1, day 2, etc., but over time things can slip. Again, I'm not saying that they are slipping, just trying to elicit recent feedback to see if this is/is not the case.

My last meal at Mixteco (prior to this week) was about one month before Rustico opened, so if anything was going to change at Mixteco, it wouldn't have happened yet at that point.

-Dan

I've only been to Mixteco twice in the last two years, and only once very recently. I have to say, though, that the second meal was not nearly as good as the first. Not in the same ballpark. That said, I wasn't doing back flips over Mixteco after the first visit, and recall thinking that I preferred Fonda del Mar, where I dined at about the same time and ate similar food.

The food was fine at my recent meal, but there wasn't a single memorable dish for me. I've already forgotten what the appetizers were, and the meal was just a few weeks ago. Cochinita pibil, which I recalled loving, wasn't special. The pickled onions, which had been a highlight, were stringy and barely edible. They shouldn't have been served.

With all the great food in this city, Mexican food included, I don't think I'll be headed back to Mixteco anytime soon. I, too, had hesitated to post because this was just one meal. But, based on this last meal, and granted it's only one meal, I wouldn't support a GNR renewal.

Ronna

Kennyz wrote:Are you just baiting me?

Always?

Aside from baiting Kenny, the daughter was in town and desirous of Mexican (the girl claims she cannot get real Mexican in Boston, which I cannot accept), so I decided Mixteco was the ticket.

First visit for me, though some friends joined us who are GNR fans and pretty local to Mixteco, and this was their third visit. They did not see any difference from previous visits.

My meal was excellent, actually much better than my last couple of meals at FdM before it closed. The low point for me was the tomatillo salsa that came with the chips - no heat, a touch of saltiness, mostly bleh. They brought some creamy habanero later that had good heat, but not a lot more.

The Bride's Guacamole was pleasingly chunky, with good avocado taste and texture. A pretty pure play on guacamole, IMO, some onions, radish garnish,minimal heat again, but since the avocados were ripe and flavorful, it worked. The Calamare Ajillo had good greens, smoky flavor, and a more vinegarry flavor to the dressing than I expected. The squid were properly, but not overly, chewy, and it came together well.

I had the pleasure of sampling everyone's mains. The roasted pork was my least favorite. The pork was a little more chewy than I might have liked, but the mole salvaged it nicely. The Monkfish special in a yellow/green mole was grilled with a bit of wood smoke to it and the sauce was spot on. The chicken was good, the sauce quite good, and my lamb in mole negro was just about perfect. Tender, pink, little lamb chops in a deep, dark, complex mole that I was then able to sop up and suck down with the fresh tortillas.

Desserts were okay, not terribly memorable.

Execution overall, and quality of sauces were very good, indeed. It was a Friday night, and we arrived at 5 as they opened. I suppose execution could decline as they get busy, but it was all good, and with the affable service and BYO policy added in, I will be back. Thumbs up as a GNR for me, too.

I have only eaten at Mixteco once. The appetizers weren't memorable, but my mole was the best mole I have had in some years-complex heat/sweet/chocolate/spicy deliciousness! I vote yes on the renewal.

I visited recently and found it better than my last trip to Sol de Mexico. Both are such significant standouts in the scene that even with their flaws I'm glad to have them to recommend: it passes the "holy cow, how did you know about this place" test from friends who have enjoyed it. (Disclaimer: this is my personal test only).

On recent visits Mixteco has been every bit as good as it was when originally nominated. I wholeheartedly endorse renewal.

It's my favorite sit-down Mexican restaurant in the city and the quality has been quite consistent, even since Raul Arreola left. The highlights are the wood-fire grilled meats and the interesting and complex moles. They serve everything with hand made tortillas and their salsas are always bright and delicious (the habanero salsa, by request, is tangy and seriously spicy).

The place seems to have lost popularity. It's not as busy as it used to be, and LTHForum hasn't been posting about it much, which I think is a shame. If you like Mexican-grilled meats and moles, I can't think of a better place, and it's BYOB! Still a GNR in my book.

turkob wrote:It's my favorite sit-down Mexican restaurant in the city and the quality has been quite consistent, even since Raul Arreola left. The highlights are the wood-fire grilled meats and the interesting and complex moles. They serve everything with hand made tortillas and their salsas are always bright and delicious (the habanero salsa, by request, is tangy and seriously spicy).

The place seems to have lost popularity. It's not as busy as it used to be, and LTHForum hasn't been posting about it much, which I think is a shame. If you like Mexican-grilled meats and moles, I can't think of a better place, and it's BYOB! Still a GNR in my book.

Can't agree more. It is also my favorite sit down Mexican, and the moles, sauces, and tortillas are some of, if not, the best around. My only gripe is the menu rarely changes, and it is usually only a dish or two that is changed. This might be the cause of the lack of posting on it. That said, I'm glad my lamb and cochinita pibil aren't threatened from coming off the menu. Definately a GNR.