Staff Blog
Is Molcajete Mixto closing?
Saturday, June 28th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
posted by Drew Lazor
categories Bite This
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This PhillyBlog post claims that Molcajete, the well-regarded Mexican BYO at Eighth and Christian, is shutting down and changing hands. But we just called and got a different story. A staffer tell us they'll close up shop for three or four days coming up soon to install a new hood for the kitchen, and will reopen for business as usual after that.
Let's hope this PhillyBlogger is mistaken. They do one hell of a cochinita pibil — good enough to shoot the cook.
I just moved to the neighborhood and had the Cochinita Pibil at Molcajete. It was amazing! I hope they don’t close.
It’s definitely not closing. There will be a name change in the future, but it will continue to be a Mexican BYO spot.
Will it be the same owner/chef and/or same menu? I didn’t read into that posting that the establishment is closing down but that it is changing hands/closing as we know it.
They took down their Best of Philly and other awards from the window. The menu has changed and the standards Molcajete Mixto and Conchinita Pibil are no longer. I walked past there today. The sign still says Molcajete Mixto, but let’s see if and when that will change.
It’s true, the menu changed, and the decor is slightly different.
What I meant to say that it’s NOT closed, but things have changed.
My neighbors went last night. Said that not only was the menu different, but that some of the food that remained on the menu was different tasting. They noted the guac was better and the chips/tortillas not as good. They also said that the presentation was very different. Sounds like new chef too!
If they were merely “renovating the kitchen” they would not have changed the menu and taste/presentation of the food, removed awards from the window and changed some decorations. I hate to say it, but it does look like Molcajete Mixto as we knew it is no more:(
oh, it’s definitely not Molcajete Mixto. The name on the sign is still there but the food has taken a 360 degree turn. Where’s my queso fundido, salads, mushroom empinadas, and conchinita pibil? The prices have jumped too. I didn’t see the owner walking around waiting tables like he usually does too. I think it’s been sold.
MOLCAJETE IS NO LONGER … now called Paxia
Molcajete Mixto at Eighth and Christian Streets in Bella Vista has given way to Paxia, a similarly fresh, homespun Mexican BYO — and its pedigree is most interesting. One of the owners is Dionicio Jimenez, chef/partner at Society Hill’s Xochitl, who’s helping his brother-in-law, Ismael Torrez, a native of Mexico City, who has worked at Beau Monde plus some stints at Xochitl. (I hear that Jimenez is firmly entrenched at Xochitl.)
It’s open for dinner nightly except for Tuesdays, and brunch is served on weekends. Decor is the same. Figure on entrees at $15 to $25. Same phone: 215-413-0171, too.
That above post was copied from the Food & Drinq blog: http://go.philly.com/foodanddrinq
THE REAL PAXIA RESTAURANT (www.paxia.com.mx) IS LOCATED IN MEXICO CITY, ITS BEEN NAMED ONE OF TEH BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANTS IN THE WORLD BY MANY PUBLICATIONS. DONT LET THESE IMPOSTORS STEAL MANY PEOPLE HARD WORK FOR YEARS.
[...] tipster informed us that today might be the last call for Paxia, the Mexican BYO that replaced Molcajete Mixto at Eighth and Christian. We called over to see if we could confirm.“We’re having a little issue with the owner [...]