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First Bite: Xochitl
Posted by bridget salmons on March 16th, 2010
BY BRIDGET SALMONS
Not very long ago we mourned the loss of chef Erin O’Shea at beloved foodie haunt Marigold Kitchen. O’Shea and restaurateur/owner Steve Cook pulled out of the West Philly BYOB to open Percy Street Barbecue on South Street. And now, even more changes in the Cook Empire, but this time at Xochitl. Gone is chef Dionicio Jimenez, who will be cooking at Stephen Starr’s unnamed Mexican restaurant at 20th and Chestnut. In his place is chef Lucio Palazzo (who has cooked at Zahav and was most recently the sous chef at Percy Street), and a more casual, small plates menu of tacos and tortas.
The space, too, is different. The removal of the wall that separated the bar from the main dining room has opened up the tiny spot — a change we can get behind. The lively bar and its must-order margaritas now seem to be Xochitl’s strong suit. In fact, the two new happy hours — a daily HH from 5 to 7 p.m., and a late night one on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays — boast some of the most enticing bar deals in the city, including those margaritas for $5 and the $6 “Guero Special” (a shot of tequila and a can of Tecate).
The new menu, however, at this early stage, falls flat. The baja tacos, with mahi mahi and fresh pineapple and avocado, were light and refreshing, but also tired and uninspired. And the flank steak in the falda de res torta was so tough that as we struggled to eat it, the table across from us gave up and sent it back. Thankfully, the much praised mixed grill remains, but gone are lamb and blood sausage in favor of more accessible meats like duck and pork belly. With chef Jimenez at the helm, Xochitl’s uncomplicated and authentic Mexican cuisine was unrivaled —so we can’t help but see the new taqueria menu and its Americanized flavors as a definite loss for the city.
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March 16th, 2010 at 6:11 pm
Just went there last night and had a different experience with the new menu. We ordered off the appetizer side and found some really good dishes.
Morcilla blood sausage does appear in conjunction with the octopus skewers and the lamb, while unimpressive, was in the tamale.
Check out our review here
http://cephood.blogspot.com/2010/03/new-hole-in-wall-mexican-joint.html
March 17th, 2010 at 3:01 am
Once again Philly Mag has no clue about food and no idea what to order
I had some of the best mexican food in my life at the new Xochitl
The presentation was beautiful and the food was so much better than EL vez and as good as Distrito
I have eaten in El Paso, Houston, LA, san diego, Arizona and this is right up there with the best in the entire country
March 20th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
man bridgette-
you cant go to a restaurant the first week and write derogatory reviews. i mean really. get a clue.
anyone with one ounce of smarts knows you give a restaurant to iron the kinks out. you dont go immediately and rip them apart. thats totally unprofessional on your part. you should know better.
so called wanna be reviewers like yourself have the ability to shut down a restaurant before they even get off the ground. be a little more considerate, no one fired you after your first review although maybe they should have.
write about the mainline and stay out center city.