Ben Poremba's Nixta serves up ancestral Mexican fare that’s a cut above

×

Expand

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Molé Negro de Abulelita Conception: braised beef cheeks and molé

Lustrous and flavorful, mole is a fabulously complex sauce. Abuelita’s version, a specialty at Nixta, is particularly nuanced, with strata of spice, smoke, and savory heat. A chocolate pool of mole surrounds a slab of tender beef cheek. It’s a rewarding example of the menu: elevated Mexican-inspired fare.

What started life as a farrier’s shop for city police horses has been renovated with pink and blue walls, Mexican rugs, wood tables, and pleasantly subdued lighting. Bar Limon, which occupies one side of Ben Poremba’s newest Botanical Heights restaurant, offers a daunting selection of tequilas, mescal, and inventive cocktails.

For more substantial fare, order several platos chicos. Begin with the guacamole, enlivened with crushed pepitas. Other familiar dishes are reimagined; flautas, for instance, are the expected deep-fried rolled tortillas stuffed with meat, but they’re accompanied by oyster mushrooms, spinach, and a mushroom cream that make all the difference.

Ceviche gets a serious upgrade here. Whitefish and marinated shrimp are served with apple slivers, avocado, serrano pepper shreds, and rosewater espuma. Note those scarlet sprouts—amaranth, grown in house—which add a piquancy that illustrates the attention to detail.

Of the seafood choices, opt for the pulpo (octopus leg served with fried potatoes and a nut-based mole) or tuna tostada (with lime, avocados, and sugar snaps).

The huarache is delightful: a thick masa slab topped with roasted pumpkin, squash, charred avocado, garlic, and fresh greens. Quesadillas are another upgraded Mexican specialty; the tortillas are frosted with refried beans and roasted eggplant, then sprinkled with queso fresco. And what’s a Mexican restaurant without tacos and fajitas? The taco al pastor is loaded with pork belly confit and caramelized pineapple; the sturgeon fajitas are layered with seared sturgeon and dressed with a cashew–and–black lime salsa.

For dessert, the flan’s bittersweet sauce and pudding-like texture are fine, but the concha is a must. The mildly sweet bread is a Mexican bakery standard. At Nixta, a perfectly caramelized sugar syrup lends a sophisticated sweetness.

The dish prices may push the limit for some St. Louis diners, considering the portions. But the food is excelente, the service is friendly and informed, and the bar (which offers a late-night menu, live music, and specials on Fridays and Saturdays after 10 p.m.) is inviting. Overall, Nixta adds a welcome new taste to St. Louis. Ándale!

The Bottom Line: Complex renditions of classic Mexican cuisine are served in a cool, popular setting.