I am not a particular fan of big lines or crowds of people, so I can’t say I have been to the opening of a highly anticipated restaurant before. That changed last Friday, when I was one of the first customers through the door of Nixta. Nixta is a new Mexican restaurant backed by Ben Poremba—the man behind successful St. Louis restaurants Parigi, Olio, Elaia and La Patisserie Chouquette. Utilizing his space that used to be Old Standard Fried Chicken, Poremba has worked alongside his partner, chef Tello Carreon, to create a restaurant that combines elegant meals with a relaxed environment.

I was originally unsure what to expect with Nixta, since the only other Poremba restaurant I had been to was the highly sophisticated Parigi. Nixta, however, does not emulate the fanciness of Parigi in its ambience—rather, it is housed in a small building just larger than a shack, and opts for a low-key turquoise and orange color scheme that is calm and inviting. While there is outdoor seating available for when the weather is more forgiving, the inside does not have much space. Both rooms can maybe sit 40-50 people in total, which makes the experience more personal and inviting.

Brock Workman | Student Life

Nixta, a new Mexican restaurant from Ben Poremba and chef Tello Carreon, stand where Old Standard Fried Chicken’s used to in the Botanical Heights neighborhood.

Given that it was Nixta’s first night, there were several adjustments and missing items my waiter let me know of beforehand. This was not an issue, as smostly all of the 16 dishes were still available, as well as the full list of tequilas and cocktails. Aside from a few, most of the dishes are in-between tapas and full meal size. Essentially, this means the dishes are perfect for splitting. I split a few entrees between two people, which gave us a good combination of variety and substance.

Some of the dishes are more classic crowd-pleasers, like the cochinita pibil, a warm, soft and juicy pork shoulder that is served with tortillas (although it’s so juicy that it’s near impossible to eat without getting the sauce everywhere). Other dishes on the menu are a bit more unique—and why Nixta will be best enjoyed by more adventurous diners. Another one of my dishes was a seafood cocktail, which was a cold tomato-based soup with mussels, octopus and other types of seafood mixed in. This had just the right amount of kick to not interfere with the flavor blend of the seafood while also giving the dish a fuller profile.

My third dish was also completely new to my palate, and it consisted of one long octopus tentacle grilled until the skin was hard but the inside was soft. This was then laid on a bed of lettuce, potatoes and a sweet chilelike mole almendrado sauce. While not particularly filling, the octopus was incredibly well-done, and the sauce was unlike anything I have had before.

Brock Workman | Student Life

The concha was one of the highlights of Nixta’s dessert options.

Throughout the course of the meal, the chef sent out several experimental items on the house to gauge customer response. Some of these hit their marks, like a hot chocolate mixed with a bit of cream and seasoned with cinnamon. Others were a bit stranger, such as a rice pudding dessert with earthy nuts that overwhelmed the flavor of the dish.General perks of free food aside, I appreciated the variability and fluidity these items brought to the meal.

All things considered, what was most striking about my time at Nixta was how much fun the experience was, which is an aspect to dining that is sometimes lost between refining menus and the difficulties of running a restaurant. Aside from being friendly, the waiters were involved and invested in each dish that was brought out, almost making it seem like it was their creations that were being put up for public critique rather than the chef behind the scenes’. It felt like more of an event than a meal and certainly did not feel hectic and unorganized, like a restaurant opening should be. Nixta fills a unique niche in the restaurant scene of St. Louis and in my opinion is a must try for those down for a little bit of an adventure.

Also, if you go and do not get the concha desert, you are very, very wrong.