Nixta modern Mexican food in St. Louis

Nixta serves up interesting Mexican food with a modern flair.  The plates aren't laden with unnecessary refried beans and rice.  There is an emphasis on vegetables and traditional dishes with a more refined sensibility.  The menu offers classics such as "cochinita pibil" (pork roasted in an earth oven, the "pibil", wrapped in a banana leaf, "pulpo en su tinta" (octopus served with its ink) and turkey "albondigas" (meatballs) with "fideo" (a pasta).  There are also unique dishes such as local mushrooms in "mole" (a traditional sauce) and a vegetarian "escabeche".

The vibe of the restaurant is very relaxed and neighborhood-y.  It is in the Tower Grove section in a modest cinderblock building with some patio seating.  It is easy to find parking because the only other things in the immediate area are Olia, a great Mediterranean place and Patisserie Choquet, an excellent bakery.

We started with the "sikil pak" with chips.  It is a pleasantly spicy dip made with ground pumpkin seeds.  It was rich and filling.  We split an order of "tamal" and an order of the "albondigas".  We conclude our great meal with the house flan.  It was much richer than a standard flan, but kept the traditional caramel sauce, which had great notes of slightly singed sugar.

The flan was made with a cheese cake base

The cochinita was served with a habanero salt and pickled onions

The sikil pak with a texture similar to hummus