I had a good ten dollar lunch at Ixta yesterday: Excellent chunky guacamole made with ripe avocados, served with greaseless homemade tortilla chips; a very tasty, well-seasoned black bean soup; and a fine if somewhat strange sandwich consisting of chorizo, smoked gouda and red onion on an all-American hamburger bun. Ixta, you might remember, was seminal New York Mexican chef and force of nature Zarela Martinez' second Gotham restaurant. She opened it a couple of years ago and just couldn't make a go of it in what was then a bit of restaurant no-man's land. So she sold it to her employees, who seem to be making a go of it. It helps that Park and Madison Avenue between 23rd and 29th Streets is clearly the next happening restaurant scene in the city. The recent openings of A Voce, Country and Urena are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Just today I heard that Zak Pelacio of Fatty Crab and 5 Ninth is opening a Malaysian restaurant in a new hotel in the neighborhood. Ixta is at 48 E. 29th Street, 212-683-4833. I won't rate it until I eat dinner there.
FULL REVIEW
Two weeks ago I received a postcard from IXTA which doubled as a $10 off coupon. We probably would've tried the restaurant regardless, considering it's in our neighborhood, but the coupon certainly got us more motivated to try it out...that as well as their recently joining OpenTable, of which I was able to receive 100 points.
FULL REVIEW
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