Christian Rock

by Trey Popp

Lest there be any doubt that Philadelphia is in the midst of a boomlet in Latin American restaurants, check out the latest bit of creative destruction in the Italian Market. No sooner had Christian Street's Molcajete Mixto called it quits than another Mexican restaurant was wrapping tortillas in the very same space. The change happened so swiftly in early July that the Molcajete sign was still hanging over the door six weeks later.

Paxia is part-owned by chef Dionicio Jimenez of Xochitl, but it's his brother-in-law, Ismael Torrez, who's running the kitchen. Both men must have a thing for Frida Kahlo. This spring, Xochitl served a four-course menu inspired by the painter (to coincide with the PMA's retrospective), and a number of her self-portraits hang on Paxia's walls.

The food at Paxia is neither as creative nor as bizarre as Kahlo's oeuvre, in which cactus fruits morph into bleeding wounds and the serrated innards of carved watermelons resemble medieval torture devices. But then there probably aren't many museum-goers who come out of a Kahlo exhibition saying, "Man, I'm hungry!"

The menu hits all the usual notes: enchiladas, empanadas, etcetera. Meat is a better bet than fish. I was glad to find Spanish mackerel on the short ceviche list, but some of the thicker slices of fish hadn't been completely pickled, and a chili deficit robbed the mixture of any real punch. A shrimp skewer was also a study in blandness.

Far better were the steak tips that came as part of the giant Entremes Ranchero, a main course for two. These came nearly naked, but the flavorful meat got a stellar boost when paired in a corn tortilla with amazingly good braised spring onions on the side. If you like a little sweetness in your fowl, you'd have a tough time beating the pineapple-scented shredded chicken heaped in a lettuce leaf on the same platter. I wasn't as wild about the carnitas, however, which came in the form of long ribs lined with more fat than flesh.

Crêpes slathered with mole sauce made for a filling appetizer — the yummiest was one stuffed with zucchini blossoms, but I also liked the huitlacoche, which was salty and black as squid ink. At $2 apiece, tacos are street-cart cheap, but oddly you can order them only in multiples of 10.

Paxia's food isn't quite inspired, but there are bright spots — including very friendly service. Not a giant leap forward in the city's Latin American renaissance, but another few small steps in the right direction.

(t_popp@citypaper.net)

Paxia

746 Christian St., 215-413-0171

Hours: Mon., Wed.-Fri., 5-10 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; closed Tue.

Appetizers, $6-$8; Entrées, $15-$22

BYOB

Wheelchair accessible