Paxia serves up an authentic Mexican feast

When I first ambled into Denver, green behind the palate, my experience with Mexican food was nill. It was so pathetic, in fact, that I would casually crave a Taco Bell gordita and whine to my friends about how I needed “Mexican food.”

Embarrassing.

Over the last six years, however, I have slowly learned a thing or two about true Mexican cooking — the kind that’s served in rough stone mortars and spread out over platters heaping with steaming housemade tortillas. The kind that your grandmother would make if she were  or is Mexican. And I’ll tell you: Taco Bell is to Mexican food what Justin Bieber is to music.

Thankfully, there are several authentic and time-honored Mexican go-tos in Denver, plus a new one to add to the list: Paxia. Cousin to the eminently popular Los Carboncitos chain, Paxia has honed a slightly different concept. Bring traditional Mexican into the environs of Denver with a touch of contemporary flair and you’ve got the menu of Paxia in sum — rich yet fresh, authentic yet accessible.

Brothers Cesar, Roberto, and Ignacio Leon are the culinary masterminds behind the restaurant, digging back to heirloom recipes and reinvigorating old classics. Take their silky chocolate molé, for example: It’s a dish that invites memories of days south of the border, conjuring the bittersweet allure of premium chocolate and the halting spiciness of fresh chile peppers. What makes the Leon brothers’ kitchen magic so magical is the flavors and combinations that reinvent Mexican cuisine for the American palate. Among the most stunning examples has to be the Chile en Nogada – a poblano pepper stuffed with pine nuts, almonds, pecans, raisins, and seasoned beef, then covered in a walnut cream sauce and topped with pomegranate seeds. It’s an uncanny combination, but one that invites revelation.

Then there’s the deft design of Paxia itself – a renovated space in the Highlands off 40th and Tejon. There is undoubtedly a simplicity that anchors the décor, but one that is inventive enough to offer more than fake cacti and Casa Bonita-esque adobe accents. The walls are gilded by hand, odd panes of glass are stained for brightness, and imposing chandeliers lend an elegance to the expansive space. At the same time, there is an abundance of cozy booths and simple tables that mark the dining room, telling of a restaurant that is at once refined and comfortable.

The joy of Paxia – for me, at least – is the opening of another culinary door. It’s not even fathomable to linger for a night and call it good; there is far too much to experience, from seductive appetizers that recall the old days of Mexico, to addictive margaritas that reel you in with ingenious combinations of fruits and herbs. Don’t even get me started on dessert.

I confess: The question of success for the Leon brothers is not really much of a question at all. They’ve captured Denver’s attention with Los Cabroncitos, and have already stirred the pot with the creativity of Paxia’s sprawling menu. It’s really a matter of when Denver will discover them – and leave behind the assumptions of what Mexican cuisine might be.

Taco Bell be damned. This is the real deal.

Visit Paxia at 4001 Tejon Street in Denver or call (720) 583.6860