Photograph by Caitlin Abrams
Popol Vuh
One of the MSP50 Best Restaurants.
Sorry to start the week on a bummer. I talked to Jami Olson, and she and co-owner José Alarcon have made the decision to not re-open Popol Vuh. The cutting-edge Mexican fine dining restaurant, which is the other half of taco-focused Centro, is gone for the foreseeable future.
"We are lucky to have had dual concepts," Olson told me, "not that it made the decision any easier. Centro will keep going as it is, but Popol Vuh doesn't make sense in this neighborhood at this time anymore. We are so proud of what it was, and all the awards and accolades that José got for his beautiful food. But as a destination restaurant, when people really aren't going out for that kind of dining, we needed to face the situation."
Obviously fine dining has taken a hit in the COVID era as we've lost Bachelor Farmer, In Bloom, and Bellecour most recently. Personally, I think losing PPV is an even bigger loss as this was our first restaurant to really push the boundaries of modern Mexican cooking, doing tasting menus and using traditional ingredients in ways we'd never witnessed locally. Never mind their endeavors to bring awareness to the Mexican wine industry. Alarcon is a true talent.
But: let's not count them out yet. Olson said they plan to pack up the grill and the booths and put them in storage, "there is a real chance that Popol Vuh can come back, in another time, in another location." For now, the team is keeping the space and reconfiguring it for another concept. They are working on ideas and hope to be able to share some good news soon.
In the meantime, feel good about supporting the team at Centro while grabbing takeout tacos or a margarita on the patio.
