Thrilling Return
a restaurant that simply isn’t working, it’s sad. But when a chef closes a restaurant that everyone loves, it physically hurts. I hadn’t been to Mexique in ages when it shuttered abruptly in 2018, yet I immediately felt its absence. Carlos Gaytán’s tiny and adored West Town spot had weathered 10 up-and-down years, drawing crowds for its Mexican-French mash-up, losing them as buzz died down, then earning a Michelin star, then losing it. Throw in a stint and a divorce from his longtime wife, Iliamar — who owned the Mexique space — and Gaytán’s history in
