Chef Mario Pagan burst onto the scene in 2023 with Chayote, his first restaurant outside Puerto Rico and one celebrating the heritage and culinary footprint of Latin cuisine. I lauded Chayote, a Top Table of 2023, for its “stylistic fusion” and “cohesive, striking design” when I reviewed it in January of that year.
So, it was surprising to learn that Chayote closed yesterday inside Winter Park Village a little less than three years after opening. The good news, however, is that Pagan isn’t going anywhere. In fact, he’ll open The Grove Bar + Kitchen, a new concept celebrating the flavors of the Sunshine State, in Chayote’s place.
“My connection to Florida goes back to the beginning of my career with my first job being in Coconut Grove,” Pagan says. “I worked under so many mentors like Pascal Oudin, Carmen González and Norman Van Aken, so I didn’t learn how to cook Puerto Rican food; I learned how to cook Floridian food, which I fell in love with.”
Pagan says The Grove’s dishes will be an interpretation of what he experienced living in South Florida in the ’90s, specifically, tropical flavors (lots of citrus, obvs) and a focus on comfort. More importantly, the food will cater to a wider audience. “I’m going to do more approachable things. I’m going to have fun with food that I like.”
Pagan, along with executive chef Monica Ortiz, will craft such dishes as pompano ceviche with Valencia orange and coconut milk aguachile; polenta-crusted green tomatoes with burrata; crispy grouper on brioche with pineapple tartar sauce; Key West pink shrimp sourdough pizza; double pork chop in sumac adobo and smoked hibiscus barbecue glaze; brisket lasagna; and warm croissant pastry cake with homemade dulce de leche ice cream.
The menu will spotlight local purveyors like Fungi Jon, HertaBerkSchwein Farm, Orlando City Pasta and 4 Roots Farm, among others, while the beverage program will be curated by Amy Mejia, who made the move to The Grove from Death in the Afternoon.
The space itself will undergo some interior renovations, including the addition of a sizable private dining room that will seat between 35-40 guests and be used for chef’s tastings and collaborations. The decor will also be refreshed to reflect a “relaxed attitude,” with modifications being made to everything from the upholstery to colors to art.
As to why he chose to shutter such a well-received concept as Chayote, Pagan cited numerous factors: namely a competitive market, the rising cost of procuring ingredients from Latin America and the Caribbean, and the need for a more approachable menu for the Winter Park market.
“Chayote was very, very special to me,” Pagan says, “but trying to move forward and evolve the menu with integrity and authenticity was becoming increasingly tough because I couldn’t source the way I wanted. Ingredients were getting very expensive. So we listened to our customers, and the feedback they gave us, and rethought everything.”
Unlike Chayote, The Grove will be open seven days a week and will also offer lunch service to capitalize on the increased foot traffic in Winter Park Village.
“This change was a business decision — we need to survive, after all — but I’ve always wanted to open a Florida-centric restaurant, and The Grove brings my story back full circle.”
Pagan is targeting a May 25 (re)opening for The Grove Bar + Kitchen, but be sure to follow @thegrovebarkitchen for all the latest.
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