South of the Border III: Damn The Man

Xiloa Restaurant, RIP. 

I believe they've been closed for several weeks, but I only got confirmation from our Latin American correspondent a couple days ago.  Congratulations to Bill Fields for running yet another business off Ninth Street.  I don't know if the business owner is going to re-open elsewhere or not.

[Picture stolen w/o permission from Xiloa's MySpace page, linked to above.]

Comments

[Ross Grady]

Hmm, well, while I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that the landlord played a role in Xiloa's closing, I can say definitively that the landlord played *no* role in why I stopped eating there. I stopped eating there due to rampant service issues that never seemed to get better, and food that consistently verged on good/great without ever quite making it, due in part to an odd & unexpected blandness.

I remember having a conversation with the owner (and by the way, while I enjoy talking to kooks, I have to wonder whether her kookiness might've been a bit much for some patrons, nevermind her employees) in which she was complaining that her cooks kept deviating from her recipes by adding too many spices. I thought "well, maybe they actually taste the food & realize that it's bland," but I didn't say it. Maybe I should've.

[Rob Clough]

Whereas I found the Indian Taco to be consistently excellent comfort food and the carne asada to be really excellent and flavorful. I agree that it was better on some nights than others, but my favorite dishes were usually quite good. And the Refrescos were fantastic, the true calling card of Xiloa.

Anar (the owner) was certainly a bit intense, but the vast majority of her customers loved her and loved the community feeling that she brought to eating there. And she was constantly asking for feedback on the food, so you probably should have said something. Toward the end, she was bored with the menu and started doing an intriguing buffet three times a week.

Xiloa was one of my favorite things about Durham, and I do hope she reopens elsewhere.

[Phil]

How did Bill Fields "run off" the restaurant? Feel free to respond offline. I'm just curious.

[TSQ75]

I'm both sad, and unsurprised by this. Owner was indeed intense and passionate about her product, especially her juices, which were amazing!! She would always take the opportunity to tell you about the different varieties of fruits that went into her labor of love, totally trying to bring you into her level of juice spirituality--it usually worked. lol

the food was also great and well priced...great sauces.

but...

man did she come across as a bit of a dictator sometimes. Orders would take forever to be taken and delivered, and while you were waiting forever for it, you would hear her yelling at another hapless worker, telling how they should do it, etc.

I guess her passion for the place was so big, she wasnt quite ready to let go of the responsibility of all of it to her workers, which is essential for running an eatery. I knew it wouldnt last, I got what i could while it was there. *sigh*

[Anna Roberge]

My husband and I absolutely adored this place as did our out-of-town guests. It is rare to find vegan food in the south and excellent vegan food at that. The juices were amazing! I am surprised to read negative comments with regards to treatment of the staff, "kookiness" or overbearingness, for I never experienced any of these. I consistently experienced delicious food prepared with care, friendly staff and service and a most gracious hostess. I am very saddened by Xiloa's closing and am hoping it will reopen.

[abbe harris]

hey so i know for a fact that A) few of you know what you are talking about and B)read on if you would like to.

i was an employee at Xiloa from september a little after its open to april of 2007. i was also anar's lover for all of that time. Bill Fields, while a major dick, had little to do with the closing of the restaurant. the source closest to me and the son of the two owners Bruce and Ana (whom some of you know as Anar) Bondurant, two in the photo, who is my very best friend told me that they closed because she could not keep employees and they were making no money. both are probably due to the fact that she one of the most evil people i have ever known. if you would like to know more about just how evil she is, her life story and her time as a contra in the eighties, or anything else, feel free to contact me, [email protected]. if you want to continue to believe that this is another sob story of how big gringo bill fields (still a total asshole) beat the poor little latina lady into subission, keep posting conjecture on your blog. but whatever you do, dont be sad Xiloa is gone, when ana is gone, we are planning to open another nicaraguan resturant.