First there was pan-Asian. In February 2010 TaiPan went Indian.
Now Thali is changing cuisine. On or around January 12, the Compo Acres restaurant becomes Oaxaca Kitchen — a high-end Mexican bar and restaurant.
But the owner — Prasad Chirnomula — stays the same. Westport’s Oaxaca may be only the 2nd Indian-owned Mexican restaurant in the country.
Prasad’s New Haven Oaxaca might be the 1st.
Besides those 2, he owns Thalis in New Canaan, Ridgefield and 2 in New Haven (the 2nd one there is called Thali Too, ho ho).
Standing outside his old/new restaurant this morning, as the renovation progressed, Prasad said that perhaps having so many Indian restaurants in the area (including his own, not far away) hurt business.
But, he says, Westport is ready for a “high-end Mexican” place.
¡Buen provecho! ¡Buen apetito!
(Click here for menus from the New Haven Oaxaca restaurant.)