THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Cibal

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Cibal Restaurant Review:

With money from Mexico and courage to spare, Cibal inhabits a restaurant space that has seen more than its fair share of failed enterprises over the years. The steak, pasta, vino claims of the restaurant's subtitle don't really tell the story, however. The menu harbors myriad Mexican touches such as ceviches and coastal seafood cocktails; it mixes its tuna tartare with ginger, soy and miso; and it seriously spikes the otherwise classic steamed mussels with a liberal lashing of chili flakes. Yes, there are several steaks, with a variety of sauces, but we like the humble skirt steak---basically, a fancy-dress fajita---with chipotle sauce on the side. The pasta part of the menu allows guests to mix and match sauces with pasta shapes; it's a gimmick, but a plate of farfalle al salmone is straightforward enough. It's in the vino part of the equation that Cibal stumbles. Yes, the wine list needs work. But if the tres leches cake is selected at dessert, perhaps wine woes can be forgiven.