MACIZO, WHICH OPENED in an industrial park on Indy’s northwest side last fall, defies superficial judgment. That’s by design, married owners Luz and Omar Gonza say. The couple, both veterans of the local food scene, long dreamed of opening their own place, with a plan to cook foods that make them happy. Luz, who hails from Arequipa, the colonial capital of Peru, and Omar, from León in the Central Mexico state of Guanajuato, decided a marriage of their hometown cuisines was the swiftest path to joy.
In doing so, the couple rewrites the script for Latin restaurants. There are tacos, both chorizo and steak, but they’re dressed not with salsa but sarza criolla, a tangy, vinegar-brightened relish more common in South American—not Mexican—cuisines. There are tortas layered with carnitas or ham, avocado, and queso fresco, but they come on house-baked focaccia, not the typical bolillo rolls preferred at local taquerias. There’s ceviche, of a sort, made with sushi-grade tuna lavished with a blend of citrusy leche de tigre and ají amarillo, the creamy yellow pepper condiment that’s on just about every table in Peru. And just to keep customers guessing, there’s pound cake as good as you’d find at any European bakery and loaves of crusty, San Francisco–style sourdough you can enjoy with your meal or take home for later.
Luz and Omar had been looking for the perfect spot to open Macizo since 2019 but struggled to find a landlord willing to work with two first-time
restaurant owners. They eventually landed at a vacant catering spot in Intech Commons near West 71st Street, repairing the sagging ceiling and refurbishing a neglected bar to make the tucked-away spot a welcoming—if still minimal—place to dine.
But it’s also very cool. An avid music fan who was the lead singer for a Mexican ska band when he was barely 14, Omar is an enthusiastic collector of vintage CDs, and the soundtrack at Macizo leans toward Tarantino-esque throwback cuts and DJ tracks from artists like French record producer Wax Tailor. While the bar is restricted to wine and beer for now, Omar’s creative pours include a strawberries-and-cream agua fresca, as well as homemade sangria and Funky Fresco made with a white wine–based milk punch, citrus, and fruit.
The spirit of experimentation is also evident in the food—for example, Omar has recently started mixing rice flour with nixtamalized corn to create a uniquely light take on tamales, fluffy and bright with chicken and pickled red onions. His curiosity also led him to perfect that tangy, chewy sourdough, which shows up in several dishes. “The first batch I made was awful,” he says, “and I wanted to throw it out and stop. Luz encouraged me to keep baking.”
Macizio’s enchiladas, made with either complex and fragrant mole or full-flavored salsa verde, are some of the freshest and most satisfying in the city, while an especially comforting bowl of sopa criolla is made with tender chunks of beef, potatoes, pasta, and a perfect fried egg, all in a rich broth thickened with milk. A luxurious pasta huancaína with butter and parmesan cheese is served with a gravy-like lomo saltado sauce; steak or stewed beef are optional add-ons (both are excellent).
Be sure to sample the house-made salsa macha, a chili crisp-like table sauce that gets a hearty kick from both morita and árbol chiles. For dessert, opt for the pound cake with chunks of pear, vanilla ice cream, pear syrup, and a shower of crushed pistachios. It’s not from Peru or Mexico, but don’t think about leaving without trying a bite.
6335 Intech Commons Dr.
463-202-2853
Hours
Monday-Friday
11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Vibe
New School Cantina
Tasting Notes
Fresh takes on Mexican, Peruvian, and New Latin dishes; cold brew drinks and wine cocktails; and classic baked goods such as house-baked sourdough and pound cake.
Neighborhood
Intech Commons office park
Must-Order
Light and airy chicken tamales, lush and creamy Peruvian pasta huancaína with lomo saltado sauce, aromatic enchiladas mole and verdes, and sweet pear pound cake with ice cream and pistachios
