Traci Des Jardins’ Mexican Restaurant in the Ferry Building Is Closed

Eight months after internationally-famous chef Traci Des Jardins shuttered her flagship restaurant, Jardinière, another venue in her portfolio has closed: Mijita Cocina Mexicana shut down on December 29 after 15 years in business in San Francisco’s Ferry Building.

“We will miss being in the Ferry Building and all our wonderful guests,” a message on Mijita’s website reads, “We thank you for your support and patronage.” Speaking to the SF Chronicle, Des Jardins — a James Beard Award-winning chef who also owns School Night and Public House and operates The Commissary and Arguello as part of a partnership with the Presidio Trust — said that her lease was up, and that she expected her rent to increase, making this a reasonable time to shut the venue’s doors.

Though Des Jardins made her name with French cooking, she’s also built a reputation as an expert on Mexican food, even leading sold-out tours of Oaxacan “food, art, and culture” as recently as last fall. “Traci describes Mexican cuisine as her soul food,” touring company Modern Adventure says of the guide, “and it shows, permeating every dish she makes.”

The Ferry Building venue was the last remaining location for Mijita’s fast casual concept, as another Mijita located inside the venue now known as Oracle Park shuttered in 2015. Despite this, Des Jardins says that she’s not done with the idea of Mijita, a fast-casual spot known for its chilaquiles. “It’s been a successful project for us and it’s just the right formula, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I reinstate it,” she tells the Chron. She’s also working on yet another San Francisco restaurant, she says, one that will also serve upcoming Mexican cuisine. That spot, details of which she declines to share, has a tentative opening date of some time in 2020.

• Chef Traci Des Jardins Is Closing Groundbreaking Flagship Jardinière [ESF]
• Traci Des Jardins closes Ferry Building Mexican restaurant Mijita [SFC]