Paiche Getting Chopped to Bits in Marina Del Rey By Year's End

When news percolated a few months ago that Ricardo Zarate was ousted from his restaurants Picca, Mo-Chica, and Paiche, it was only going to be a matter of time before they closed or changed concepts. The newest of the trio of restaurants will be the first to fall.

Paiche, open for just over a year and a half, will close by December 31 to become a seafood restaurant serving fresh oysters, fish, and more. Word on the street is that whoever owned Paiche before has sold to a corporation that will close Paiche and remodel the rather lovely space over six weeks. By mid-February, new ownership will unveil the seafood shack.

It's a sad turn of events for Zarate, who received a Best New Restaurant nod from Esquire Magazine for Paiche. Paiche had mixed reviews, with one star from Patric Kuh at LA Magazine and two stars from Besha Rodell at LA Weekly. Paiche has a solid four star rating on Yelp, plus plenty of blogger love.