Opening Alma Fonda Fina was a leap of religion for chef Johnny Curiel and his spouse Kasie, who debuted the Denver restaurant final December. Each had long-established careers within the Colorado hospitality scene, and stop their jobs to pursue opening their very own eatery, impressed by native neighborhood spots in Mexico. Curiel, who was born in California and raised in Guadalajara, paid his dues for years working for different cooks, together with Richard Sandoval and Troy Guard. However he ultimately realized that he needed to embrace his personal imaginative and prescient—an intuition that led to Alma Fonda Fina being awarded a Michelin star of their first yr.
“It’s all been value it,” Curiel tells Observer. “All of these moments, each constructive and painful, led to opening our personal restaurant. And it’s not nearly Michelin. It’s about working with my spouse, and the crew being glad, and the visitors being glad and other people coming in repeatedly and saying that what now we have is particular. It’s validating, and it was value it. I might do all of it once more simply to get right here.”
Alma Fonda Fina, situated in Denver’s hip Decrease Highlands neighborhood, showcases genuine Mexican dwelling cooking, drawn from Curiel’s many analysis journeys again to his dwelling nation. The dishes are considerate, complexly layered and deeply flavorful, served with tortillas crafted with imported masa. It’s an informal, native spot and Curiel hopes to maintain it as welcoming as potential, even with the newfound acclaim.
“I’ve made it actually a degree to speak about how nothing is altering,” he says. “So many individuals have reached out to me and mentioned, ‘You’ll want to elevate the costs. Take alternatives.’ However we’re doing properly and persons are loving it as it’s. Why would I alter one thing? Alma shouldn’t be altering. The menu clearly adjustments the identical manner we at all times do, however the idea, the costs, the glad hour—all of these issues are staying the identical.”
Since opening Alma Fonda Fina, Curiel and his crew have unveiled Cozobi Fonda Fina, a sister restaurant, in close by Boulder. It has an identical method, with an emphasis on wood-fire cooking, though the menu is customized to higher match its locale. It’s been a giant yr for the Curiel household, which additionally consists of the couple’s younger son, and the chef hopes to present again as a lot as he has been given to get right here.
“What I’ve at all times thought of in connection to success is the mentorship I’m capable of give and the steerage I’m capable of give to different cooks, and the palms I’m capable of lend,” he says. “It’s the identical now, however I’ve a fair larger dedication to that. In the identical manner that I acquired right here by folks trusting me and believing in me and training me, I wish to pay it ahead and do the identical. This needs to be an natural and continued progress for everybody.”
On the heels of the large award information, Curiel tells Observer what it felt wish to earn a Michelin star, his dedication to Mexican delicacies and what’s subsequent for the restaurant.
Observer: How did it really feel to study Alma Fonda Fina had earned a Michelin star?
Johnny Curiel: It felt wild. I used to be on cloud 9 for no less than a full day. I didn’t even know what to really feel or what to anticipate, nevertheless it was positively nice. It felt prefer it validated all the pieces that we had been doing and it validated, for me and Kasie, doing the toughest factor, which was leaving our jobs a yr and a half in the past with no restaurant. On the time we felt like, “We wish to chase our dream, and if we don’t step out of our consolation zone proper now we’re by no means going to do it.” It was a tough determination and this helped to validate that. However actually, I’m nonetheless processing it.
It’s particularly significant that you simply’re the one Colorado restaurant with one star that doesn’t do a tasting menu?
Final yr, 5 eating places acquired a Michelin star, and all of them had been tasting menus. This yr, these 5 eating places retained them, and one restaurant acquired a brand new star and it was us. It was tremendous superb that we broke that cycle, as a result of the expectations in Colorado had been, “Properly, in the event you’re not doing a tasting menu you just about don’t have an opportunity.” As a result of that’s what was executed. However Oxomoco in New York Metropolis has a star. Casa Enrique has a star. Holbox has a star. All of those superb Mexican eating places that don’t do tasting menus have a star. So this appears like we’re up there with them. Not simply because now we have a star, however as a result of we imagine in our idea.
Has getting the star added a way of strain to what you do in Alma Fonda Fina?
Strain, one hundred pc. I’ve been extra burdened and exhausting on myself the previous 4 days than ever earlier than. Which I shouldn’t be. I ought to soak this in and have a good time it, and that’s what I inform myself once I’m not within the warmth of the second. However you may even really feel a change within the diners. We at all times acquired nice critiques and other people cherished it. And now it’s the identical factor, however when folks get a dish and take a chunk, there’s a brand new mindset. They’re like, “Oh my God, that is so superb. It’s Michelin-worthy.” However I didn’t change the recipe in a single day. That simply what a star does.
After I was rising up in Colorado, there wasn’t a lot of a culinary scene. However it’s advanced a lot in recent times, and this looks like proof of that.
Yeah, I grew up Breckenridge and got here to Denver and left for a short while [for New York], and got here again and it’s not the identical scene I grew up in. There are some actually nice eating places right here. Cooks like Alex Seidel, Troy Guard and Paul C. Reilly—these guys began the motion. However there weren’t as many as there at the moment are. It appears like now you may level your finger to any neighborhood and there’s going to be a badass restaurant there, and even two, or three, or 4. There’s additionally a way of group right here now that didn’t use to be right here. You hear cooks speaking about going to take a look at one another’s eating places with zero ego. All people’s searching for Denver and for Colorado, fairly than for private acquire. I’m a youthful chef, however all people’s been so supportive.
What are you most happy with when it comes to showcasing Mexican delicacies on a better degree?
The proudest second of my life was not Michelin or having the very best new restaurant. It’s the truth that I, as a Mexican, was capable of come to Colorado and share my story about what Mexican meals means to me, and what I consider Mexico as a rustic. It feels gratifying. It makes me really feel like I’m doing my half by being happy with my nation, happy with my heritage and making an attempt to reveal Mexico to much more folks. That’s one of many the reason why we opened a fonda fina. As a result of I needed to share with 95 % of the diners who’re going to come back out to dinner there. Not the 5 % who can afford a tasting menu.
For me, it’s been much more than simply having a great restaurant. I’m a chef and an proprietor and I cook dinner actually good meals, however I additionally wish to share my story. And my dad and mom are so proud. My dad began crying once I acquired the Michelin star. He most likely didn’t know what Michelin was till now, however he is aware of his youngest son, who left dwelling at 16, is doing the precise factor together with his Mexican heritage. I attempt to carry as a lot authenticity to the dishes and the substances as potential. I don’t wish to create the phantasm of meals that doesn’t exist in Mexico. I wish to cook dinner what I grew up consuming.
How a lot time have you ever spent in Mexico over time?
With the final journey I took there, I feel I’m at 120 journeys to Mexico. It’s positively greater than 100. Individuals suppose I’m loopy. The primary time I went again to Mexico, I used to be 16 years previous, and I acquired in my automobile and I drove there from Colorado. I acquired stopped by immigration. I drove all the best way to Guadalajara continuous from Denver. It was about 36 hours. That was the way it began. After which every time I had a couple of days off, I might drive to the border, wish to El Paso. Simply eat a taco and study extra about it. I needed to inform an actual story and to not analysis by going to eating places right here or taking a look at my telephone. My factor was to depart any time I may. That’s why I didn’t save any cash in my twenties.
Which dishes have established themselves because the must-haves in your menu?
The camote asado. There could be a riot outdoors of Alma if we took that off. The frijoles puercos and the birria de Borrego. We will’t contact these. They’ve develop into a staple of Alma. These a must-get. However all the pieces is superb. However in the event you don’t get the camote asado, you didn’t go to Alma. And it’s been the diners who’ve executed that, not me.
How did opening Cozobi Fonda Fina in Boulder examine with opening Alma Fonda Fina in Denver?
Boulder is tremendous totally different in terms of diners. We constructed it for that. There’s much more allergens. I used to be actually cautious once I was constructing the menu to consider allergens and, the largest one, being gluten-free. The restaurant is one hundred pc gluten-free. The menu has a number of vegan dishes. It was difficult. We had the formulation of Alma and Alma was doing nice, however we didn’t wish to copy and paste it. We needed to go and do one thing totally different. It was a problem, however I accepted the problem.
Are you planning to proceed to broaden?
We’re opening Mezcaleria Alma, subsequent door to Alma, this fall. The meals will likely be impressed by Mexico Metropolis. It’s not essentially going to be a fonda—it’s going to be a very totally different restaurant. The meals I cook dinner at Alma is dwelling cooking. Mexico Metropolis, to me, is among the largest funnels on the earth for world cuisines and migration around the globe, so it will likely be much more adventurous. That additionally permits our cooks to be much more inventive.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
