What started as a summer pop-up is sticking around.
Fonda Fina Hospitality is working with Clayton Hotel & Members Club, Cherry Creek to turn Tequilería Alteño into a permanent restaurant at 233 Clayton Street, the space that currently houses Mar Bella Wine Bar.
Chef Johnny Curiel launched Tequilería Alteño as a summer pop-up in July, bringing a Mexican cantina and tequila bar concept to the hotel’s dining room and patio. The temporary restaurant focused on the traditions of Mexico’s neighborhood cantinas, with shareable dishes, Mexican spirits and cocktails.
Now, after a successful summer run, the concept is transitioning into a permanent restaurant at the Cherry Creek property.
“After a really rewarding summer, it feels right to permanently change Mar Bella Wine Bar into Tequilería Alteño,” Curiel said in a statement. “Thank you for all the support and understanding! More to come soon.”
The restaurant’s menu draws heavily from Curiel’s travels throughout Mexico, with an emphasis on shareable plates and masa-based dishes. During the pop-up, the masa was sourced through Curiel’s partnership with the Masa Seed Foundation, an ancestral Mexican corn project southeast of Boulder, and house-nixtamalized.
The summer menu included dishes such as Flautas Bañadas with roasted chicken and salsa verde, Cachetadas De NY with prime New York strip, Taco De Pescado with Pacific halibut, Taco De Rajas with wild mushrooms and creamed corn, and a shareable Chamorro with pork shank and asado de puerco.
Drinks were an equally important part of the concept. Tequilería Alteño’s beverage program featured more than 80 Mexican spirits, spanning tequila, mezcal and lesser-known regional expressions. The cocktail lineup included the Cazuelita, a traditional Jaliscan punch-style drink, along with the Corn Margarita, Mole Blanco Negroni, Tomatillo Paloma, Charro Negro and Carajillo.
The permanent restaurant will add another concept to Curiel and his wife and co-owner Kasie Curiel’s growing Fonda Fina Hospitality portfolio. The group currently includes Alma Fonda Fina, Mezcaleria Alma, Cozobi Fonda Fina, Alteño and Mar Bella Wine Bar, with additional projects in the works.
Alteño, which draws inspiration from the Jalisco Highlands, is already part of Curiel’s restaurant portfolio, while Tequilería Alteño gives that culinary influence a more casual cantina setting.
For now, Curiel is keeping the details of the transition close to the vest, with more information on the permanent restaurant expected to come as the project moves forward.
