One more Colorado restaurant was awarded a Michelin star Monday — the ultimate stamp of excellence in the culinary world.
The renowned publisher of city-based guides to hotels and restaurants anonymously evaluated restaurants in Colorado for the first time last year and five restaurants were awarded stars, all of which reclaimed their stars this year. Colorado is the sixth region in the U.S. to receive a Michelin Guide.
A celebration for the winners will be held Monday evening at the Mile High Station in Denver.
Which restaurants in Colorado received Michelin stars?
This year, Alma Fonda Fina, a Denver restaurant with Mexican-style cuisine in the Highland neighborhood was awarded a Michelin star.
Chef Johnny Curiel’s dishes revisit flavors from his upbringing when he started in his family’s restaurant in Guadalajara, according to a Michelin inspector’s notes, and with finely honed techniques, he brings results that are “satisfying and delicious.”
“Resist the temptation to fixate on any one item, as the menu is littered with treasures: perfectly crisped pork belly carnitas make for a brilliant taco on a sourdough flour tortilla, while agave-roasted sweet potato with nutty salsa matcha and luxuriously creamy whipped requesón is a revelation, and vibrant seafood crudos like thinly sliced Maine diver scallop with tomatillo and apple aguachile are downright electric,” an inspector wrote.
Which restaurants in Colorado received Michelin stars last year?
Alma Fonda Fina joins the list of five other Michelin-starred restaurants, which each received one star last year.
- Beckon, Denver (Duncan Holmes)
- Bosq, Aspen (Barclay Dodge)
- Brutø, Denver (Michael Diaz de Leon and Kelly Whitaker. Byron Gómez has since replaced Diaz de Leon as chef)
- Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder (Ian Palazzola)
- The Wolf’s Tailor, Denver (Taylor Stark and Kelly Whitaker)
What does it take to earn a Michelin star?
After several anonymous visits by Michelin’s inspectors a restaurant can be awarded up to three stars. (A single inspector never visits the same place twice.)
Generally speaking, the higher the restaurant is rated, the more expensive it is and the harder it is to reserve a table.
Restaurants are evaluated for stars based on five universal criteria: quality of products, harmony of flavors, mastery of cooking techniques, voice and personality of the chef reflected in the cuisine, and the consistency between each visit and throughout the menu, according to the Michelin Guide.
The guide as we know it today dates to 1931, when the Michelin brothers — founders of a French tire company — created the guide to encourage more people to get on the road. They sent a team of “mystery diners” to rank fine dining establishments and sold the guide to motorists using their tires. More recently, the service created three other designations to broaden the awards given.
The Bib Gourmand designation was created in 1997, according to the Michelin Guide, to distinguish restaurants that don’t fit into the “fine dining” category, but still serve satisfying meals for a reasonable price. While there’s no set criteria or formula for these designations, Michelin says what the winning restaurants have in common is their “simpler style of cooking, which is recognizable and easy-to-eat.”
This year, Michelin inspectors awarded MAKfam, in Denver, with the Bib Gourmand designation.
Before becoming a full-service restaurant in the Baker neighborhood, MAKfam started as a pop-up in New York City, where owners and married couple Doris Yuen and Kenneth Wan first met, Michelin said.
“The winsome, colorful space and the compact menu both celebrate the pair’s Chinese American roots, both having been raised by immigrant families who worked in restaurants,” an inspector wrote. “Fried crab and cheese wontons and hand-shaped chicken and chive potstickers are inspired by Chinatown favorites and takeout staples, made with particular care and big flavor. Chicken wings with a spicy, tingly málà seasoning are favorites with good reason, and larger dishes, like the familiar-yet-inventive corned beef fried rice or spicy garlic butter rice cakes, impress as well.”
Last year, nine Colorado restaurants received the designation. They were:
- AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q, Denver
- Ash’Kara, Denver
- Glo Noodle House, Denver
- Hop Alley, Denver
- La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal, Denver
- Mister Oso, Denver
- Tavernetta, Denver
- The Ginger Pig, Denver
- Basta, Boulder
Then in 2017, Michelin debuted the Michelin Recommended category for restaurants that were good, but missed the mark for a star. In 2020, the company introduced the Green Star, to recognize restaurants that show an outstanding commitment to environmental sustainability.
Last year, the following restaurants in Colorado earned a Green Star:
- Blackbelly Market, Boulder
- Bramble & Hare, Boulder
- Brutø, Denver
- The Wolf’s Tailor, Denver
What restaurants qualify?
Michelin inspectors evaluate restaurants in Denver, Boulder, Aspen and Snowmass Village, Vail and Beaver Creek.
While no restaurant or chef can buy a star, officially speaking, state and local tourism boards, hotels and food and beverage companies can pay Michelin in exchange for consideration in the guide.
The New York Times reported that the Colorado Tourism Office agreed to contribute $100,000 a year for three years, though the total cost is projected to be closer to $135,000, according to Hayes Norris, a spokesperson for the Colorado Tourism Office.
The four regions and two ski resort towns that are up for consideration also agreed to contribute anywhere between $70,000 to $100,000 annually for three years.