Bryan Dayton and Steve Redzikowski closed Acorn last summer after seven critically acclaimed years at the Source on Brighton Boulevard, citing the difficulty of doing fine dining during the pandemic. But even then, Dayton said there were new things planned for the space. And just a couple of months later, Dayton, Redzikowski and chef Bill Espiricueta (who also owns Smok in the same complex) reopened the restaurant as Bellota, a Mexican eatery with chef Manny Barella as executive chef. The menu combines Barella's childhood memories of food in his hometown of Monterrey, Mexico, with his career in fine-dining restaurants in California and Colorado. The result is a step up from standard margarita-soaked cantinas, but without a drop of stuffiness.