Acclaimed chef launches Mexican cantina-inspired reboot in Cherry Creek

Do you remember Oak Market, Five Nines, Chez Roc or Bar Amorina? All of those concepts have occupied part of the first floor space inside Cherry Creek’s Clayton Hotel since it debuted five years ago. In January, the space reopened as Mar Bella and now, it’s been rebooted once again with the July 7 debut of Tequilería Alteño, a summer pop-up that may become a permanent fixture — if the neighborhood embraces it.

It’s the latest offering from chef Johnny Curiel, who has opened six restaurants in the metro area (two with Michelin stars) in less than three years, including an ambitious tasting menu concept, Milpero, that debuted in May. His first out-of-state projects — two more locations of his Cherry Creek hit, Alteño — are also in the works in Austin and Charleston.

Awards and accolades have racked up for the chef, who seems to be unstoppable.

But he did have to stop recently, to reconsider Mar Bella, which opened next door to Alteño in January. Inspired by his travels in Spain, it marked his first departure from the Mexican fare he’s quickly become known for — and perhaps his last. For now, anyway.

As one staffer shared, diners were willing to wait for a seat at Alteño for a taste of Curiel’s take on the cuisine he grew up with over giving Mar Bella a try. Curiel, it seems, may have cooked himself into a culinary corner. But he doesn’t seem concerned about this turn of events.

Instead, he was as energetic as ever at Tequilería Alteño’s opening night, enthusiastically chatting about cantina-culture and the “homestyle” fare he developed for this new menu, which are reminiscent of the bold and seafood-heavy offerings at Mezcaleria Alma.

With Mexican music flowing onto Cherry Creek’s typically subdued sidewalks, the new addition, complete with patio seating, was lively on night one as we dove into the new dishes.

Everything we ate and drank at Tequilería Alteño

“Squeeze the lime over it.”

That instruction seemed to come with most dishes at Tequilería Alteño, which must have a massive citrus budget.

The cocktail menu, which includes ten options plus two N/A beverages, is cirtus-heavy as well. While you could splurge with the $30 margarita premium, a classic marg is at $15 is a more realistic call for most, though the smart move is to go for either the corn margarita ($15) that’s become a staple at Boulder’s Cozobi Fonda Fina, or the tomatillo-spiked take on a paloma for $17.

Of course, there is also a solid selection of tequila and mezcal available for sipping, alongside Mexican beers and wine, plus Spanish wines left from Mar Bella’s stock.

Drink in hand, we recommend starting with the baked oysters ($30 for four) which proved to be a table favorite. A squeeze of lime (of course) and beads of fiery charred jalapeno oil from a dropper top these warm bivalves that are adorned with a slice of raw bluefin tuna.

Tuna appears again on both iterations of tostadas on the menu ($22-$23), both of which are heavy on avocado. Because they are similar, we’d stick to just one on future visits. If you’re a fan of smoked fish, opt for the “marlin” version, an ode to the way that fish was often prepared before commercial marlin harvesting was banned due to over-fishing.

That take includes smoked tuna atop mashed avocado and topped with…more avocado (sliced) alongside a green salsa Yahualica that should be generously spooned over top.

We preferred the tostada de atun, with a bright champagne ponzu, a hit of heat from salsa macha and richness from the chicatana mayo made with roasted Mexican flying ants (an ingredient that adds smoky, nutty notes to the party).

The menu also includes a duo of aguachiles ($22-$24). The verde version features Gulf shrimp in an herb serrano broth but we opted for the rojo with tender slices of Hokkaido scallops in a citrus piquin broth and, once again, avocado — this time in chunks, providing a nice richness to each bite when scooped on top of crispy tortillas.

Three taco options are in the lineup: New York strip, wild mushrooms and Japanese hamachi. We opted for the fish taco ($12) which was large enough for two diners to share (or for one nice-sized snack for a solo diner) and came with a tangle of purple cabbage, salsa Mexicana and a habanero mayo that added creaminess but no detectable heat.

Among the non-seafood options are flautas (two for $24) filled with roasted chicken and paired with salsa verde and crema de rancho, which is a crowd-pleaser that would pair nicely with a cold beer.

The same goes for the quesadilla frita ($18), a puffy, fried snack filled with carintas and beans and served over jalapeno escabeche that’s simple and satisfying.

While our table didn’t order it, the most expensive item on offer is the chammorro ($56), a large pork shank that elicited big reactions from the tables that did opt for the mass of tender meat that is definitely meant for sharing.

It has become a well-known quirk of Curiel’s that he’s not much of a sweets guy so, unsurprisingly, there were no desserts on offer at Tequilería Alteño — though the chef’s recommendation for a sweet ending is the carajillo ($15), a take on the popular Spanish coffee cocktail made with Mexican brandy.

Would we go back?

Parking in Cherry Creek is more difficult than ever, with tons of construction underway in the area, which largely still caters best to the affluent, mostly homogeneous crowds that live in the neighborhood.

But if we’re going to Cherry Creek, Tequilería Alteño is one of the better reasons to visit. The food and drinks are ideal for more casual hangs, and we hope the vivacious patio vibes can continue to build.

This isn’t really about us, though. The real question is whether neighborhood regulars will go back. Is Tequilería Alteño the concept that will finally have staying power in this space? Or will it be swapped out once again come fall?

Tequilería Alteño is located inside the Clayton Hotel & Members Club at at 233 Clayton Street and is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Reservations are available on OpenTable. For more information, follow @tequileriaalteno on Instagram.