Short Stop: One Year After Opening, Latin Eatery Lucina in Park Hill Delivers Big on Bold Flavors

Denver's dining scene is better than ever — and we're hungering to go out. So we're serving up Short Stop, with recommendations for places that should definitely be on your culinary short list, from old favorites to newer additions. This week, head to Lucina, which just celebrated its one-year anniversary.

What: Lucina Eatery & Bar

Where: 2245 Kearney Street

When: Open 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

For more info: Visit lucinaeatery.co
About the place: In December 2021, I went to Stanley Marketplace to interview Erasmo "Ras" Casiano and Diego Coconati about their upcoming restaurant, Lucina, at their other business, Create Cooking School (now called Create Kitchen & Bar). Once pandemic restrictions loosened and indoor dining was allowed again, the two had started hosting wine dinners at Create, and they were encouraged to do more by guests who wanted access to meals like that all the time.

They began developing a concept and menu built around the idea of sharing the food they grew up eating. "I'm Mexican by blood. I was raised Mexican Bolivian. I've got family in Argentina and Peru," Casiano explained at the time, adding that Coconati "is like the Latin American chameleon," born in Argentina but also having spent time in Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Miami.

In late March 2022, Lucina made its debut in Park Hill. With fast favorites like its weekend-only paella of the moment, it landed on our list of the ten best new restaurants of 2022.

As Lucina celebrated one year in business, I visited and found the place buzzing with energy as it delivered a seriously impressive meal filled with bold flavors.
What you're eating: A little bit of everything. While there is a trio of large-format entrees on the menu along with that occasion-worthy paella, most of Lucina's menu comprises small plates meant for sharing, which is a perfect way to experience the wide variety of cuisines and ingredients coming out of the kitchen.

Beverage director Henry Ottix was working behind the bar and doubled as our server, giving feedback on our plan of action, excitedly describing the notes of each dish and thoughtfully coursing out our order. The croquetas ($10) arrived first, six perfectly round, golden-brown, crisp balls of light and airy mashed potatoes with Manchego, on top of a bright, tangy, creamy romesco aioli.

A generous portion of flavorful, slow-roasted cochinita ($18), came next, piled on top of a tlacoya, a boat-shaped vessel made of masa (Lucina uses blue corn), along with salsa macha for a touch of heat and plenty of fresh herbs.
The house bread ($5.50, or $11 for a larger portion) was another highlight, with an almost biscuit-like texture that was rich and buttery, countered by an herbaceous chimichurri butter.

A pan of P.E.I. mussels ($18) landed along with plenty of charred, chewy bread to dunk into its tomato-studded broth filled with plentiful chunks of Spanish chorizo. Despite plans to pace our eating, we devoured the entire serving, soaking up as much broth as possible with the bread.
Those three dishes alone would have made a great meal for two, but we were hungry to try more, so we asked Casiano for his recommendations. He steered us toward the alcapurrias ($16), a Puerto Rican fritter of masa made with yucca and taro root that's stuffed with pollo guisado and fried. The hefty fritters are served with a serrano-spiked crema and a cooling cabbage salad.

The last item, agua chile negro ($18), with whole shrimp swimming in its dark depths, is one that Casiano was inspired to add to the menu following a recent trip to Mexico. Despite the pitch-black hue of the liquid, the dish is bright and citrusy.
The meal was a standout from start to finish, and definitely worth celebrating.

So head to Lucina and raise a glass of the eatery's gin-based, beet-infused signature cocktail, WWLD (What Would Lucina Drink?), then toast to many more years of stellar Latin fare from this talented team.