Colorado Puts Sustainable Dining on the Plate

"Centered around a warm hearth oven, this Denver restaurant offers an intimate 18-seat chef counter and a Mexican omakase tasting menu with a rigorous zero-waste ethos. Chef Michael Diaz de Leon showcases Mexican flavors while drawing from other cultures: moles and fresh masa are made in-house via nixtamal using ashes from the wood hearth left overnight, tortillas are milled in-house, and Asian influences appear in koji, soy sauce from corn, and miso made from corn. Sourcing bison, lamb, pork, and chiles from Colorado (and chiles from Mexico), the kitchen leans on grains, fermentation, sauces, root vegetables, and game meats through winter, fermenting heavily from September to stock five to six months of product; grains—from maize to Colorado-grown wheat berries—are central. A favorite street taco distills the approach: katsuobushi milled into the masa, Alamosa striped bass grilled over a robata, anchovy cheese marinade, house-made miso, chicory hydrated in tepache, sea beans, hoja santa, and smoked roe. “We try not to throw anything in the trash,” so scraps become vinegars and pickles, onion and carrot trimmings turn into dashi and powders, and a dedicated staffer ferments weekly to support cooking from the heart while inspiring the next generation." - Michael He