Alma Fonda Fina

"Feel like the ultimate it couple with seats at the chef’s counter of one of the hottest spots in town hands down, where Johnny Curiel’s team is engaging yet discreet as they serve up adobo-seared hamachi in roasted pineapple puree, sopes de asada with cactus salad, lamb shank with refried corn beans, and other dishes to warm the heart and stir the soul. (Given that reservations aren’t easy to come by, it should be noted that a similarly stimulating experience awaits at dark charmer Mezcaleria Alma next door.)" - Ruth Tobias

"This Denver restaurant is known for its Camote Asado—a roasted sweet potato dish with agave and salsa macha, showcasing technical finesse and mastery of flavor." - MICHELIN Guide

"Go for: a polychromatic food scene; new lodgings that straddle past and present."

"Not only is Johnny Curiel’s smash hit in LoHi open for regular dinner service on Christmas Eve — bring on the frijoles puercos with sourdough tortillas, the smoked tuna tostadas with smashed avocado and chicatana mayonnaise, the enmoladas de pollo, and other marvelous modern Mexican plates — but so is his brand-new next-door lounge, Mezcaleria Alma, where agave cocktails like the bubbly Beet Spritz are slung alongside snacks such as burrata with huitlacoche succotash, green tomatoes, and candied pepitas." - Ruth Tobias, Eater Staff

"Johnny Curiel, chef of Alma Fonda Fina in Denver says that he didn’t have his first traditional Thanksgiving meal until the pandemic. “I was able to not only have my first true Thanksgiving meal, but create meals for 350 homes, and I felt that cornbread was definitely a piece that was tying all together,” he shares about the reason jalapeño cornbread is his favorite holiday dish. “It has spice, texture, and creaminess to tie in all the deliciousness of what Thanksgiving really is, but at the same time incorporates some things that are close to my heart: corn & jalapeños." - Jillian Dara