Michelin unveiled its latest guide for Colorado this week—and a new Denver eatery has officially joined the ranks of Michelin-starred restaurants in North America.
Alma Fonda Fina, which opened in December 2023 in Denver’s Lower Highlands restaurant, earned a Michelin star, bringing the total number of Michelin-starred restaurants in Colorado to six.
Alma Fonda Fina has a sister restaurant in Boulder called Cozobi Fonda Fina, which opened in July. Johnny Curiel, the chef and owner of both eateries, also won the 2024 MICHELIN Guide Colorado Young Chef/Culinary Professional award.
READ MORE: Cozobi Fonda Fina Is Chef Johnny Curiel’s Love Letter to Corn
“We are very excited to welcome Alma Fonda Fina into the family of Michelin-starred restaurants,” says Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides.
Michelin’s inspectors praised Curiel’s decision to revisit flavors and dishes from his upbringing in Guadalajara with “creativity and finely honed technique delivering results that are both satisfying and delicious.”
“Resist the temptation to fixate on any one item, as the menu is littered with treasures: perfectly crisped pork belly carnitas make for a brilliant taco on a sourdough flour tortilla, while agave-roasted sweet potato with nutty salsa matcha and luxuriously creamy whipped requesón is a revelation, and vibrant seafood crudos like thinly sliced Maine diver scallop with tomatillo and apple aguachile are downright electric,” according to the guide.
Curiel said he “couldn’t be prouder” of the team behind the restaurant.
“None of this would have been possible without each and every one of you,” he says. “What once felt like a distant dream—sharing my heritage through food—has now become a reality. If I could go back in time, I’d tell my younger self that one day, he’d earn a Michelin star for Mexican cuisine. It’s truly an honor to see the richness of Mexican food being recognized and celebrated. This moment is a triumph not just for our team, but for our entire culture.”
In the latest guide, MAKfam was also awarded a Bib Gourmand, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value. The addition of MAKfam brings the total number of Bib Gourmands in Colorado to nine.
READ MORE: Date Night: MAKfam Is Denver’s Best New Restaurant
MAKfam is a fine casual eatery specializing in tradition-inspired Chinese cuisine that opened in Denver’s Baker neighborhood in November 2023. It’s owned by husband-and-wife duo Kenneth Wan and Doris Yuen. (This year, Wan was also a semifinalist for the James Beard “Emerging Chef” award.)
“The winsome, colorful space and the compact menu both celebrate the pair’s Chinese American roots, both having been raised by immigrant families who worked in restaurants,” according to the Michelin inspectors. “Fried crab and cheese wontons and hand-shaped chicken and chive potstickers are inspired by Chinatown favorites and takeout staples, made with particular care and big flavor. Chicken wings with a spicy, tingly málà seasoning are favorites with good reason, and larger dishes, like the familiar-yet-inventive corned beef fried rice or spicy garlic butter rice cakes, impress as well.”
Boulder’s Frasca, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, held onto its Michelin star, as did Bosq in Aspen as well as Brutø, Beckon and The Wolf’s Tailor in Denver.
READ MORE: Frasca Celebrates 20 Years in Boulder
The full Colorado list, which also includes Green Stars and Recommended spots, now totals 46 restaurants.
Michelin unveiled its first-ever guide to Colorado last year.
“As we celebrate year two of the Michelin Guide in Colorado, we can see the passion and momentum continue to grow in this culinary community,” says Poullennec. “The famously anonymous inspectors were also eager to shine a light on the growing talent in the local community, with a handful of new restaurants added to the selection.”
In addition to Curiel’s Michelin Young Chef/Culinary Professional award, three other Colorado pros won special awards: Jessenia Sanabria of Sweet Basil in Vail won the Michelin Exceptional Cocktails award; Chris Dunaway of Element 47 in Aspen won the Michelin Sommelier award; and Allison Anderson of Beckon in Denver won the Michelin Outstanding Service award.
In April, the guide also revealed its first ranking of hotels—and several Colorado lodgings made the list. This week, Michelin didn’t award any new “keys” to Colorado hotels, but it did expand its list to include 31 “Selected” hotels, which means a “high quality stay,” according to the guide.
