Had Alteño been the flagship concept that Chef Johnny Curiel – with his wife and business partner, Kasie – opened first in Denver, there would have already been so many built-in throughlines and anecdotes driving mindfully deep into its hearth and philosophy. Alteño – the Highlander – is a regional celebration of the Jalisco Highlands and the tableside culture that emerges not only from the well-documented epicenter of all things tequila but also from the more nuanced and explorative expanse of the area’s culinary prowess. An ode to the hills, Alteño is seamlessly at home here in a city where identity is perpetually bound to altitude.
When considering that Alma Fonda Fina – Johnny and Kasie’s Michelin-starred restaurant and true flagship in LoHi – is the elevated realization of soulful meals that Johnny’s mother cooked for him in his youth, Alteño emerges even more mindfully crafted and conceptual as its balancing counterweight. “After sharing part of my story through Alma Fonda Fina, there was a big piece still left to tell,” spoke Chef Curiel on Alteño’s conception. Inspired by more than a region, but by a man from there, the restaurant is an homage to the legacy of Chef Johnny Curiel’s father. A revered Jalisco chef and restauranter, his spirit imbues every detail of the immaculately curated space in the Clayton Hotel and Members Club in Cherry Creek.
Reminiscent of the warm tones, soft lighting, and treasure trove of art from the source of the kitchen’s inspiration, a step into Alteño is a direct transport to the comfort of a welcoming Jalisco home. Thanks to the mindful design of established Alma collaborators, Agathe Jane Interiors – who also designed the Mexico City-inspired agave immersion of Mezcaleria Alma in LoHi – the connection to Johnny Curiel’s roots in Jalisco immerses a guest before food or drinks even hit the table.
That impression is deliberate and instilled further into the restaurant’s Jaliscan roots by the culture of Campestre, where guests enjoy drinks and an array of light bites while proteins and larger dishes slowly make their way from the flame to the table. “In the highlands of Jalisco, Sundays were spent around a firepit, waiting for whole animals to slow-roast while we laughed, ate, and reconnected as a family. It wasn’t just about the food—it was about the experience, the time spent together. Alteño is a piece of my father’s world, a place where people can gather, linger and celebrate the way we did back home,” continued Curiel on his vision for Alteño.
In the highlands of Jalisco, tequila es el rey. It’s no surprise then that Alteño’s bar – curated by the group’s Beverage Director, Jen Mattioni – is overflowing with more than 60 agave spirits. For anyone who has been to any of the Curiels’ other restaurants, it’s even less of a surprise that the drink menu bends from a perfectly balanced Classic Margarita to much more experimental cocktail-ing including the creamy Avocado Margarita rimmed with black charcoal salt.
READ: Checking in With Johnny & Kasie Curiel on Mezcaleria Alma’s First Few Months in Business
Once the drinks arrive, a guest eases into the feast. To start, a Kanpachi Tostada with Santa Barbara Uni, Avocado and Salsa de Chiles Seco, or the Baked Hokkaido Scallop served in its own shell with Citrus Salsa Negra to balance the shellfish’s inherent sweetness. Then, the Camote Asado – an Agave Roasted Sweet Potato inspired by Mexican street cart plantains – which exists at the intersection of so many balancing acts. The warmth, earthiness and sweetness of the potato comes into mindful contrast with the Fennel Whipped Requesón and the Salsa Macha. The same juxtapositions come into play with the Crab & Avocado where fresh bibb lettuce and an herbaceous Tomatillo Green Goddess Dressing meet decedent Blue Crab and Warm Bacon.
As more drinks hit the table – an agave take on an Old Fashioned that boasts the expected sweetness of the classic albeit with the green note of tequila – so, too, do tacos. First, the Costra de Ribeye melts the perfectly cooked steak, smoky Queso Chihuahua and Charred Onions into the most delicious Heirloom Corn Tortilla in Denver. Then, on the same tortilla, the Cochinita Pibil with nostalgic, earthy and sweet Yucutan Style Pork, Xni-Pec and Salsa de Chile Arbol.
Often overlooked on a menu of such depth and caliber – particularly one where steaks, seabass and lamb shanks are present – the Pollo A Las Brasas at Alteño is not to be missed. Fire roasted to succulent perfection in its cut yet somehow with impossibly crispy skin, it’s melding of flavors from sarsaparilla to licorice find their happy middle ground with smoke, salt and a touch of delicate heat. Served with steakhouse presentation on a seemingly unfinishable bed of fries – homemade throughout a 24-hour process – the dish is a must-try for any carnivore living in Denver or visiting.
Consider the pollo a microcosm of the experience at large, because from the beginning of the Campestre to its finish sweetened with a dark chocolate tort, Alteño should chart the top of anyone’s list looking for somewhere new, somewhere nostalgic, somewhere immersive and somewhere ultimately transportive to a place where no other restaurant in Denver is yet to take its guests.
Alteño is located inside the Clayton Hotel and Members Club at 249 Clayton Street, Denver. Its hours are 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily, with Happy Hour from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.
All photography by Shawn Campbell