Chef Johnny Curiel has a team of six in the kitchen of his first solo restaurant, after working for big local restaurant groups for the last decade. (Photo by Shawn Campbell for Alma Fonda Fina)
Johnny Curiel grew up in his parents’ “fonda” – “a mom-and-pop place, where blue-collar workers go for lunch” – in downtown Guadalajara, Mexico.
“I was inspired by what they did, but not necessarily the lifestyle,” Curiel added. “But the more I started growing up, the more I fell in love with hospitality.”
Curiel’s parents still own their fonda in Guadalajara. And after years of working for notable restaurateurs in Denver, including Troy Guard, Richard Sandoval and Dave Query, Curiel and his wife, Kasie, have opened their own mom-and-pop spot here.
Alma Fonda Fina debuted earlier this month at 2556 15th St., in the former Truffle Table space, which closed in October after 10 years. The contemporary Mexican restaurant elevates what Curiel called the typical “scoop-and-serve” fonda you would find in Mexico.
“It’s the food I grew up eating presented differently, but it’s not pretentious,” Curiel said. “I wanted people to understand the way that I eat and what I enjoy.”
Curiel’s favorite dish at his parents’ restaurant is frijoles with chorizo and salsa verde, and it’s the first thing his mom sets in front of him when he visits. He’s presented his version at Alma Fonda Fina as “Frijoles Puercos” with chorizo rojo links, made in-house, chile de arbol salsa verde, queso and sourdough flour tortillas — a nod to the sourdough bread made in Mexico.
He’s also taken inspiration from a popular bean pozole with shaved meat, bacon and a tomatillo broth and created a beef tartare with bacon vinaigrette and a chilled tomatillo broth poured on top, so “everyone can have a bite,” he said.
“These dishes are really personal to me, and I want everyone to try five different things when they come in,” Curiel added.
Guests can share a 24-hour mole, New York strip or brisket tacos, or large entrees, like adobo-braised lamb shank or fall-off-the-bone carnitas, while they watch people walk by from the intimate 38-seat corner restaurant. Alma means “soul” in Spanish — and Curiel hopes his fonda will be the heart and soul of the Lower Highland neighborhood — but it’s also an homage to his mother, whose name is also Alma.
This has been a lifelong dream for Curiel. For the past 10 years, he has worked under big local restaurant groups, including TAG, Big Red F and Richard Sandoval Hospitality. He left his most recent stint as the culinary director for Lotus Concepts, which owns My Neighbor Felix and ViewHouse, nine months ago to pursue Alma Fonda Fina.
Kasie is also an industry veteran with a decade of operations experience at big companies like Hillstone Restaurant Group, and she also quit to help bring the vision to life. While hunting for their dream location, they started a catering business dubbed Crafted Meals.
“I knew I had so much to offer, and I wanted to do something that I really believe in,” Curiel said. “I don’t want to cook food that just makes money, I want to create food that makes memories and goes above the money aspect and bottom line.”
There will “never be another Alma,” but the couple’s goal is to open four restaurants in Denver, including an Italian restaurant as a nod to Kasie’s background.
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