Colorado restaurants given Michelin awards; one newly receives Michelin Star

Colorado continues to make a name for itself in the world of culinary greatness.

The second Michelin Guide Colorado was published Monday, awarding a highly-coveted Michelin Star and Bib Gourmand to two restaurants in the state. In addition, four establishments received Special Awards.

The Michelin Guide, a guidebook put together by Michelin, the tire company, was originally created to help motorists develop their trips by providing useful information, such as maps, car maintenance, places to stay, and, notably, where to eat. The first guide was printed in 1900.

The inaugural Michelin Guide Colorado, published in 2023, created a buzz in the state’s restaurants due to it being only the eighth region in North America to have its own guide, following in the footsteps of New York, Chicago, California, Miami/Orlando/Tampa, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington, D.C.

The first five restaurants in Colorado to receive a highly-coveted Michelin Star last year were named at the invite-only ceremony: Beckon, Denver; Bosq, Aspen; Brutø, Denver; Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder and The Wolf’s Tailor, Denver. As defined on Michelin’s website, stars are awarded to “restaurants using top quality ingredients, where dishes with distinct flavours are prepared to a consistently high standard.”

All five restaurants received one star. Restaurants can receive up to three, with only 153 restaurants having obtained that many worldwide.

The newest Colorado Michelin Star restaurant to join the others is Alma Fonda Fina, a contemporary Mexican restaurant in the Lower Highlands neighborhood in Denver. The comments from the Inspector note, “Chef Johnny Curiel started off in his family’s restaurant in Guadalajara, and after years of high-end culinary experience, he revisits dishes and flavors from his upbringing with creativity and finely honed technique delivering results that are both satisfying and delicious.”

The Bib Gourmand award “recognizes friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.” The tenth and only establishment that fit the criteria this time around in the Centennial State was MAKfam, an “elevated fast-casual” Chinese restaurant in the Baker neighborhood of Denver. Michelin’s notes stated, “What began as a pop-up back in NYC, where owners and married couple Doris Yuen and Kenneth Wan first met, and then became a stall in a Denver food hall, is now at last a full-service restaurant. 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.”

Food items on MAKfam’s menu currently range in price from $6 to $25.

Four Special Awards were doled out to Colorado restaurants: Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award, Jessenia Sanabria, Sweet Basil, Vail; Michelin Sommelier Award, Chris Dunaway, Element 47, Aspen; Michelin Outstanding Service Award, Allison Anderson, Beckon, Denver and Michelin Young Chef/Culinary Professional Award, Johnny Curiel, Alma Fonda Fina, Denver.

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