I Finally Dined at a Michelin Star Restaurant and It Was Everything I Hoped and Dreamed It Would Be

I've loved food all my life! Who doesn't, right? I mean, we all love eating, and the better tasting and more visually pleasing the food is - the better! I love seeking out well-rated restaurants wherever I go and I always do lots of research on dining options before I travel to make sure I get a chance to try the best of the best restaurants on every adventure I take. I’m especially drawn to restaurants that have won awards. Whether the award is local or national or international, I tend to think that the people who award these awards likely know food better than anyone. As a result, I’m always curious to try award-winning restaurants above all others.

However, despite all my efforts and research, I never managed to eat at a Michelin Star restaurant anywhere I’d ever visited. The reasons for this are numerous. First of all, there aren’t too many cities with Michelin Star restaurants in the United States - the guide only covers cities in California, Illinois, New York, D.C., Texas, and Colorado so far. Second, when I have visited those places, I am usually on a budget, and Michelin Star recipients usually tend to be rather high-end. Third, it’s often challenging to get into restaurants that have been awards Michelin Stars, as they’re quite popular once receiving this award; I’m not very good at making reservations far in advance.

Imagine my excitement, then, when my home state of Colorado was added to the Michelin Guide last year. Finally, Michelin Star restaurants were right in my backyard, and I could finally plan a visit to one with ease.

In 2023, Michelin awarded stars to five Colorado restaurants. All of them were a bit out of my usual price range, plus the fact that the Michelin Guide was finally rating Colorado restaurants caused a rush on all these places, making it very hard to get reservations. Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, 2024’s Michelin Stars were awarded.

I knew I had to get out there and start trying these spots - what was I waiting for? After hearing good things from friends about Alma Fonda Fina, a new star recipient for 2024, my partner checked out the website. I’d heard that to get a reservation, you had to either be very lucky, or sign to Open Table at some crazy hour - at the exact moment next month’s seatings were released - and move like lightning.

Surprisingly, though, when he clicked the reservation tab, a reservation popped up for 9:45 pm, three weeks in the future. Although that’s a lot later than I normally eat dinner - I’m often in bed by then! - we reserved the spot immediately.

We were so excited when the day came and we headed into the LoHi neighborhood in Denver. Since it was late, we easily found a parking spot and walked right in. Immediately upon walking in the door, I was taken by the warm and pleasant atmosphere of this place. It is classy without being at all ostentatious. Although its focus is Mexican cuisine, the interior seemed to have a Middle Eastern-style feel, with live plants, blankets, leather-backed seating, and lots of warm beiges and browns in its decor. I also noticed how small it was - there are only 11 tables plus chef’s table bar seating that overlooks the open kitchen. That further explained the high competition for reservations.

Our waitress welcomed us and explained that all dishes were shareable. We’d perused the menu prior to arrival and found four categories - Entradas, Crudos, De Masa, and Para Compartir - with four items in each category. She suggested we order one from each category and so we did just that, plus one extra from the appetizer list.

The first dish to arrive was Rajas Con Crema; it was described as "Jacob's wild mushrooms, roasted corn, poblanos, and salsa de chile de arbol". We dove right in and were immediately blown away. How could a dish so simple be so fantastic? But it was! We both marveled at this mix of flavors, and knew we were in for quite a ride.

Our second appetizer was Camote Asado. This dish is agave roasted sweet potatoes, broken salsa macha, and fennel whipped Requeson. Our friends who had visited Alma Fonda Fina before us recommended it, and we were not disappointed. I'm a wuss when it comes to spice, so the likely mild-to-others kick was a little much for me, but these potatoes were delicious, and the Requeson - a cheese similar to ricotta - was excellent and offered exactly the cooling balance that I needed.

We were only one course in, and we were already impressed beyond measure.

Our selection from the Crudo section of the menu was next. Crudo dishes feature raw or lightly cooked seafood, and I'm a sucker for high-quality tuna. We'd selected the Tostada De Atun, which was applewood smoked tuna, avocado, mayonnaise, and salsa macha. While this wasn't my favorite dish of the night - I felt the avocado overpowered the tuna flavor - it was also quite enjoyable, and it was beautiful to view.

Our favorite dish of the night was the next one from the De Masa section of the menu. The Enmoladas De Pollo consists of roasted chicken wrapped in a tortilla and then covered with an absolutely incredible mole, pipian (pumpkin seed and roasted vegetables) red sauce, plus a fantastic ranch-style Mexican crema and pickled onions. Both of us devoured this rapidly. We were impressed by its outward simplicity combined with an incredible depth of flavors. I could eat this daily ongoing with no complaints.

Finally, our main, from the Para Compartir section of the menu - was our final dish of the evening. We chose the Lenguado A La Veracruzana, which was Pacific halibut in a tomato and olive broth with chive and Serrano butter and buttered rice. This, too, was a perfect dish - it was cooked perfectly, of course, and it was light yet filling at the same time.

Overall, we were both amazed by each and every dish we were served at Alma Fonda Fina. I think we both said "wow!" at least ten times each. We ordered a number of things we'd never had before, and we were impressed by each and every one of them. The service at this restaurant was friendly and welcoming and was not at all pretentious in any way - despite the fact we were clearly noobs, and were a bit underdressed for the atmosphere. We felt right at home at this restaurant and even though we were two of the last people in the restaurant - due to the late start of our reservation time - we didn't feel at all rushed while we dined.

We were also quite pleased when the bill came. Our total, before the tip, was just $136. We're not drinkers, so that was food and non-alcoholic beverages only - but we felt that was very affordable for the food and overall experience we'd enjoyed at a now-famous and award-winning restaurant.

I'm so glad that I finally had the opportunity to dine at a Michelin Star restaurant and I look forward to returning to Alma Fonda Fina again soon. I'm also happy that the experience and meal not only met but even exceeded my very high expectations for it.

Sometimes you build things up in your mind for so long that they can't possibly meet the standards you've imagined, but other times, they turn out to be exactly as good as you'd always hoped. This meal at Alma Fonda Fina was of the latter variety, and I'm so grateful this fantastic restaurant is just 20 short minutes from my house. It's affordable, accessible, and amazing. Thank you, Alma Fonda Fina, for a fantastic evening, and I hope to stop in again soon. Hopefully, you, too, dear reader, can get a reservation there soon - you're sure to be pleased with what you'll find there.

I can't wait to try more Michelin Star restaurants in Colorado and beyond - for me, this was surely just the beginning. I love adventures of all kinds, but there's something extra special and over-the-top satisfying about those in the dining realm. Food is one of life's great pleasures, without a doubt, and I'm open to trying it all. Keep it coming - and bon appetit, my friends.