The partnership of Johnny and Kasie Curiel has resulted in some of the most celebrated new restaurants in Denver, particularly in the field of Mexican cuisine. With five restaurants and another on the way, their hospitality has grown into a well-oiled machine that’s brought the city plenty of critical accolades.
Their newest, Mar Bella Boqueria, is a departure — even if it’s just across the hall from another of their concepts, Alteño, inside the Clayton Hotel & Members Club in Cherry Creek (233 Clayton St., Denver). Here, Mexican inspiration takes a backseat to a Spanish one shared by the Curiels during trips to Spain.
Tapas have been the name of the game for several new Denver restaurants in recent years. Last year, Teocalli Cocina, a Mexican restaurant, opened its newest LoHi location with a basement dining room dedicated entirely to tapas.
But the appeal of appetizer-size “bocadillos” has endured at other names in fine local gastronomy, including Rioja, Ultreia and El Five. Mar Bella Boqueria, which opened last month, joins in their lineage with its full-bodied approach to Basque and Catalan delicacies. The menu makes room for Iberian ham, omelets, seafood, croquettes, a wide slice of Basque cheesecake, a hefty list of wine bottles and more.
Unlike the other restaurants in the Curiels’ Fonda Fina Hospitality group, including the Michelin-starred Alma Fonda Fina and Mezcaleria Alma, plates at Mar Bella are small and meant to be passed around. The portions are enough to give everyone at the table at least a taste of each dish, general manager Alexa Pearson said.
A board of assorted olives and sliced meats, rich in flavor and presentation, is $28. The “gambas al ajillo,” a small bowl of white prawns and chiquilin peppers in olive oil, is $19, while the “croquetas de jaiba,” crispy blue crab croquettes topped with fatty tuna and mayo, come in plates of three for $24.
More substantial dishes are between $42 and $56, while the “lechon con papa,” a roasted suckling pig with a side of truffle duchess potatoes, is market price. The salads are no less exquisite, especially the “Endivas and Melon” with pink endives, gobs of sheep’s cheese, tiny cubes of melon and cantaloupe and a cava vinaigrette ($21).
A guided experience at a chef’s counter-style bar in one end of the dining room is a $125 reservation per diner. Chef’s counters leave the act of choosing to the chef, who selects and prepares eight courses in front of diners. Whether at the counter, tables or the walk-in bar that looks out to the street, wines are sold either as 3-ounce pours or by the bottle.
The tapas and pintxos — a name given to similar dishes in Basque Country — are executed faithfully, and evocative of the Spanish coast. The club’s restaurant property, last used by Bar Amorina, features white marble countertops, checkered floors and wine bottles and ceramics arranged on high shelves.
Mar Bella Boqueria is the latest revelation from chef Johnny Curiel, but it won’t be for long. Maize, his 18-course tasting menu restaurant, is opening in the spring.