The Denver Restaurant I Wish We Had in Los Angeles

One of my favorite things about traveling is finding the restaurant I’ll inevitably wish existed back home.

It doesn’t happen every trip, but it does happen enough times that the thought has come to mind. Sometimes you enjoy a meal, pay the bill, and move on to the next stop on your itinerary. Other times, you leave already imagining how often you’d visit if only the restaurant were a little closer to home.

That was Molino Chido.

I discovered the restaurant the same way I’ve found so many others over the years: through Instagram. One photo led to another until eventually I was looking through the menu thinking, this has to be my dinner.

A short time later, I found myself walking in for a solo meal during my conference trip to Denver.

Solo dining has become one of my favorite parts of traveling. There’s something peaceful about settling into a table for one. No rushing through conversation, no checking the time, no hoping the other people dining with me like the food. It’s just a chance to enjoy the atmosphere, watch the restaurant naturally exist, and focus entirely on the food that’s about to arrive.

While sitting alone I chatted with the waitress for a minute or two asking how the things I had hoped to get measured up at the restaurant. To my delight, she confirmed that they were in fact worth ordering. With that, I asked for each one of them.

I started with the Tepache ($7), a refreshing fermented pineapple drink that was lightly sweet with just enough tanginess to make every sip interesting. It paired beautifully with the meal that followed.

Next came the Flautas ($19). They were a vibrant deep purple, crispy, and packed with a rich curry potato that they held a perfect balance between crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Every bite of the flautas when covered with the deep molé masala manteles, and then topped with the raita and cabbage reminded me why simple dishes executed with great intention are often the most memorable.

Of course, I couldn’t stop there.

I also ordered two tacos: the Beef Strip Loin Taco ($11) and the Al Pastor ($7).

The strip loin was wonderfully made with tender with a rich cut of beef, green peppercorn, onion, con costra. While it may have appeared to be simple, the beauty of the taco was that it didn’t need much embellishment. It was just right the way it was made. Following it, I dove into the al pastor taco. The marinated pork was covered with onions, cilantro, and the tacos signature ingredient of pineapples. Bite after bite, it delivered everything I hope for. I wanted savory, slightly sweet, a hint of tart citrus and something incredibly satisfying and that’s exactly what I got. Together the two tacos made it nearly impossible to decide which I liked more.

As I finished dinner, I caught myself having the same thought I’d had a few times while traveling. “I wish this place were in Los Angeles.” Not because LA is missing great Mexican food, we certainly aren’t. But because Molino Chido has created something really great. They’re the type of restaurant that feels like everything you’re looking to enjoy from the first bite to the last. One where the chefs know exactly what they’re doing and the food proves that perfectly.

If Molino Chido opened in Pasadena tomorrow, I’d become a regular without giving it a second thought. They would see me frequently and I would start to know the staff on a first name basis. And the best part of this hypothetical idea? My weeks would be filled with great food that I happily wouldn’t be able to get enough of.

Until that idea becomes a reality, if ever, I guess I now have one more reason to return to Denver.