When it comes to mom-and-pop eateries, having the mom and pop on site can make all the difference.
At D’Corazon, it seems as though they never leave.
Owners Eddie and Rosa Aguirre are the heart – hence the name of the place – and soul of this year-old Mexican spot in LoDo.
Eddie will seat you, and Rosa is likely to ring up the bill. They stop by the table to ask how things are going and to share stories about the food and the business.
The recipes come from years of working in the industry, but a feud with their families, who collectively own 12 restaurants that Eddie says he would rather not talk about, keeps them from revealing much else.
Suffice it to say the recipes have been tweaked until the mom and pop are satisfied. “Eddie keeps telling the cooks, the meat has to be in the pot all day,” Rosa says. “It has to be tender. All day.”
Why the couple chose a space across the street from the rather large Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, a local chain with a healthy happy-hour crowd, they won’t say. But to up the ante they offer $1.99 margaritas all day but limit them to four per person. They’re tasty, heavy on the lime, and strong.
The space is long and narrow, painted a deep yellow and kept dark, which imparts a sense of sneaking in during daylight hours. The walls feature a few paintings and a geometrically arranged set of burgundy-colored plates. A string of half-booths runs down the center of the room; tables lines the walls.
It’s a simple setup that puts the focus on the food, which comes quickly and cheerfully, especially at lunch, when the staff is savvy at getting folks in and out with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of food. Diners start with a basket of salty chips and salsa, chipotle-smoky with a slight sting.
What cooks in the pot all day is carnitas ($8.99), one of the “homestyle” specialties. The pork, imbued with garlic and coriander, is simmered until falling apart. The meat came with D’Corazon’s green chile, a gravy- like version that is orange- colored and medium-spicy. You get house-made refried beans, plus a lime-tart guacamole and fresh pico de gallo punched up with plenty of jalape o.
The beans and pico de gallo also came with the tacos al carbon ($6.99), three overlapping corn tortillas topped with charred beef, avocado and plenty of grilled onions brown from beef juices. Beans and Spanish-style rice came with a tender Mexicana-style ribeye ($9.49) topped with a grilled Anaheim pepper and smothered in that green chile.
Talk about heart-stoppingly good.
Dining critic Kyle Wagner can be reached at 303-820-1958 or kwagner@denverpost.com.
D’Corazon
MEXICAN|1530 Blake St.; 720-904-8226|$4-$11|
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-
Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday-Saturday; Visa, MC,
Amex; street parking.
Front burner: Welcoming mom-and-pop eatery with fresh, delicious food, large portions and reasonable prices.
Back burner: The low lighting gives the place an oddly impermanent feel.
