The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals.
“Our marketing team calls it polished grit,” says Hop Alley and Uncle founder Tommy Lee as he and his business partner, chef Michael Diaz de Leon—who earned a Michelin star in 2023 as executive chef of Brutø—walk through their recently opened taqueria, Molino Chido, in Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace. “There is this something to be said of taking very simple finishes and materials, but making it look cool and modern.”
With one look at the space (formerly Comida), it’s clear that Molino Chido, which translates to “Cool Mill,” is aptly named.
The pair, along with Regular Architecture founder Kevin Nguyen (recipient of the American Institute of Architects 2025 Architect of the Year award), designed the restaurant to evoke the industrial feel of historic taquerias and the high-low deliciousness of Mexico City. The dining room and bar sport shades of green and yellow that offset stark white and bare concrete. Diaz de Leon even found a third-generation metal fabricator in Guadalajara for the branded tables and chairs.
Diaz de Leon helms the culinary vision behind Molino Chido, which officially debuted on November 11, with his longtime collaborator, chef Oakes Trombly. Lee, who cut his teeth at Chipotle early in his career, has always wanted to tackle a casual Mexican spot. He leads the team from an operational standpoint.
This trio of culinary powerhouses might seem surprising, but Molino Chido is a slow-burn collaboration years in the making. Lee and Diaz de Leon met when the latter was working at Leevers Locavore and then developed a friendship when Diaz de Leon moved on to run the kitchen at Brutø. Eventually, Diaz de Leon guest-chefed at Lee’s popular chef’s counter at Hop Alley.
“I’ve had some time to really look at the bigger picture and just understand that it’s not about me anymore,” Diaz de Leon says, adding that the Molino Chido project nourishes his creativity but also allows for proper work-life balance and quality time with his wife and daughters.
“The more we chatted, the more we saw eye to eye on our professional and personal goals,” Lee adds. “This project can make sense where we can both thrive and be successful.”
The core of the menu is tacos: simple, straightforward, and made completely in-house, with a massive molino—used to grind nixtamal corn into masa—on display in the front window. Diaz de Leon likens the process of breaking down corn into masa to the intricacies of bread-making—there’s a hyper-awareness of the components of slow-simmering, resting in an alkaline solution, rinsing, and seasoning, so that every taco, from the first to the last of the day, is consistent in taste and texture.
“We really want to highlight the corn,” Diaz de Leon says. He and Lee source theirs from Bow and Arrow Brand, a farm and ranch enterprise run by the Ute Mountain Ute tribe in southwestern Colorado. The menu offers up the classics—carnitas, lengua, and carne asada—as well as Jalisco-inspired crispy shrimp and vegan options like mushroom with huitlacoche and salsa macha or seasonal roasted veggies with mole pipián.
The team also special-ordered a trompo (a vertical spit roaster) for traditional carne al pastor. Lee says many places in Colorado will cut the meat off the trompo but then grill it before serving, rendering the meat overdone. “In Mexico City, when you get al pastor, it comes off the spit into a tortilla and that’s it, and that’s the way it should be done,” he says.
For those hungry for more than tacos, the “Mas” section of the menu offers personal touches from the chefs, such as slender (not rice-filled) burritos on house flour tortillas as an homage to Diaz de Leon’s mother’s hometown of Chihuahua, and the curry potato flautas, which combine Mexican mole with the flavors from his recent travels in India. The “Grande” section features large-format dishes, such as whole grilled fish and half chicken perfect for sharing.
“Food—It’s experience, it’s craft, it’s practice, it’s storytelling,” Diaz de Leon says. “It’s being authentic, genuine with what you’re serving. I think that’s what we’ll be able to do here because everything we serve will have a story.”
The drinks program makes the most of the sleek new bar, with an expansive, agave-forward cocktail list (many made with uncommon ingredients like lacto-fermented grapefruit in the Paloma and watermelon-infused gin in the Negroni), natural wines, chelas (beer), nonalcoholic options, and agua frescas.
For all their previous awards and acclaim, Lee and Diaz de Leon ground their confidence in their food and hospitality. “People are expecting certain things from us when they come to dine with us, and we can’t mess that up,” he says.
Molino Chido is located on the first floor of the Stanley Marketplace at 2501 Dallas Street, Aurora. Opening hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 3 to 9 p.m.
