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reviewed on: April 10, 2009
When Tosh’s Hacienda closed at 31st and Downing several years ago, it was, for many Denverites, like the loss of a family member. After all, the restaurant had been around for nearly a half century, and many people who remembered being taken there by their parents were now taking their kids and their grandkids there for the Mexican food which many, even today, recall as the best in Denver. But anybody who figured that, with the closing of the restaurant, Ruben Macintosh, the man behind Tosh’s, was down for the count, underestimated him.
So, now Ruben and his son Tracy are back with Tosh’s Cantina in the Denver Tech Center. And while Tracy, who’s considerably younger and better able to handle the day-in and day-out rigors of running a restaurant, may be handling most of the chores, Ruben’s right there beside him doing his share.
The Macintosh’s have taken over the old Season’s building at the northeast corner of Marina Square at East Belleview and Ulster. Oh, you didn’t know there was a northeast corner to Marina Square. Well, I suspect there are a lot of people who drive up and down Belleview every day who don’t realize there’s more to Marina Square than what meets your eye from the street. The space that is now Tosh’s Cantina, originally, or as far back as I can recall, was a Pour La France, and all of the exposed interior brickwork and brick dividing walls that create intricate dining niches within the space are still there and still add a warm charm to the dining room. When it was Seasons, the then owners extended the building forward, adding more dining space, and tacked on a patio. In short, it just seems it was read- made and just waiting for a place like Tosh’s Cantina to move in.
Everything begins with the arrival of the requisite basket of homemade chips and a bowl of wonderful salsa that’s thick and chunky, tangy with the smoky taste of chipotles. From there on it’s classic Tosh’s food, a mix of traditional Mexican and some southwestern, including an excellent Fish Taco made with grilled mahi mahi tucked into soft corn tortillas, and a trio of enchiladas—one each of the cheese, beef and chicken--topped with red and green chile. Other intriguing menu items include an Orange-Chipotle Salad of citrus-marinated chicken breast along with grilled orange slices, and artichoke hearts in an orange-chipotle dressing, a Mexican take on gumbo, posole, and southwestern style stacked enchiladas with blue-corn tortillas.
Tosh’s Cantina is open for lunch and dinner every day but Sunday.
Tosh’s Cantina
8101 E. Belleview Ave. (northeast corner of Marina Square)
303-586-5530
Website not available at this writing, but coming to:
http://www.toshscantina.com
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