Día De Los Muertos or “Day of the Dead” is a two-day festival originating from Mexico that unfolds in an explosion of color & life-affirming joy aimed at demonstrating love and respect to the past while setting intentions for the future. In honor of the holiday, Toro, Latin Kitchen & Lounge hosted a Mayan healing ceremony & a chef's tasting of traditional Día De Los Muertos dishes.

Upon arrival at Toro, a colorful ofrenda had been arranged at the front of the restaurant. The ofrenda included a lovely collection of objects placed on display for the Día de Los Muertos celebration.

We headed out to the patio for welcome drinks, apps & a Mayan healing ceremony around the fire.

For welcome cocktails we had Pineapple Mezcal Sours made with mezcal, pineapple, lime agave, Palo Santo bitters & egg white.

The Pineapple Mezcal Sour was insanely tasty and was our favorite cocktail of the night. The cocktail had a fluffy head from the egg white. The smoky notes of the mezcal paired wonderfully with the natural sugars in the pineapple. All in all the perfect blend of flavors to ease us into fall.

The Mayan ceremony was led by Nataline Cruz. The ceremony was both educational & immersive. We learned about the ancient traditions of Mesoamerican tribes and the healing methods of copal, tobacco & tequila - it was so cool & Nataline had fabulous energy!

Learning about the healing methods of copal

Following the Mayan ceremony, it was time to eat. Chef Richard Sandoval developed a Día De Los Muertos menu (inspired by the ofrenda) and from October 4 to November 6, Toro will feature these themed menu items.

For our first course we had Palo Santo Margaritas paired with Tortilla Talavera. The Palo Santo Margarita was made with Palo Santo patron reposado, pisco, lime, lemon, agave & celery bitters. The Tortilla Talavera was made with green pipian, white mole, panela cheese, mushroom al ajillo and cherry tomato salad.

The panela cheese was fresh with a hint of tanginess. The panela's soft texture went well with the chew of the tortilla. The cherry tomatoes added beautiful bursts of acidity to each bite while the mushrooms added a savory, garlic & olive oil flavor. The green pipian was a flavorful and tangy (like a green mole).

For our second course we had Smoked Bees Knees cocktails and Seafood Pozole Verde. The Smoked Bees Knees was made with patron silver, tanqueray gin, lemon and honey. The Seafood Pozole Verde was made with baby squid, shrimp, clam, white corn & marigold cempazuchil oil.

The Seafood Pozole Verde was a subtly spicy Mexican stew. The white corn hominy had a distinctively fluffy texture that went well with the chewiness of the shrimp & squid. This was a great summer-to-fall transitional soup (especially due to the use of late summer produce like the tomatillos).

For our third course we had Vanilla Smoke cocktails and Mole Coloradito Enchiladas. The Vanilla Smoke was made with patron anejo, del maguey vida, licor, agave, lemon zest & coffee bean. The Mole Coloradito Enchiladas were made with pork picadillo, plantain, almond, onion radish, crema fresca, cilantro and chili oil.

YUM. The Mole Coloradito Enchiladas were my favorite of the night - an extremely satisfying and comforting dish. The mole sauce on the enchiladas was everything. The mole was a deep red with complex flavor notes of smoke & espresso (a savory-sweet quality similar to barbecue sauce, but more distinct).

For our fourth course (dessert) we had Chocolate Caliente and El Ritual. The Chocolate Caliente was Mexican hot chocolate. The El Ritual was calabaza en tacha cream, caramelized phyllo, mandarin chocolate sauce, Palo Santo smoke and vanilla ice cream.

The calabaza en tacha cream was candied pumpkin cream that tasted of brown sugar & syrup. The caramelized phyllo were dark, delicate triangular crisps stacked on top of one another with the calabaza en tacha cream holding them together. All of that was topped with cool vanilla ice cream that added silky texture against the crunch of the phyllo and creaminess of the calabaza en tacha.

A Día De Los Muertos meal to remember!

Huge thanks to Toro, the Toro team, Richard Sandoval, Liz Kotalik and Prim + Co for hosting us for the Día de los Muertos celebration! We will see you all again very soon.

Celebrate Día De Los Muertos with Toro from Tuesday, October 4 to Sunday, November 6. Reservations, (which are highly encouraged) can be made online at www.torodenver.com. Check it out babes and let them know that denv.her. sent you! xx

Toro, Latin Kitchen & Lounge

Service options: Dine-in · Takeout · Delivery
Located in: Hotel Clio (Toro offers free valet parking)
Address: 150 Clayton Ln Ste B, Denver, CO 80206
Menu: torodenver.com
Phone: (303) 253-3000Reservations: opentable.com

Toro, Día De Los Muertos