To talk about tacos, Manny Barella must first discuss hamburgers. “People worry so much about the toppings of a burger instead of the flavor of the meat,” says the executive chef of Bellota, the Mexican eatery that opened inside the Source in RiNo in October 2020. (A second location, in Boulder, was slated to debut in June.) “I find that in tacos, as well. Here in America, they want to put on a multitude of toppings instead of making it simple. In Mexico, we have the tortilla and the meat, then salsa, onions, and cilantro,” Barella says. “I want the meat to speak by itself.”
Barella’s meats don’t just speak—they sing, serenading taste buds with pitch-perfect flavors. From the carnitas—more like a sweet, rich pork confit thanks to the Coca-Cola,…
