Ayax Silva was just 16 years old when he started working in kitchens in his native Michoacán, Mexico. Silva was inspired by his mother, who taught him to cook from a young age and instilled in him the family traditions and recipes local to the region.
After a stint working in a Mexican restaurant in California, Silva spent the seven years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic managing El Camino Community Tavern in the Denver Highlands. Following the pandemic, Silva opened his first restaurant — Mi Tierra Caliente — in Arvada this past May.
Mi Tierra Caliente — which translates to “My Hot Land,” a region in Michoacán — feels like a portal to southern Mexico.
The restaurant, located at 5350 West 64th Avenue, is decorated with Michoacán’s traditional colors of green, pink and orange.
Metal monarch butterflies, which make an annual migration to southern Mexico, adorn a wall next to a mural depicting local iconography including La Danza de los Viejitos (“The Dance of the Old People”) and the Virgen de los Dolores Temple that lies beneath Lake Purisma.
When planning Mi Tierra Caliente’s menu, Silva — whose staff is entirely comprised of family members, including his two sisters, cousins and close family friends — stayed close to home — with one notable exception.
“It’s the food that we grew up with,” Silva said. “It’s just family recipes; everything is made from scratch. We don’t buy anything frozen. There’s a bunch of dishes on the menu that you will only find here because they are so typical in my hometown.
“Some things are different — just the green chile,” Silva continued. “We have to adapt to the green chile because everyone loves green chile. And I love it too, so why not?”
Dishes like morisqueta (rice topped with beans and fried pork), pozole (pork and hominy stew) and aporreadillo (finely shredded pork mixed with egg) aren’t likely to be found on many Colorado restaurant’s menus — tamales wrapped in banana leaves, flour-less salsa, and meat marinated in Silva’s familial recipes are likely unique to Mi Tierra Caliente as well.
The restaurant’s cuisine is so steeped in tradition then when Silva’s parents — who still live in Michoacán — came to visit recently, they immediately began helping out in the kitchen. Silva said his love of cooking came from his mom, who showed him the ropes when he was young.
“I think I love cooking because my mom always taught us how to everything; it doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or boy,” Silva said. “I started cooking with my mom and started working in restaurants really early. My mom was so happy (when she visited Mi Tierra Caliente). They were so happy and so proud that we are doing it.”
Silva opened Mi Tierra Caliente’s doors in May and has been building a dedicated following of regulars since then. While locals were unfamiliar with some of the restaurant’s more regional dishes, they’ve quickly become enthralled with Silva’s take on his homeland’s cuisine.
“I wanted to bring something super authentic because most of the Mexican food here in the United States has become more Americanized Mexican food,” Silva said. “I want to give it a shot with the authentic one. It took a little for the business to start picking up. In the beginning, when people would come in here, they were looking for more Tex-Mex stuff.
“Once they started trying, they like it,” Silva continued.
With decades of family tradition and history on Mi Tierra Caliente’s side, the warm reception is no surprise.
