Two chefs recognized by the Michelin Guide are joining forces to open a Mexico City-inspired taqueria inside the Stanley Marketplace in Aurora this fall.

Molino Chido is a collaboration between Michael Diaz de Leon, who was the head chef at Brutø before leaving to embark on a series of pop-up events around the country, and Tommy Lee, the chef and owner of ramen shop Uncle and Chinese restaurant Hop Alley.

The Michelin Guide awarded Brutø its first star during De Leon’s time in the kitchen and gave Hop Alley a Bib Gourmand designation for its value and food in 2023 and 2024.

The pair will take over the space used by Comida, a Mexican restaurant that was in Stanley Marketplace, at 2501 Dallas St. in Aurora, for eight years before closing in 2024. Renovations are already underway, Lee said Tuesday.

He expects Molino Chido to open sometime in the fall.

“We’ll mill our own corn, make our own tortillas,” he said.

A ‘molino’ is a machine that processes corn into masa. ‘Chido’ is Mexican slang for cool. The tacos will be “straightforward,” Lee said, though he deferred questions about the menu to De Leon, who was born in El Paso, Texas.

“We have some other tricks up our sleeves,” Lee teased.

De Leon was traveling and did not respond to a request for comment.

Molino Chido sprouted from a childhood friendship between Lee and Jonathan Alpert, a partner for Westfield Co., a developer and co-owner of Stanley Marketplace. When Comida closed, Alpert asked Lee if he’d be interested in opening a Mexican restaurant there.

Lee had followed De Leon through his pop-up dinners — many were hosted under the name Pinchi Umami — and featured him as a guest chef at Hop Alley, he said. Knowing De Leon’s desire to open his own restaurant, Lee said he asked him to become a partner.