The past year or so has been full of ups and downs for chef Ignacio Leon. Last June, Leon (one of three brothers behind Los Carboncitos taquerias) opened Latigo, an upscale Mexican restaurant, in the Ballpark neighborhood. Just weeks later, he shuttered Paxia, his beloved Sunnyside regional Mexican mainstay.

And as of this week, he’s shut down operations at Latigo. Acoording to Leon, rent was expensive and customers in the area were looking for cheaper food than what he was offering. I, for one, will sorely miss the shrimp ceviche and traditional-style tacos.

Leon says that for now, he’s focusing on Los Carboncitos and taking a break on opening new restaurants—that is, until next year. When he does look to open a new venture, he told me that he’ll be looking at locations in the mountains or Boulder rather than downtown.

Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin is a writer living in Westminster, and has been covering food and sustainability in the Centennial State for more than five years.