Some of the best moments at Cencalli have nothing to do with what is on the plate.
For Andrés Martinez and Zoe Romero, it is the moment they look around the room and realize no one is looking at a phone. Friends are laughing. Someone is telling a story. Kids are weaving between tables while grandparents watch nearby. Another hour passes, and no one seems in a hurry to leave.
Those are the moments they hoped to create when they opened Cencalli.
While they may own a restaurant, they have never thought of themselves as simply being in the restaurant business. To them, food is a way to bring people together.
That philosophy began long before Cencalli. Growing up, some of their favorite memories happened around a table, from holidays and birthdays to Sunday afternoons and ordinary family dinners that stretched into hours of conversation. The menu may fade from memory, but the people around the table do not.
When they opened Cencalli, their vision was to create a place that captured that feeling. Even the name reflects it. Derived from the Nahuatl language, Cencalli represents home and family, a meaning that became the foundation of everything they wanted to build.
Over the years, those tables have become part of countless stories. Guests have celebrated engagements, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, baby showers, promotions and retirements. Somewhere along the way, customers began asking if the couple could bring that same experience to them.
Entrambi grew from those requests.
What guests wanted was more than catering. They were inviting Andrés and Zoe to become part of the moments they would remember.
Sometimes that means a relaxed taco bar where guests gather around fresh tortillas, share stories and return for seconds. Other times, it is a thoughtfully curated dinner inspired by family traditions, favorite flavors or even a recipe passed from one generation to the next.
There is no single formula for a meaningful gathering. Their approach is simple: listen first and cook second.
That philosophy takes on special meaning during the holidays, when calendars fill quickly and time together becomes increasingly valuable. Entrambi gives hosts an opportunity to step away from managing the meal and return to the reason everyone gathered in the first place. They can sit down, join the conversation and be part of the memories unfolding around them.
And sometimes, the most memorable celebrations are the least complicated. A beautiful gathering does not have to mean a formal dinner or elaborate menu. It can be tacos passed around a crowded table, familiar dishes shared with family or a meal designed around the traditions that make a celebration feel like home.
That sense of connection extends far beyond holidays and special occasions.
They believe restaurants can become places where neighbors meet, local businesses build relationships, nonprofits find support and teams celebrate goals they worked all year to accomplish. They have watched their own restaurant become part of the community in ways they could not have predicted when they first opened the doors.
Supporting a local restaurant creates a ripple effect, too. It provides jobs, supports farmers, artists, makers and fellow small businesses, and creates opportunities to give back through school events, nonprofit organizations and community partnerships.
They have seen firsthand how one person choosing a small business can ultimately create opportunities for many others.
That belief has shaped the environment they hope to create for their team as well. Building a business has reinforced something Andrés and Zoe have known throughout their lives: none of us gets where we are going alone. The people who encourage us, challenge us and celebrate alongside us become part of
the journey.
It is one reason their definition of success has little to do with numbers. Looking ahead, they are less interested in counting how many restaurants they might open or events they might cater. Instead, they think about how many more tables they can help fill, celebrations they can join, people they can meet and young leaders they can encourage.
Years from now, they hope guests remember the food.
More importantly, they hope they remember how they felt, who sat beside them and the stories shared across the table.
Because the best moments rarely end when dinner does. They go home with us. They become family traditions, stories told for years and, perhaps most importantly, reasons to gather again.
“We hope people remember the food, but more than that, we hope they remember how they felt and the people gathered around the table.”
Cencalli / Entrambi Owners
Andrés Martinez
& Zoe Romero
BRING EVERYONE TO THE TABLE
The best gatherings are the ones where the host gets to be a guest, too. Through Cencalli and Entrambi, Andrés and Zoe help make that possible with experiences designed around the people, occasion and atmosphere of each celebration.
From casual taco bars and food-truck gatherings to bartending services, private parties and customized events, their approach can be as relaxed or elevated as the occasion calls for. Whether it is a holiday dinner with family, an end-of-year company celebration or a milestone worth gathering for, the goal remains the same: take the pressure off the host and create more time for the people around the table.
And if there is no special occasion on the calendar, there is always a seat waiting at Cencalli in Historic Downtown Littleton at 2389 Main Street.
READY TO GATHER?
Planning a holiday party, corporate event or special celebration? Connect with Entrambi to create a catering experience designed around your gathering.
720.525.8131
EntrambiCatering.com