Flag LIVE! August 21, 2025
Written by Gail G. Collins
So often, love and food are wrapped up in one another. Both are essential parts of caretaking, and the flow of nurture and nourishment creates that confluence called love. It elevates the mundane and necessary chore of making a meal.
Mi Tesoro Modern Mexican reflects such a humble act in its name, which means “my treasure.” The endearment is for owner Lorena Encinas, who was cared for by her sister after a family upheaval.
“She was my second mom. I grew up with her,” Encinas said affectionately. “She worked two jobs to support us.” And in appreciation later, Encinas also worked and made lunch for her sister daily.
Mi Tesoro opened in October 2024, and as one might guess, it is a family endeavor. Sister Patricia Encinas, with 20 years’ experience at Charley’s in Weatherford Hotel, runs a scratch kitchen.
“From the birria tacos to carnitas to sauces, marinating and roasting chilies—all of it is made in house,” the owner explained.
Encinas possesses an inherited, unapologetic work ethic. Marrying young, she had three children, and then wondered, as the littlest entered preschool, “What am I going to do?” Patiently, she earned a business degree at NAU with a certificate in payroll. Well suited to consider entrepreneurship, she signed a lease days before graduation. “There was no time to celebrate, just to get to work,” she said.
The recipes are Mexican favorites with a modern flair, developed through cooking for those she loves. Appetizers feature toritos—yellow peppers stuffed with cream cheese and shrimp wrapped in bacon—ceviche, guacamole and elote coated in cotijo, chili powder and lime. Shrimp comes in numerous forms, as in the grandiose Torre Marisquera—a seafood tower of shrimp aguachile, fish ceviche, octopus and scallops served with avocado and spicy sauce—or grilled shrimp Tacos Gobernador.
Read more: Matters of Taste: Mi Tesoro puts heart, heritage and heat on the menuThere is asada, carnitas, salmon, pasta, a steak- or chicken-topped salad and a Sonoran Hotdog on the menu. Big sellers include birria tacos, mocajete—a traditional Mexican stone lava bowl filled with steak, chicken, shrimp, chorizo, panela cheese and nopales, plus rice, beans and tortillas—enough to be shared by two. Tesoro Burger piles a half-pound beef patty with bacon, roasted poblano pepper, lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese and a side of fries. The aguachile ribeye is marinated in spicy lime juice, soy sauce and olive oil, sliced and topped with pickled red onion and toasted Serrano, offset with fresh cucumbers and avocado. Desserts list tres leches and chocolate lava cakes and crème brûlée.
Weekend brunch features a chilaquiles platter in red and green chili with a ribeye, Huevos rancheros and a French toast flight of four inventive varieties.
“Portions are pretty big here,” Encinas said, smiling.
Cocktails include a classic margarita and flavored versions in mango, hibiscus, prickly pear, limoncello and the favorite, Adios Amarcos with Cincoro Blanco Alma Finca, Grand Marnier and lime. Customers also crave Mi Tesoro’s Old Fashioned.
Encinas envisioned the setting for her restaurant, and it was executed by friend Sergio Castruita of Multiple Builders Inc., who understood her aims.
Mi Tesoro is situated in a longtime, outside-accessible food space in Flagstaff Mall, but it took on a classy lounge feel with this transformation. Skeleton-masked art intimates the cuisine while chocolate, taupe, tan and gray neutrals in paint, paneling and plank flooring complement sleek marble toppers. A combination of seating arrangements from tub chairs around coffee tables to barstools to banquettes and booths fill a substantial space allowing a mixture of simultaneous experiences.
Weekends are busy and popular for big parties: Birthdays, anniversaries, retirements and even a wedding. “We have an amazing accommodation for anything.” A Mariachi band plays a couple of times a month, and events, like Bingo Night with Happy Hour pricing or Sip & Paint with an appetizer and materials for $15 keep midweek fun.
“It was a learning process, staring from zero,” Encinas admitted. “I couldn’t have done without my husband, Gustavo.”
And she is passing on these life lessons in earnest to her children, employing step-son Manny at 17 years old, America, who is 15, and Azul at 13, who fills in with tasks like calling numbers for Bingo on Thursday evenings.
“Working with people, you learn how to handle situations,” she explained and make others happy. “The kids learn how to work, not to have everything handed to them, and this is a good place to start.” FLGLive!