A Very Full Page In My Passport

When it comes to travel, I’m always dreaming. And dreaming big at that! It’s funny….when I think of a vacation, my brain always thinks of trips abroad. Aside from seeing the world and all the adventure and enjoyment that goes along with it, there’s something so validating and exciting about getting more stamps in my passport. Maybe because it is physical proof of all the fabulous places I’ve been? Or could it be a little bit of a competitive spirit with some bragging rights? Or possibly something else all together? Whatever the reason, I always find myself smiling as I look at those colorful stamps bringing back fond memories of the escapades in each place.

Even though it seems I am always fantasizing and strategizing on how to “not let my passport gather dust”, I sometimes forget there are many US destinations I still want to hit up. While I haven’t even been to Hawaii or Alaska yet, there are still quite a few places within the continental US I’m really excited to see. Topping off the list; Austin, TX, Charleston, SC and Yellowstone National Park.

View Of Downtown Denver

Actually, Denver was on that list but I finally made it there recently, so I can officially put a check mark next to that one! I’d been talking about wanting to check out Denver for forever, and the right moment and circumstances came together at the last-minute and boom, I was booking my ticket.

Tacos-Tequila-Whiskey Denver

My best friend Sonia, who lives in Seattle, mentioned that she had an upcoming business trip to Denver and that it would be fun for us to meet up in a city neither of us had ever been to. In addition, my dear friend Manasi recently got married and moved to Denver. Both of those were enough of a reason to look for flights, find a great deal and start packing my bags:)

Sonia and I stayed in the adorable Cherry Creek area of Denver at the very hip and stylish JW Marriott. Since Sonia had already been in Denver a few days for work, she had scoped out the culinary scene a bit. Just the night before I arrived, she had tried out Tacos-Tequila-Whiskey (also known as Pinche Tacos) and loved it. When Sonia and I were trying to figure out where to go, she mentioned this place and when she said the words “street tacos”, I was immediately sold.

Serrano Chile Margarita

We started off with the absolutely delicious and must-try serrano chile margarita. It was more of a savory type drink with a spicy kick to it (and a chile-salt rim). I absolutely loved it and am willing to admit these drinks are strong! So much so, that after my second one, when I went to stand up, I actually almost fell over. It provided some serious laughs and was a reminder that my tolerance is very low (hey, I blame the altitude on this one).

Guacamole and Chips

Next we got the guacamole and chips which were awesome! The chips come in a little brown bag which was a cute touch. The chips were thin and warm and perfectly salty. The guacamole was very fresh and tasty and we had no trouble polishing it off.

What I liked about Tacos-Tequila-Whiskey is that you order the tacos a la carte, so this way you can mix and match what you want to try. I loved that there were not only multiple vegetarian options, but even a vegan option, which is usually hard to come by in a place with Mexican food. I tried a few of the vegetarian options but I have to say that my absolute favorite was the vegan one (which I was totally surprised by…I love me some cheese). The Vegan 1944 taco (as it is called) has sautéed spinach, roasted chile poblano, corn, salsa abuelo, avocado and pico de gallo. Beware, this thing is spicy!! And so flavorful and just soooo good. In retrospect, I wish I would have just ordered this one as all my options because I absolutely loved it.

Vegetarian (left) and Vegan (right) Tacos

All in all, I loved this place and Denver! And, I actually found myself totally craving the serrano chile margarita for the remainder of my trip. I even had some other spicy margaritas at other locations, but they just didn’t quite stack up to the one at Tacos-Tequila-Whiskey. Do not leave this place without having one (or a couple)! Hopefully your balance will be better than mine after a few.