Tamayo - Downtown - Mexican

Menu Selections:  Skinny Margarita, Pineapple Fresh Fruit Margarita, Wild Mushroom Flatbread, Al Pastor Tacos, Chips and Salsa

Happy hours 

Tamayo reeled me back in to try out their happy hour, since I had a great experience with having dinner here, a year ago.  On top of that, there are additional perks that aided in my easy venue selection.  It has excellent people watching, is strategically located in the hoppin' Larimer Square, and has margaritas (=tequila), which guarantees a good time.  What can possibly go wrong with tequila at happy hour??

The atmosphere was a buzz (in more ways than one), and with drinks priced at $5 and $4, I can definitely see why.  I requested for their "off menu" skinny margarita, and it is hands down the best margarita in town, in all of its skinny glory.  Great tequila, perfect balance of lime and what I'm assuming, agave nector, and quite strong.  Later on, I ordered the fresh fruit pineapple margarita, as I wanted to taste my highly anticipated, upcoming vacation to Mexico.  It did the trick.  Not too sweet, and I could just about feel the sand in between my toes.  All I need is a mini umbrella and I'm good to go.

The tacos on their small plates menu might be the smallest tacos I have ever seen, but don't let their size fool you-they pack a powerful punch.  The Al Pastor tacos consisted of marinated fajita-consistency pieces of pork, along with grilled chunks of pineapple and other savory goodness.   After moving on to the savory wild mushroom flatbread, I was down for the count.  The toppings consisted of all of my favorite food groups:  goat cheese, sautéed 'shrooms, caramelized onions, arugula, truffle oil, all piled on top of a crispy corn masa crust (gluten free points!)...bam.  Flavor K.O. 

To my dismay, the chips and salsa were very weak. The salsa was watery and bland, and the chips were too thick for my taste.  However, everything else made up for this. This goes against the grain of my tried and true belief to judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a Mexican restaurant by its salsa.  I guess that book is out my window.

The service was quite impeccable as the waiter and bartender were extremely friendly, while I was waiting for my late companion.  With this staff at my beck and call, on top of the vibrant scene, I didn't seem to notice the tardiness of my friend whatsoever.  I can see this place quickly becoming my little "vacation" getaway, whenever I need a break from the stressors of everyday life.