Restaurant Review: Taco Tonto's

A new fixture in Lakewood that is already receiving some hype is Taco Tonto's.  From what I understand this location, on Madison Ave. is their second location in the area with a location in Kent being their first.  I'd heard a few people talk about this place, so when a friend suggested it for a girl's night out I was excited to try it out.

The atmosphere is reminiscent to me of Melt.  IT's a little dark, and a bit more of a bar setting than typical restaurant which is exactly what I think they are going for.  It's small, probably seating about twenty at tables, and another 10-15 at the bar.

You order your food at the bar and give your name and then they bring it out to you.  The staff was friendly. I was surprised that there was such a line on a Thursday night- though to be fair, it is the week between Christmas and New Years where I feel more people have off or are on vacation home.  They specialize in freshly made Mexican food from scratch so I ordered their vegan guacamole and chips (their regular guacamole has sour cream in it) and two beef tacos without cheese.

My order came out quite quickly- in fact they gave me the guar immediately.  That was the best part of my meal.  I'd definitely order it again- lots of avocado and the right amount of onion and other ingredients.  I also appreciated that there was no price difference between the vegan and regular guacamole as I often see places.  My tacos were individually wrapped in foil and were HUGE.  Seriously, the amount of meat on one taco is what I'd probably put on two or three at home.  There was also plenty of lettuce and tomato.  Here is where my disappointment comes in.  I was shocked by the saltiness of the meat.  I like salt, so if I notice something is salty it is SALTY.  There was also another flavor that I still can't put my finger on that I wasn't super fond of but I'm not sure it was bad- just not my preference.  A few of the girls I was with also said theirs was salty but I know people who have gone other times did not have that issue so I'm still willing to give them another chance.  Their prices are super reasonable for the portion sizes.

Their drink menu is unique as well with creative margaritas such as blackberry or grapefruit, and many other drinks and beers.  I had a headache so I didn't drink, but I will say their fountain Coke was good which is a big deal because at some bars it's really not.

Overall I think Taco Tonto's is worth a stop.  It's a hip cool place to grab a bite and a drink and to hang out with friends.  Let me know- were your tacos salty too?

Happy Hour Happenings: Don's Lighthouse

Don's Lighthouse has been one of those places I've passed by for years but never spent much time in.  However recently I've had the pleasure of attending a few happy hours there and thought I should share my insights.

Their happy hour takes place Monday through Friday in their bar area from 3pm- 6:30pm and features several half price appetizers and special drink prices.  There are $5 Skyy Martinis and $1 off Draft Beer, House Wine, and Well Drinks.

From their appetizer menu my personal favorite is the sliders.  They cook them just right and they include a pickle, cheddar cheese (which I have removed) and fried onion straws.  Super tasty and quite filling.  I believe it comes 4 to a plate.  I also like their PEI Mussels- they are a healthy portion and are only $4.50!

For me I end up spending around $12 for a martini and some appetizers.  They're typically great to share so it's a perfect place for a small group to gather.


I have also gone for their Lobster Tail special on Tuesday's where you get a delicious lobster tail served with mashed potatoes and green beans for $15.  If you go before $6.30 and eat in the lounge you can pair this deal with the above happy hour specials making it a super value!  I can't eat the mashed potatoes due to dairy so I have french fries with mine and their fries were absolutely perfect!

Extra bonus, their bread and butter is amazing.  Soft in the middle with a nice crust on the outside.

Sara in Colorado: Day 6

I've been home for almost a week, but there are still a few awesome things from Colorado I want to share with you...

Day 6: The Big Hike


My mom and I both signed up for an 11 mile all day hike to Black Lake.  It was a gorgeous morning and we left promptly at 8am to head into the Rocky Mountain National Park to find our trailhead with the rest of our group and our fearless leader, Amy.

The neat thing about this hike was that as you hiked you came across several natural wonders.  First up was Alberta Falls.

 What a cute mother daughter duo!

Once we were past the falls the real hike began.  And after a couple of miles we came to Mills Lake, which was gorgeous as you can see.

One of the more interesting things about this hike is that in November of 2011 a wind burst had come into the valley and at estimated 80mph winds tore up the landscape.  In the next few pictures you can see how wood split, trees were uprooted, and how many trees had to be cut to clear the trail for hikers.

I forgot to take a picture but a mile or so past Mills Lake we came upon Jewel Lake that really was a jewel tone green and very serene. It was after Jewel Lake that the rain started, and at one point hail.  Well, our hike leader called it something else, but it was icy and it stung the tops of my legs as I hiked.  We were told if there was lightening we would have to turn around due to the risk.  About a mile and a half from our destination a huge crack of lightening lit up the sky followed immediately by a boom of thunder.  We were given the signal and turned around in our tracks and back tracked about half a mile.  We sought cover under some trees once we were lower down and ate our lunches in the rain.  This was my least favorite part of the hike.  Finally the rain let up and some sun peeked through so we continued towards Black Lake.  There, just before reaching the lake we came upon....

ELK!  There were two females and two babies, who are harder to see in these pictures.  They were just calmly eating.  As you can see the one is tagged.  There is an overpopulation of Elk in the park and they follow some to check birth rates and other information.  

The closer we got to Black Lake the more beautiful the scenery became.  We were in between many mountains and could see water flowing down and patches of snow.  Simply gorgeous.

Finally we had made it to the lake but we didn't stay long.  Because when we turned around we saw more ominous looking clouds and didn't want to risk a storm.

Dark skies in one direction....

perfect weather in the other...

I was very happy to make it to the top! 

As we hiked back down I stopped to take some pictures of the splintered wood.  I loved the color and the textures it created.

At times on the hike we had to walk on beams of wood to avoid messing up the land.  Here I am with some of our group!

Finally back at Mills lake, our hike leader Amy had us all take our shoes and socks off and soothe our feet in the ice cold water.  Very refreshing.  But it started to rain again so we had to go finish the last few miles.

This is where I got cocky.  I felt the "old folk" were moving too slow so I took off, walking fast, and running down the rest of the trail.  Of course I inadvertently took the wrong trail to the parking lot and ended up adding an extra .6 miles to my journey.  Whoops!  My knees and ankles were NOT happy campers the next day.

That night was the first Family Summit Talent Show and it was AMAZING.  We're truly a multi-talented group.

Sara in Colorado: Day 5

July 10th, was the fifth day of my trip and my first difficult hike.  The West Creek Falls hike, while only 4 miles round trip, had an elevation gain of a full 1,300 feet!  I embarked with a group of about 15 a little after 8am and took a van to the trail head.  I travelled with two spanish speaking ladies, and two interpreters Fernando and Tracy.

Immediately upon starting the hike it was clear there were two groups of hikers.  Those of us who were under 50 and those who were over.  Not to be ageist but, I think the steep incline proved to be more difficult than our older crowd had suspected.  I was with the "fast" group, but was decidedly the slowest of them in the uphill portions.  It was a beautifully sunny day and it felt nice to have the warmth of the sun on our backs as we hiked.  I spent a lot of time speaking with Fernando and his wife Tracy.  They were a very interesting and fun couple.

Eventually we came to a stream.  After crossing the stream we noticed there was a partial elk skeleton in a pile on the bank.  It was missing the lower jaw and ribs from what we could tell, and had definitely been there fore awhile.

Finally we reached our destination, the falls.  The view wasn't as spectacular as I had hoped, but it was a peaceful spot where I sat and talked with the "fast" group a bit.  I also shared my elk salami I had purchased the night before!  Tasty! We then headed back down, and our group headed back to have lunch.  Overall a good hike, but more adrenaline than scenic.

Again this hike wiped me out and I spent the rest of the day relaxing back at the YMCA of the Rockies.