Whether it’s the family going to concerts, sports events, a carnival or a weekend getaway, it’s been one day each week that has cemented many memories into the lives of Andrew Warnick of Denver and his two daughters.
They never miss a Taco Tuesday.
Never.
At least not for the past five years. Despite a couple Taco Monday's or Wednesday's here or there — the Warnicks always find a new place weekly to indulge their favorite Mexican cuisine.
In fact, it’s been 259 straight weeks of trying out a new taco place for the metro Denver Taco Tuesday fanatics. Tuesday, July 30, marks Warnick's fifth anniversary in trying a new taco place for 260 straight weeks.
Warnick said it’s not only about recognizing Mexican tradition and his favorite El Pastor style tacos, but more importantly about bonding with his two daughters Alice, 6, and Scarlett, 9.
“I think the consistency is big,” Warnick said. “I'd rather give them experiences than just like a toy, a stuffed animal or whatnot.”
“Every Tuesday we do this,” the Cherry Creek-based father of two said, adding when he’s with his daughters, “we're not watching TV, we're not sitting on the couch all day, we're going to do something, and we're joined as a family.”
Warnick said the family has visited all taco restaurants in the Cherry Creek area, and now “it’s turned into sort of a hunt to find the latest one.”
He estimates 97% of the taco places they have visited are in the Denver/Aurora area.
“If we're driving around, they're pointing out restaurants and whatnot, and we’ve sort of built up a connection over it,” Warnick said. “Even at a young age, like Alice, you know, she was almost two when we started this and she's almost seven now. To this day, she's in it just like Scarlett.”
Growing up in “a family of workaholics,” Warnick sought a consistent tradition with his daughters. A way to “create a bond,” he said.
“We look forward to this,” Warnick said. “It creates a connection that otherwise they wouldn't have. Every time we go through any sauce we get on the table, everyone has to try it, even if it's a corner of a chip, you got to try it.”
The 14-year metro Denver resident said he's lived all over the world, including in Tokyo and London.
Warnick said the family's weekly tradition "opens up the horizon of how I can get my kids invited to go to a baseball game with their friends. They know the rules. They know how to engage in a crowd. They're not running off, you know, they sort of created a comfort of being in crowds, or comfort of going to shows and events.”
Moving forward, Warnick foresees the Taco Tuesday tradition lasting for at least another year — and then they will likely find something new.
Reminiscing in some memories, Warnick said one his favorites was “when the girls ate off my plate at Coco Pirate and mistakenly took the really hot salsa - and immediately needed milk.”
In no particular order, Warnick listed his favorite taco places:
- Taco Selene (Chambers Road/6th Avenue)
- Kike’s Red
- Fiesta Jalisco
- Venalonzos
- Bodega (which recently changed it's name to Odie B’s)
- Khalos
- La Familia
- Tacos de Mexico
- McDevitt
- Carniceria La Guadalajara
Warnick urges locals to send him restaurant recommendations to 303tacotuesdays@gmail.com.
Local Denver, CO
Most Popular
Comments / 0