A Burrito Fix by Kristofer Jenson

The burrito is pretty universal in its appeal. Yet, many of the more common burrito places around town get almost nothing but hate from the burritophiles in my circle, mainly American joints like Chipotle and Qdoba. The complaints are valid, sure; spiciness, price and authenticity are three of the things that define a good burrito, things that those places tend to lack. But, are they worth dismissing out of hand?

Pictured you'll find my (and my guest's) order - a steak burrito with everything except guac (salsa, hot sauce, corn, sour cream, rice and cheese), a quesadilla, a side of rice & beans, and a side of chips with two sodas. At $16.32, it got the job done. It filled me up for not too much dough.

I prefer my burritos tightly packed, thick and spicy and my quesadillas full of crunchy goodies, which is not what I got. But it tasted fine and didn't cost too much, which is all anyone really wants out of life anyway. It's not likely I'll go back on my own with El Pelon around the corner, but if I dated someone who loved it, it wouldn't be a turnoff.

A little anecdote about quality vs. authenticity.

When I was in high school, I was fortunate enough to spend a month with a family in Russia. Not speaking a word of the language, I was nervous about our first night together. I suppose they felt the same way, because their way of making me feel at home was one of the most surreal experiences of my life: They took me to a Mexican restaurant. Yes, my very first meal in Petrozavodsk, Russia, right on the border of snowy Finland, was the strangest burrito that's ever existed.

There was nothing authentic about the place, right down to the europop on the radio. But the food wasn't bad. It definitely wasn't anything I'd call Mexican, but what they did make tasted good. It wasn't even remotely spicy, the salsa had beets in it and there were more potatoes than I'm used to, but dammit I had a good time and I liked my order.

So when I end up at a place like Chipotle, I'm okay with it, even though it's not to my taste. The Russian place wasn't meant to fool anybody into thinking they're in Mexico because it's for locals. Similarly, Chipotle is for college kids and people coming home from work, not connoisseurs. As long as you know what to expect, you'll be fine. Just bring your own hot sauce.

- Written by Kristofer Jenson