Chipotle Lovers Unite!

[laurenmilan]

Mmmm, I tried these a few times when I dated a guy in Maryland. Those were the days... don't miss the guy, do miss the burritos.

Had a sample of their "inspiration" in downtown San Jose the night before my flight left. Much tastier, more complex flavor. Had one other thing Chipotle did not... the ability to make me REGRET stopping for a burrito in downtown San Jose before getting on a plane!

[bergerka]

I dig the barbacoa. The cilantro lime rice is good too. Good fresh ingredients and a burrito as big as your head-- okay in my book.

I'm with you. The barbacoa is delish, although I usually skip the rice (if I have the burrito with the rice, it's too much for me, and I want to enjoy EVERY LAST BITE). I may have to go there for lunch tomorrow, and if I do, I'm blaming it on you.

It's a good point that Bayless ought to be singing the praises of Chipotle, what with its Niman Ranch pork and all, rather than Burger King. After all, Chipotle really IS trying to do it with fresh ingredients, etc.

K

[ExtraMSG]

Pronouced chip--oht-lay, not chip-oat-lay. (Although the recent Jack-in-the-Box commercials did make me smile, with the witless bubblehead struggling to pronounce "chip-o-top-lay, chip-tiple", until the chica at the famers market told him to "just go...")

Okay, technically this is a Spanish word and is pronounced:

chee-poht-lay, emphasis on the second to last syllable.

Here's a link for the real inspiration:

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/chipotle.htm

btw, I'm actually against the mission style burritos like Chipotle makes, even the taqueria versions you're likely to find in downtown San Jose.

The thing I don't like is that the emphasis has turned to beans and rice, which in my mind are like watering down Mexican flavors.

Tacos are it. Just a couple corn tortillas wrapped around a flavored meat with some cilantro and onion, a squeeze of lime, and a firery salsa. Mexican food perfection.

Mission burritos appeal to those who like big portions. They're the never-ending pasta bowls of Mexican food. They're American because we want as much food as we can possibly fit in one hand.

[laurenmilan]

Mission burritos appeal to those who like big portions. They're the never-ending pasta bowls of Mexican food. They're American because we want as much food as we can possibly fit in one hand.

Good point, I'd usually make two meals of the burritos...

[Andrew Fenton]

This is sick. Do these idiots realize they're eating at McDonalds?

My guess is that somebody's looking for a job.

Never eaten at Chipotle, but it looks pretty good, and if it'll spread CA-style burritos around the country, then I salute 'em. Besides- Niman Ranch pork at a fast food chain? Who'da thunk it...

[bilrus]

THis thread spurred me to pick some up on the way home last night. We had a burrito with chicken and three tacos - one steak, one barbacoa and one carnitas.

Although in the past I have always gone for the burritos, the amount of rice in the them is overwhelming - whole bites of rice and tortilla. I like the tacos much better. You can taste the meat instead of the meat being nothing more than a seasoning.

[hjshorter]

Just ask for a burrito with no rice. Much better that way.

[SiseFromm]

I don't know why the emphasis on Chipotle as being not an authentic Mexican food place. Are you guys serious? Of course it's not true Mexiacn food. In fact you'll be pretty hard pressed to find any true Mexican food within the United States. They're out there, but they're rare.

That doesn't mean you can enjoy Mexican-influenced food like Chipotle serves. Are we going to stop eating at American Pizza joints, complaining that the only true pizza is from Naples?

R. Jason Coulston

[bilrus]

Just ask for a burrito with no rice. Much better that way.

Well yeah... that'd be too logical.

[ExtraMSG]

I don't know why the emphasis on Chipotle as being not an authentic Mexican food place. Are you guys serious? Of course it's not true Mexiacn food. In fact you'll be pretty hard pressed to find any true Mexican food within the United States. They're out there, but they're rare.

That doesn't mean you can enjoy Mexican-influenced food like Chipotle serves. Are we going to stop eating at American Pizza joints, complaining that the only true pizza is from Naples?

R. Jason Coulston

Personally, I don't have a problem with Chipotle not being authentic. They're mission burritos, not true Mexican food, Mexican-American food.

But I think you're quite wrong when you say there's no true Mexican food in the US, or that it's rare. You're active in California, so I assume you're from there. Every town in California has taquerias and taco trucks where you can find quite authentic tacos and often tamales. And most cities wth even a moderate Mexican or Latino population will usually have taquerias and/or taco trucks. They're ubiquitous in the Southwest and Texas, of course. But even here in Oregon they're everywhere as in Washington. And the last time I visited family in Utah there was a huge growth in them even there. Utah!

Even the average Mexican-American restaurant usually has a few authentic dishes, such as moles and tamales, and sometimes with enchiladas that approach the authentic Mexican version.

And in a lot of large cities there are restaurants, usually more upscale, that provide some of the best authentic regional Mexican you'll find, even compared to restaurants in Mexico. Here in Portland, we have three: the nationally recognized Cafe Azul, Taqueria Nueve (which isn't a taqueria), and La Calaca Comelona. Chicago has several. New York has several. Dallas and Houston both have some. LA seems to have tons. And many other California cities seem to have them as well.

There's lots of great authentic Mexican out there, much of it very cheap, you just gotta look for it.

[tryska]

eating a chipotle burrito after watching this thread progress. got the barbacoa with hot salsa and guac. and pinto beans. damn this is good.

Edited January 9, 2004 by tryska (log)

[SiseFromm]

But I think you're quite wrong when you say there's no true Mexican food in the US, or that it's rare. You're active in California, so I assume you're from there. Every town in California has taquerias and taco trucks where you can find quite authentic tacos and often tamales.

The impression I got from reading some posts (not yours) was that unless you're eating turkey with mole prepared by a native Oaxacan, you're not eating Mexican food. I'm thinking that some "foodies" would say that small taquerias in California aren't authentic, which was the point I was making in saying that it's a rare find to see authentic Mexican food in the United States.

I, however, don't subscribe to that hard-line way of thinking. El Gallo Giro, numerous stands in downtown Santa Ana, Alverado Street in Los Angeles, La Super Rica in Santa Barbara all come to mind. I'm incredibly pleased by the bounty of Mexican food in my native Southern California. Chipotle is delicious and I go there once or twice a month at least.

Sometimes on this site though, I get the feeling that some people are so hardcore about what they think is good, authentic, and acceptable, that they throw out the possibility they might be able to get a good burrito from Chipotle, or a good hamburger from In-N-Out.

R. Jason Coulston

[tryska]

i really like their rice.

and this salsa is hot.

[ExtraMSG]

Sometimes on this site though, I get the feeling that some people are so hardcore about what they think is good, authentic, and acceptable, that they throw out the possibility they might be able to get a good burrito from Chipotle, or a good hamburger from In-N-Out.

Don't disagree. Having the same problem in discussions of Thai food.

I do think though that just based on authenticity there is a difference between Chipotle and a taqueria. There's a lot missing from most taquerias that you'll find on the streets in Mexico, but most of what you find in a taqueria you can find on the streets of Mexico without almost any change. However, most taquerias on the west coast do serve up burritos, too. But I don't think that makes them less authentic anymore than a Mexican restaurant in Mexico City serving Coca-Cola in addition to tamarindo or adding chips and salsa to the table instead of chicharones for gringos makes them less authentic.

Chipotle isn't authentic Mexican, but it's authentic Mexican-American, and for a burrito place it's pretty darned good. That's not my preference. But for people who like burritos they could make much worse choices out there.

[Andrew Fenton]

Sometimes on this site though, I get the feeling that some people are so hardcore about what they think is good, authentic, and acceptable, that they throw out the possibility they might be able to get a good burrito from Chipotle, or a good hamburger from In-N-Out.

Really? I doubt you'd find anybody- well, let's qualify that as "more than a tiny minority"- among eGulleteers dissing In-N-Out. In fact, it usually comes up as a counterexample; a chain that manages to get it right. (As Chipotle may be, too; I've never tried their stuff, but would if given a chance.)

[Andrew Fenton]

But I don't think that makes them less authentic anymore than a Mexican restaurant in Mexico City serving Coca-Cola in addition to tamarindo...

Dude, Mexican Coke (in the glass bottle, natch) is awesome stuff, way better than the American product. I'll often order it when I'm at a tacqueria...

[mtdew]

Just ask for a burrito with no rice. Much better that way.

I'd love to get a chipotle burrito with less or no rice, but the workers ignore me and put the standard amount.

[SiseFromm]

Really? I doubt you'd find anybody- well, let's qualify that as "more than a tiny minority"- among eGulleteers dissing In-N-Out

Well that's definitely encouraging. I didn't have any specific examples to site on the In-N-Out comment, so that was just for effect. Still, in my short time on these forums, I've seen a bit of food snobbery. And I'm a total food snob, so that's saying a lot!

Trust me, I love digging around and finding the most authentic food possible. That's why I love Saveur so much. They do a good job of seeing what the food culture of a particular place or time is all about and trying to capture the essence in their articles. When visiting Memphis again in 1997 I drove 45 minutes outside of the city on a dirt road to a double-wide mobile home called Gus' Fried Chicken for what might be the best in the country. I'm definitely up for adventures in authenticity.

Sometimes though, you just need a burrito from Chipotle.

R. Jason Coulston

[SiseFromm]

Dude, Mexican Coke (in the glass bottle, natch) is awesome stuff

Does bottled coke from Mexico have pure cane sugar in it or just the standard syrup?

R. Jason Coulston

[Andrew Fenton]

Does bottled coke from Mexico have pure cane sugar in it or just the standard syrup?

Depends; I've had it both ways. I always assumed the flavor difference was because of the cane sugar, but after finding that the kind made with corn syrup is pretty good too, became convinced that the real difference is that glass is a better bottling product than plastic or aluminum.

Trust me, I love digging around and finding the most authentic food possible.

Re: authenticity. Not something I care about particularly; especially since I don't know what the word means, at least with reference to food. Is Chipotle's food "authentic" Mission style burritos or "inauthentic" Mexican? In my opinion, it's a useless question, or at least one much less important than whether the burritos taste good.

[Chris Cognac]

But I don't think that makes them less authentic anymore than a Mexican restaurant in Mexico City serving Coca-Cola in addition to tamarindo...

Dude, Mexican Coke (in the glass bottle, natch) is awesome stuff, way better than the American product. I'll often order it when I'm at a tacqueria...

I second that, man its so good in those tall glass bottles!..nothing better on a hot day along with some good "cart taco's"!

[...tm...]

Speaking of chipotle and pronunciation, how is Niman Ranch pronounced. I have been pronouncing it in my head Nee-man but I heard a story on local news pronouncing it with a long i. As I don't trust ether source, what is it?

And for the record I think chipotle makes a decent burrito and has surprisingly pleasant employees for a chain in Manhattan. Maybe they pay their employees decently or something.

[therdogg]

Chipotle- the only chain fast food I eat. Yum... I actually really like the vegetarian fajita burritos even though I'm not a vegetarian. As for the salsa, the hot is REALLY hot but I love the flavor. But a whole serving is too much- so I always ordered the medium (corn) salsa and had them add a tiny drizzle of the hot down the middle. Alas, I've since moved to a Chipotle-free locale- but for 5 bucks it's one of the best-quality meals you can get on the run.

[SiseFromm]

Speaking of chipotle and pronunciation, how is Niman Ranch pronounced. I have been pronouncing it in my head Nee-man

"Nee-Man" is exactly how I pronounce it as well. If it's something else, I'd like to hear otherwise so I don't sound like an arse since I'm championing it all the time to friends.

R. Jason Coulston

[afoodnut]

C'mon guys. Recognize Chipotle for what it is. It *is* authentic contemporary Colorado Southwest American fast food. It was born in Colorado, grew to a local chain, was acquired by McDonalds.

It's a good concept, features high quality food, good value, and it's authentic regional southwest American, not Mexican.

Edited January 9, 2004 by afoodnut (log)