Last weekend, the LA clouds wept for my departure. Under sobbing skies, I passed through Glendale in an attempt to check off yet another burrito on the LAist top 10 BB's at Taqueria El Tapatio. I arrived a little before 9:30am, and, due to my lack of investigation, was greeted by locked doors. One does not eat the best breakfast burrito until 10am, so I waited.
When the gates opened, I was the first to order.
"I'm sorry, but we just opened. Do you mind waiting 15 minutes while we get everything ready?"
"Not a problem. I'll take the breakfast burrito and one of the cheese tacos." (yelp reviews raved about the tacos, too)
Cash only, so I happily gave the lady my last $6 in cash. I sat down and was given some chips and salsa to chomp on while I waited. Chips were hot and fresh out of fryer with decent cups of two different types of salsa that I may have had a hard time discerning if I were blindfolded.
A man down on his luck was sweeping the outdoor dining area and blasting "All She Wants To Do Is Dance" while all I wanted to do was eat. The sweet 80's bangers swirled around my head for the better part of an hour before I lost hope.
The vibe was all wrong. All of the patrons were restless, including myself. I could not imagine the best breakfast burrito in Glendale slipping out of that window, so I told them to keep the money for the chips and drink.
Maybe it was the sadness of leaving LA, the overcast day, or the grumpiness associated with a man of my stature not eating, but I had to leave. A quick search brought me to another well reviewed establishment only to be greeted by yet another "Cash Only" sign.
You win, Glendale, but I shall return - WITH CASH!
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
The Burrito Life
Perhaps it is like the effervescent steam wafting above sizzling carne asada on a flattop or, maybe, more akin to the dissipating fog clearing slow from the asphalt. The morning mist joins mourning lovers of cold nights greeted by a sun too confident in its promise of safety and light dreaming up lofty visions for future burritos yet to be had.
A rose will bloom, it then will fade, but not my passion for tortilla-swaddled food.
In my absence I have learned many things about myself. I have discovered unprecedented skills in procrastination. A debilitating fear of success and failure ever-present in my day to day life. The experience of eating a burrito in a hovel far surpasses any words I may write about it, but that does not diminish the importance of the attempt.
In 2014 I consumed hundreds, literally multiples of 100 burritos. I traveled up and down California with a brief jaunt into Arizona tracking the best burritos the West Coast had to offer. I spoke with proprietors of establishments dating back to the early 20th century. I was leveled by nostalgia in a rundown taco shop. I was interviewed on a burrito excursion for radio. I was featured in the local paper with a front page mention and a full page spread. And then I documented it all and shared it with you.
And you read it!
Thank you. Sincerely, thank you for everything. For suggestions, for recommendations, for reading and sharing with your friends and family. I appreciate it more than you know.
So I guess I'm writing to say that I will be updating this again. I hope the posts are informative, but I also want them to be more personal. Some of my favorite posts from the last year are a good mix of culinary critique, op-ed ranting, and pure unadulterated confession.
If you are still around, enjoy.
A rose will bloom, it then will fade, but not my passion for tortilla-swaddled food.
In my absence I have learned many things about myself. I have discovered unprecedented skills in procrastination. A debilitating fear of success and failure ever-present in my day to day life. The experience of eating a burrito in a hovel far surpasses any words I may write about it, but that does not diminish the importance of the attempt.
In 2014 I consumed hundreds, literally multiples of 100 burritos. I traveled up and down California with a brief jaunt into Arizona tracking the best burritos the West Coast had to offer. I spoke with proprietors of establishments dating back to the early 20th century. I was leveled by nostalgia in a rundown taco shop. I was interviewed on a burrito excursion for radio. I was featured in the local paper with a front page mention and a full page spread. And then I documented it all and shared it with you.
And you read it!
Thank you. Sincerely, thank you for everything. For suggestions, for recommendations, for reading and sharing with your friends and family. I appreciate it more than you know.
So I guess I'm writing to say that I will be updating this again. I hope the posts are informative, but I also want them to be more personal. Some of my favorite posts from the last year are a good mix of culinary critique, op-ed ranting, and pure unadulterated confession.
If you are still around, enjoy.
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