Señor Fish - Eagle Rock

Longtime fans of Burrito Life may already have picked up on Jimmy’s lack of personal enthusiasm for seafood, which I know he’s been vocal about on more than one occasion. These tendencies, naturally, have never prevented our overlord from fully appreciating a deftly seasoned Cajun-style lobster burrito, or more gravely assessing a disastrously runny (but still tasty) shrimp conglomeration.

Since my own tastes lean more sharply in the direction of slimy, bottom-dwelling sea creatures, however, I figured I’d jump in and volunteer for the privilege of reviewing Eagle Rock’s notorious mariscos staple, Senor Fish.

My fish preferences, in daily lived experienced, run more toward nigiri than fish tacos, but good scallops inspire both love and respect, regardless of context. Cooking a scallop without screwing it up is nearly damn impossible – overheating a scallop for even a few seconds causes its supple flesh to instantly transform into a phlegm-like, inedible mass of rubber. Even a correctly prepared scallop is so overpoweringly rich, it was difficult to imagine as a burrito filling – how could it possibly mesh viably with the other ingredients? A scallop burrito (especially a relatively cheap one, just shy of $7.50) sounded like a great gimmick for pulling in customers, but despite high hopes and promising Yelp reviews, I felt intensely skeptical.

To my pleasant surprise, Senor Fish’s scallop burrito was as gloriously well crafted as I had dared to fantasize. Whoever conceived of this burrito was smart enough to go light on the main ingredient, allowing the scallops to shine through distinctively without drowning out their supporting elements. The buttery flavor and texture melt seamlessly into the fresh medley of rice, beans, corn, fresh cilantro, and diced onion.

They also nailed the consistency – not only for the scallop burrito, which I had feared might be slimy, but for their vegetarian burrito, which I also got a chance to sample.This veggie burrito went far above and beyond the call of duty, with stewed tomatoes, fresh guacamole, and brilliantly verdant baby spinach providing most of the flavor. The grilled zucchini, though, was the ingredient that stood out most for me thanks to the springy, chewy texture it imparted.

Senor Fish was really a great eating experience overall. I couldn't believe how satisfied I felt as I was leaving. Aside from the food, I fell completely in love with their gorgeously kitschy outdoor patio with its rough-cut, varnished wood countertops, and the giant stone fireplace filling up the main dining room. Eagle Rock is a forty-five minute drive from my apartment, but ten minutes into my meal, I already knew I would be back.

The Case For More Veggie Burritos

A friend of mine who is vegetarian asked me about the best veggie burritos I have had. This made me realize two things: 1. though a quality selection of vegetarian options exist like here and here, there are too few represented in this blog, and 2. I eat A LOT of meat.

To do the math of how many animals I have consumed is kind of shocking. One serving of meat equals one animal -- maybe -- per meal. Bacon for breakfast, turkey sandwich for lunch, and an asada burrito for dinner is at least 3 animals. Multiply that by 365 days for the last 20 years, and I am confronted with an astounding figure of over 20,000 animals.

I don't eat meat for every meal, but for every meatless meal there is probably a barbecue somewhere with a smorgasbord of chicken, sausage, and steaks to rack up the total.

This does not weigh down on me. I don't lose sleep over the food I consume, nor do I have any strong feelings one way or another what any person chooses to do with their diet. One of the quickest ways to see my eyes fog over is to mention "no harm" diets or list all the ways one idea is superior to the other.

That being said, I do believe the future of humanity will be vegetarian. Not because everyone will develop a distaste for meat, but because SCIENCE!

Scientists at the University of Missouri worked more than a decade developing a soy-based chicken substitute with all of the textures and look of chicken. Plant-based proteins have become so sophisticated when the labels on two different chicken salads, one meat-based and one plant-based, were accidentally swapped in production no one was the wiser until the company came forward to admit fault.

Soyrizo is a healthier alternative with nearly identical flavor and texture to traditional chorizo. Whenever the option is available, I'll go soyrizo every time.

Eliminating the need for massive farming operations, slaughterhouses, manure lagoons, and all of the resources going towards the raising and maintaining of millions of animals requires a meat substitute that is as tasty and, most importantly as cheap.

I think the main reason people are so quick to defend an omnivorous diet is socioeconomical. In America a McDonald's hamburger is cheaper and more readily available than an assemblage of produce needed to create a salad. As long as it is cheaper to eat meat vegetarianism will never be a viable option to the vast majority of the world's population.

Personally, I love meat. The vast array of flavors within a single cow boggles my mind and gets my salivary glands all worked up, but I'm willing to admit if I could experience all of it and never force a person to work slave wages in a field, harm another cow, or destroy the environment, I would prefer to be a vegetarian.

What this boils down to, for this blog anyway, is an attempt on my part to incorporate more vegetarian reviews. I want to be able to point towards the best chili relleno burrito just as easy as I do the best arrachera. More burritos for all!

Velo Rouge Cafe - Monday Morning Breakfast Burrito

And we're back. I apologize for the long delay, but I did some travelling, some vacationing, and then a lot of catch up work. Let us start fresh this beautiful Monday morning with a vegetarian option found in the lovely town of San Francisco.

Velo Rouge Cafe down on Arguello Blvd. is a swanky spot to grab some light grub. The menu sports only one burrito with add meat options of bacon or sausage. However, I opted for the traditional Leipheimer breakfast burrito foregoing the meat to see how satisfying a veggy breakfast can be.

When the plate hit the table a smile my face never knew emerged as I gazed on pure burrito perfection. A clean cut on the bias exposed black beans, cheese, avocado, sour cream, eggs, potatoes, and salsa fresca all within a golden brown grilled tortilla.

This breakfast bombshell employs pleasant unexpected flavors. Such fresh complexity demands a pristine meatless experience as crunch precedes mouth fulls of bliss. Black beans and potatoes provide a pleasing resistance and savory component in place of bacon or sausage. An improvement. Not a substitute.

How satisfying can a veggy breakfast be? The most. I want you forever in my life, Leipheimer BB. Never leave.

Secret Spot

Behind a gas station in a strip mall on the waterfront in Huntington Beach is a vegan beach bum heaven known as Secret Spot. "Kind Grub" is on the sign, and the atmosphere is artsy with paintings for sale all over the small dining room walls. 

There are at least 5 different breakfast burritos offering a variety of vegetables and meat substitutes. I chose the #4 which has potatoes, avocado, eggs, cheese, salsa, and soyrizo for my meat (black forest ham and vegi turkey are also available). I'm a big fan of soyrizo, and if I ever take the vegi plunge, soyrizo will become a mainstay in my diet. 

Perhaps it was the salty air or the sleepyheaded cook and cashier, but the first word that came to mind upon biting was "dank." This burrito is filled to capacity with big chunks of avocado adding a mellow counterpoint to the big spices of the soyrizo. 

The potatoes gave a much appreciated boost to the body of the burrito complemented yet again by the hearty avocados. 

No compromises are made in flavor due to the lack of meat, and I imagine most people would find it hard distinguishing good soyrizo from chorizo. 

Minor gripe to the burrito coming out to almost $9, and the chips and soupy salsa tasting like despair. One of the most expensive breakfast burritos I've ever had because eating "cruelty-free" gets expensive. 

They have less expensive basic breakfast burritos, but the more complex flavors are what separates and elevates Secret Spot to a worthy stop next time I'm having a day at the beach.