burritoman

January 29: 1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak, extra rice, hot salsa; chips (College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas)

curses! the Slow Burrito Maker was again running the show, and the line moved slowly as a result. the Cute Manager was present today but has apparently failed to reprimand him adequately. why must she torture us so? come on, put the hammer on him!

i used Tabasco® chipotle sauce today rather than hot salsa delivered by chip -- just felt like something a little bit sweeter. the chips were pretty good, but they were unevenly salted.

i also brought a barbacoa back to the office for Scott N., a friend from work. i have mixed feelings about eating burritos in the office. i like the idea of a portable burrito; but to get the real Chipotle experience, i feel like you need to eat it there in the restaurant, in its natural environment. to me, eating a burrito at the office (without additional hot salsa, without any Tabasco®) is like going to a zoo and seeing an elephant in a concrete surrounding. it's pretty cool, but it doesn't compare to seeing one on the savannah.

BURRITO COUNT: 15
BURRITOS REMAINING: 135
DAYS REMAINING IN 2004: 337

January 27: 1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak, extra rice, hot salsa; chips (College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas)

the heat generated by the hot salsa was no match for the bitter cold outside today. as we sat eating our burritos, people would open the door to come in and the wind would chill us to the bone.

the Slow Burrito Maker was running the front end of the assembly line again today. he is turning what can be a very efficient process into a remarkably slow and dreary wait. a line at the cash register suggests a quick assembly line; today's total lack of any backup at the cash register suggests something is broken in the assembly process. i mean this very nicely, but the Cute Manager (who was present today, if only fleetingly) needs to get that guy in line.

i suppose it isn't the end of the world, but after ten minutes in line, my mouth was watering so badly that i thought i might drown.

a loyal burritoman fan asked why Chipotle has started putting so much cilantro into its mild salsa. i don't know the answer to that question, but i noticed it recently. as Jerrod W. pointed out, there is no cilantro-free alternative for the mild salsa lover. i suggested he try the hot salsa but he demurred.

BURRITO COUNT: 14
BURRITOS REMAINING: 136
DAYS REMAINING IN 2004: 339

a burritoman fan recently commented that he liked Pete Yorn. if you're interested in other burrito-related music, may i suggest the Flying Burrito Brothers?

after a weekend without a burrito -- on Sunday, at least, it was largely a result of weather-related issues -- i'm back. and man, did i miss it.

one of the scariest things about going to Chipotle is that my mouth starts watering as we drive to it. i feel like Pavlov's dog. just the thought of going there makes me happy.

January 26: 1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak, extra rice, hot salsa; chips (College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas)

we ate early today for some reason, and i'm glad. the line was snaking around the place by the time we got to the cash register. they were a little short-staffed today -- probably a result of the weather, but who knows. i hate to point fingers, but there was a new guy working the front end of the assembly line and he was a little slow. i think the problem was that he was not putting the next tortilla in the heater when he took one out. hopefully he'll get up to speed quickly.

today's burrito was free, thanks to Tim O., who bought it for me as a thank you for reviewing some bylaws for a charitable organization he works with.

and, as usual, it was good (is there a bad free burrito?)... nothing more than Chipotle's usual finery. i ladled hot salsa into the burrito and used a little Tabasco® chipotle sauce to liven things up. it was like a fiesta in my mouth.

BURRITO COUNT: 13
BURRITOS REMAINING: 137
DAYS REMAINING IN 2004: 340

January 23: steak, extra rice; chips (College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas)

i tried a new combination today. asking only for steak and rice, i used Tabasco® chipotle sauce to the burrito in an effort to offer a different (and sweeter!) spice. it worked. plus, the steak was very, very juicy today, so the rice absorbed the steak flavor nicely.

Belinda was there again today, along with another woman whose name i could not see, so we shall call her "Belinda II." but we didn't answer her questions today. so no free guac.

the Fast Cashier was absent again, as was the Cute Manager. in fact, the burrito wrapper with the special technique wasn't there, either. what has the world come to? i'm hopeful they will both return soon!

BURRITO COUNT: 12
BURRITOS REMAINING: 138
DAYS REMAINING IN 2004: 343

January 22: 1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak, extra rice, and hot salsa; chips (College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas)

the Cute Manager wasn't there today, but as we sat down at our table i noticed a woman wearing a Chipotle nametag reading, "Belinda." i called out to her, and it turns out she was doing a survey for the company. she was pretty surprised to hear that i eat at Chipotle between ten and fifteen times a month.

after she asked for suggestions to improve the restaurant ("frequent burrito card!" i replied immediately), she gave us a token for free guacamole and chips. thanks, Belinda!

in eating news, the chips were not salty enough today, but still good. and the burrito was large ("extra" rice was probably more like "2XL rice" today) and spicy.

Dave R., normally a barbacoa guy, ate three soft tacos ... pretty disappointing ... until i found out that certain people in Indiana eat cow brain sandwiches and call them barbacoa. yuck. why not just have a burrito instead?

on the other hand, Jeff J. had a burrito bol and, patting his belly, declared that a burrito bol constitutes a true burrito. case closed.

BURRITO COUNT: 11
BURRITOS REMAINING: 139
DAYS REMAINING IN 2004: 344

i offer further support for my contention that a burrito bol constitutes a burrito for purposes of my 150 Burrito Challenge:

the Chipotle menu describes the burrito bol thusly:

"Burrito or fajita in a bowl, no tortilla. Swap romaine lettuce for rice and voila...salad!"

i contend that it is a burrito in a bowl, even without the tortilla. moreover, until i remove the rice, it does not transform itself from burrito to salad. only at such time as i get lettuce instead of rice does it become a salad. expressio unius est exclusio alterius.

several fans of burritoman (Jeff J., Eric M., Heidi S.) have inquired as to whether my January 17 burrito bol counts as a burrito toward my goal of 150.

my position is threefold. first, it says "burrito" in front of it. second, it has all the fixings of a normal burrito except for the tortilla. and third, the sheer volume of chips i tend to eat probably counts in place of the tortilla if that is deemed a necessity.

some people disagree with me. they (okay, Heidi S.) say that the tortilla is the essence of the burrito and that a burrito bol is essentially a meaty salad. i dissent, because if i fill a tortilla with pizza toppings (pepperoni, cheese, tomato paste), does that make it a burrito -- much less a Chipotle burrito? i think not. the tortilla is hardly the key; it is the ingredients that matter.

Matt W. backed me, saying that my labeling argument was persuasive. Eric M. still disagrees; Jeff J. likes the idea of sending this to the neutral arbiter of the corporate office of Chipotle. Jerrod W. has remained thankfully silent.

January 20: 1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak, extra rice, and hot salsa; chips (College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas)

we were downtown at a meeting and i lobbied to go to the Chipotle at 39th Street near State Line, but apparently there were some concerns about parking so we headed back south to our familiar stomping grounds.

the chips were remarkably salty today. in fact, so was the meat in my burrito; it was great!

although the Fast Cashier wasn't here today (the guy who you're always happy to see when the line is particularly long because you know he'll burn through the crowd and get your burrito to you faster), i was pleased to notice a new technique was being used by the burrito wrapper. first, she squeezed the front corners (yes, it's round and there are no corners, but you know what i mean) together to mix the juices and salsas around, then released the corners and rolled it up normally. tremendous mixing occurred as a result of this move, and i really thought it was great. bravo.

BURRITO COUNT: 10
BURRITOS REMAINING: 140
DAYS REMAINING IN 2004: 346

one burrito every 2.47 days. can he do it, ladies and gentlemen?

... i think he can.

i was hoping not to be at work today, but at least my workload gave me an excuse to get a burrito.

January 19: burrito with chicken, rice, and hot salsa; chips (College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas)

the chicken was outstanding; so was the rice. everything was at just the right temperature. and the woman who prepared the burrito wrapped it very tight, which i think may have caused things to mix around nicely. it was great.

also, the chips were absolutely outstanding today. they were fresh, alternately salty and very salty, with a good lime flavor. just the way i like 'em. they were also free, because my friend and fellow burrito lover Eric M. purchased them. thanks, Eric.

the only problem with today's burrito was the small, triangular chicken bone that was hiding with the rest of the well-cooked, spicy meat. it didn't cause any problems, thankfully -- i didn't bite into it, it didn't cut me, etc. so no worries.

BURRITO COUNT: 9
BURRITOS REMAINING: 141
DAYS REMAINING IN 2004: 347

from an e-mail from a burritoman fan:

"I find it appropriate that, as you undertake this quest, you have titled yourself Burrito Man. As Superman has the large 'S' badge upon his chest, you will in turn have a large 'BM' emblazoned upon your torso."

one of the interesting things about a weekend burrito is that the College Boulevard location, at least, is markedly quieter. as a result, the preparation is not as rushed. unfortunately, the same comparative silence sometimes means that the food has been sitting out just a little longer, so it's not quite as piping hot. luckily, today's burrito did not suffer from any adverse temperature issues.

January 17: burrito bol with 1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak, rice, mild and hot salsa, chips (College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas)

i don't like tomatoes. nonetheless, about once every two months i decide to get the mild salsa because it looks particularly good. today was one of those days. i liked it, i guess, but about halfway through the bol i wished i hadn't gotten the mild.

also, i ate the bol with a fork. i am not used to needing utensils to eat at Chipotle (although i suppose i could have simply scooped the food up impolitely with my fingers), and it was a strange feeling.

BURRITO COUNT: 8
BURRITOS REMAINING: 142
DAYS REMAINING IN 2004: 349

i'm pretty busy today, so i picked up a burrito and brought it back to the office to eat:

January 16: 1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak, extra rice, hot sauce, chips (College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas).

the burrito was good -- the drive back to the office gave it time to mix around nicely -- but the chips were a little stale and decidedly saltless. that was mildly disappointing, but the well-balanced slurry of rice, chicken, steak (well-done today), and hot salsa certainly made up for it.

there was a new guy working the front end of the line today. he over-crisped the tortilla, which leaves the burrito susceptible to breaking as you eat it. otherwise, he did a nice job.

BURRITO COUNT: 7
BURRITOS REMAINING: 143
DAYS REMAINING IN 2004: 350

no burrito for me today. i had a sandwich instead. and it was good, but it wasn't Chipotle burrito-good.

i want some more burrito-y goodness soon.

it turns out i am not the only person who loves Chipotle burritos. i did a quick search online and found the Chipotle Diaries and Chipotle Lovers.com.

the latter site refers to Chipotle as "Potle," which i find a bit diminutive for my tastes.

i used to get fajita burritos, but i discovered that the peppers and onions -- although tasty -- didn't agree with me. and i don't like beans, so now i get extra rice instead. i find the extra rice is filling, perhaps equally as filling as beans might be and certainly more so than the fajita vegetables were.

today:

January 14: 1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak, rice, no beans, hot sauce, chips (College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas).

i asked for extra rice, but i didn't really get any extra, so i'll just describe today's burrito as simply having contained "rice." it was pretty average-sized.

i will say, however, that the scoop of steak was from the bottom of the pan, so i got more juice than normal. this average-sized burrito was so juicy as to be one of the top twenty burritos i have ever had.

in any event, i continued my practice of using the chips as a delivery device to get a little bit more hot sauce into the rice of my burrito. the sauce was a little on the thin side, which i think i prefer. the chips, which i think taste best salty with a hint of lime, were only semi-salted today.

BURRITO COUNT: 6
BURRITOS REMAINING: 144
DAYS REMAINING IN 2004: 352

each New Year, people make resolutions. some people resolve to lose weight; others seek to take a class. i have set a new goal for myself: to eat 150 burritos (or more!) in 2004.

thus far, i have eaten a burrito on:
January 2: 1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak, extra rice, no beans, hot sauce, chips (College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas)
January 5: steak, extra rice, no beans, hot sauce, chips (Lawrence, Kansas)
January 7: 1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak, extra rice, no beans, hot sauce, chips (College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas)
January 9: 1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak, extra rice, no beans, hot sauce, (135th & Metcalf, Overland Park, Kansas)

and today:

January 13: 1/2 chicken, 1/2 steak, extra rice, no beans, hot sauce (College Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas).

as usual, i added some Tabasco® chipotle sauce to it for extra spice. even better, the juices from the meat had pooled at the bottom of the burrito, making for some great final bites.

this was a particularly good burrito because it was free. Matt W., another burrito addict in the office, won ten free burritos by dropping his business card into the little fishbowl by the cashier. he was kind enough to share them. thanks, Matt.

BURRITO COUNT: 5
BURRITOS REMAINING: 145
DAYS REMAINING IN 2004: 353 (about one burrito every 2.5 days).

i like Pete Yorn's music quite a bit -- I had his first EP, then his disc "Musicforthemorningafter," but when his second album came out with a song called "Burrito" on it:

"It's a 7-11, Do you wanna take a walk outside? If you want a burrito, You can have another bite of mine..."

well, i knew he was the man.

welcome to the story of my love affair with the Chipotle burrito.