Amazing burritos in unlikely places

An upscale museum cafeteria is the last place I would expect to find delicious Mexican food.

Which is why I was so pleasantly surprised by the burrito I ate for lunch today at the Huntington Library's Cafe.

In ordering the burrito, I bypassed the mediocre sandwich station at the entrance for the Mexican station run by the Border Grill chain.

After I ordered, the chef grilled the tortilla to crisp perfection (the secret to any good burrito in my view).

He spread a layer of black beans and added a zesty salsa and cotija cheese. These three ingredients created a pleasant flavor combination that obviated the need for condiments.

Tender rich steak and crisp, sweet-and-salty plaintain chips (yes! Plaintain Chips!) rounded out the interior.

Bomb Burrito on Classy Dishware

The outcome is perhaps the tastiest burrito I have ever eaten.

Priced at $12 each (i.e. two taco truck burritos), the Asada Burritos are not necessarily a bargain--though if you become a Huntington Reader (like I am), you pay only $9 (with a 30% reader discount).

For a more rexperience, consider dining at Border Grill's downtown restaurant, as I now certainly will.

Cheers!

Breakfast Burrito Battle (!?!!!): Frank's vs. Jose Chiquito

So I got a breakfast burrito from Frank's (near 3rd and Fairfax) for brunch today. I enjoyed the monster but detected some interesting differences from that which I've indulged in at Jose Chiquito. Like any serious (!?) foodie, I conducted some comparative analysis, reaching a revolutionary conclusion:

1. Tortilla: Both breakfast burritos use warm tortillas. 
2. Potatos: Jose Chiquito's hash brown potatoes are crisp, thin (only lining the rim of the burrito) and greasy. Frank's potatos are doughier (with a browned exterior) and take up a greater proportion of space in the burrito. However, I actually prefer the ratio of potatoes to eggs in Frank's burrito.
3. Veggies: The cooks at Jose Chiquito scatter tomato chunks and grilled (slightly sweet) onion slices within the eggy burrito interior. Frank's burrito's bear a generous dose of zesty pico de gallo. The latter has a livelier flavor.
4. Cheese: Jose Chiquito's burritos have no cheese. Franks have Cotija cheese.

Frank's burritos are cheesy and spicy, just as a burrito should be. They have a good balance between eggs and potatos as well. If you prefer a mildier, egg-heavy burrito, go to Jose Chiquito. Otherwise visit Frank's.

Photos forthcoming.