Whenever I dine at Freebirds or Chipotle, which is often and usually means taking it to go, I pretty much know what I'm going to order. The only thing that really changes is the case.
At Chipotle, I know I'm going to have brown rice, peppers and onions, guacamole, maybe a little dab of sour cream and either steak or chicken. The salsas could vary or I might go without. At Freebirds, Spanish rice, queso and jalapeños are the staples, I alternate chicken, steak and ground beef, and I usually have the burrito barista (that's a term I just invented to describe the burrito-makers at either location; if it's totally ridiculous, I'm sure someone will let me know) add a little barbecue sauce.
The decisions regarding these subtle variations described above can be made on the fly. The issuse on my mind when I walk into either location is how I will carry away my food. Will it be in the form of a bowl, a burrito a quesadilla, nachos, a salad even, or tacos?
Well, it's Taco Week, so it's tacos this week.
The photo with this blog features chicken tacos from Freebirds. I've never ordered tacos at Freebirds before Monday evening, so I was curious how it would turn out. One thing one notices as the burrito barista is making tacos, whether it's at Chipotle or Freebirds, is that taco-making is far less efficient than burrito making. It makes you wonder if the folks at Freebirds hesitated to offer tacos because of the higher rate of wasted product.
Tacos in general are also less efficient to eat than burritos. It's the age-old dilemna of the crispy taco. One desires for the taco shell to be as crispy as possible, but the crispier the taco the greater the chance that it shatters and allows its contents to fall away either onto the plate or on my shirt (usually my shirt).
Alas, I don't want to disparage the taco. I love the taco. It's worth the extra effort. But I propose that tacos are more suited for coalescing ingredients and not the variety offered by the burrito boys, Chipotle and Freebirds. I always enjoy my tacos from those places, but as stated, it's really a choice of cases and the more efficient the case (i.e., the burrito) the better.
One more bite: I think some people who read this blog will wonder why I didn't feature Taco Tuesday at Rosa's. I considered it, but I've never been a regular taker of that offer. If someone out there wants to guest blog on the subject of Taco Tuesday, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
