Rosita's Place

I found myself trapped on 82nd Avenue, again. In need of some major burrito therapy, I figured if I saw a taqueria, I'd go for it.  As fate would have it, wedged between Papa Murphy's and KFC there's a parking lot with a few food carts, one being Rosita's. This was just North of Powell Blvd. I couldn't figure out where to park, so I circled around and got stuck in a huge strip mall parking maze... but I was eventually able to dig my way out. I'm pretty sure you can just turn right in and park next to the carts if you want, I was just being awkward.

The owners were super friendly and welcoming, and the pictures on the menu were tasty looking. I noticed carnitas was MIA though.

Asada Burrito

Price: $5.50

Ingredients: Steak, rice, beans, fresh salsa, cheese, sour cream

Sides: Green and Habanero salsa

Size: Filling

I opted to take this puppy home, as the weather wasn't the best and I just wanted to eat in peace. 

Upon initial unwrapping, this burrito looked quite appealing. It had that grilled and sealed tortilla wrapping that always adds such a lovely texture and prevents soggy sadness. It's also an indication that whoever made it actually cares, and wasn't rushed into haphazardly throwing ingredients together.

I enjoyed chowing down on this guy. The tortilla had a saltiness that tickled my tongue, and ingredients were nicely dispersed. The steak was tasty, though a couple bites were a little sinewy. There was a bit too much rice- I would have loved more beans instead. It had the perfect amount of sour cream, but more cheese was in order! The fresh salsa was a nice touch. It did what it needed to do, but it didn't blow me away.

The Rating:

3.5 out of 5

Would I go here again? 

Yes, I'd like to try some other things, like the fish tacos (but that's not a burrito).

La Morenita

La Morenita is one of the many mexican food options along Hawthorne Blvd. It's a food cart at 32nd. Almost 4 years ago, my first burrito review was from Neza, which sits just a block up the street. Who knows if that review is still accurate. 4 years... where has my life gone?  My memories are shaped by whichever beans I happened to be eating at the time, my emotions tamed by that belly-full-o-love. Anxieties melt, like cheese atop a heaping pile of sizzling beef, or pork. Some people have God or animal spirit guides, some people pop pills or run marathons... I have burritos.

The Morenita Burrito

Price: $7.00

Ingredients: Steak, chile relleno, beans, cheese, lettuce, pico, guacamole

Sides: Red and green salsa, chips, lime wedge

Size: Large

What an elegant presentation, like a green checkered angel- fallen to earth. Or perhaps a bird on the wing, soaring high above that which the human brain can fathom.

 ...ok ok, it's just a burrito, sorry.

There were cheaper options on the menu, but I can never pass up steak and chile relleno together in one being, as you may well know.

My cheeks warm as I gently inhale, chewing each bite contemplatively and wholly. I let the flavors marinate on my tongue, as steam radiates up and out into the cool January air. Seesawing between splashes of spicy red sauce and soothing green, I tease my brain with simple pleasures. The pepper is stuffed with soft creamy cheese and has a nice crisp casing. The cooling pico and lettuce add a fresh crunch. Morsels of steak are finely chopped and offer the perfect amount of meaty chewy goodness. While the textures balanced precisely midway through, I felt ingredient dispersion was a bit off- too much lettuce at first, then all meat at the end. I didn't pick up on much guacamole, and it could use a bit more beany cheesiness. Something about it felt delicate, as though a lot of thought and love went into its creation.

The Rating:

3.8 out of 5

A great option if you're walking down Hawthorne. I would choose this a million times over cha cha blah.

A look back at 2015

It looks like I reviewed 10 new burritos in 2015. Not bad, but not great! How many burritos did I actually consume all together though? Only the lord knows... and honey, that's my personal business with him. J/k, let's think about this... I usually go out for a burrito once a week, maybe twice! Plus there's the breakfast burritos that I make on weekends sometimes. Here's another dirty little secret folks: sometimes for a snack I will eat one of those little frozen "El Monterey" bean and cheese burritos. Don't judge me! It's just you know, some people will eat an apple or some cashews for a snack... but I take one of those little frozen guys and cover him with cheese and hot sauce and dip him in sour cream. It's a perfectly fine, healthy snack.

So, let's see... a conservative estimate for number of burritos I ate this year would probably be- 100.

As far as new burrito reviews go, it was a rather average experience this year. I rated 7 of my burritos at or below 3 stars. My top rated burrito this year was the carnitas from Gonzalez Taqueria. I am also extremely happy about the Portland Mercado coming into existence, though they aren't just about burritos.

I am looking forward to another year of burrito hunting, and I will continue to branch out! I also want to return to some of my favorites to see if they are staying up to par. Thank you to everyone who reads this ridiculously delicious blog!