Burritos. A Review.

     Burritos just may be the world's most perfect food.  They contain most of the major food groups, and when made correctly, are portable.  My favorite burritos are made at Herrera's, a small Mexican food restaurant on Temple St. in Boston.  Ever since leaving Beantown, I have been on a burrito quest-  the search for the perfect burrito.
     My ideal burrito is on a thin soft tortilla shell made with Spanish rice, black beans, steak, pico de gallo, cheese, sour scream, and guacamole.  (I'm pretty sure that's all the food groups.)  This is the combination I look for and therefore use to judge burrito restaurants.   
     Often, when expressing my desire for a burrito, people send me to Chipotle.   I don't have anything against Chipotle, but they use white rice with cilantro and lime.  As I just stated, I prefer Spanish rice.  I've gotten into an argument over this before.  It started off simply enough, with the acquaintance recommending Chipotle as though I'd never heard of it and commenting that is was very good because of the cilantro lime rice.   I responded that I knew of Chipotle, had indeed eaten there, and while it was fine, I really preferred the Spanish rice.  Perhaps this acquaintance's mother invented cilantro lime rice, I'm not sure, but apparently I was being indignant, and an argument ensued. 
     I discovered a chain I had been previously unfamiliar with when I came to D.C. - California Tortilla.   It's very close.  They use Mexican rice, which is an acceptable substitute to the Spanish rice, since it's the same thing.  Their tortilla shells are a little thick though.  It's an odd phenomenon.  And the like to put lettuce on things, which I just find unnecessary.  Of course, if you're paying attention, they'll be happy to 86 it.  For now, it's a decent Herrera's substitute, though it is definitely that- a substitute.
     The hardest part of the quest has been finding a burrito place close to work.  There aren't a lot of lunch options near the office- a Subway and a Five Guys, which are both fine, but not burritos.  I attempted a frozen burrito for lunch today, and it kind of left a hole in my soul where an awesome burrito should be.  A substandard burrito usually ignites the quest for an awesome burrito.  This might require a trip to Maryland.