Mission

Mission: To more fully appreciate burritos, those who make them, and those who enjoy them.

I spoke with the good people at the burrito chronicles a while back about something of great interest to me: burritos. I’m not a burrito expert by any means. I’m an aficionado. In Spanish aficion means something enthusiast or fondness—something like this—so an aficionado is someone who is enthusiastic about or fond of a topic.

Growing up in San Diego, burritos were a part of many memorable days and it wasn’t until I moved away that I realized what a wonderful thing these burritos were. They were inexpensive, ubiquitous—though each place had its character—and the hot sauces, the good ones, had a depth of flavor unmatched for the convenience. A good cook requires a generous spirit. The taquerias of San Diego are full of them.

In the interview I mentioned that the San Diego burrito is better than the San Francisco burrito, speaking generally. I stand by this. They are two different animals, I understand, and of course it is a matter of taste. The people at burritophile.com and burritoeater.com, a couple of San Fran-centric burrito web sites, attempted to rebuke my comments. Many people posted angry comments, pro and con. Tempers flared in typo- and initialism-laden posts. The internet is a wild place. San Diego hasn’t had a burrito web site. Good burritos are the norm here and there are hundreds of taco shops, sometimes one across the street from the other. Who needs talk when you’ve got the goods?

I suppose I’m adding some talk to our walk then. Maybe not talk, maybe some whistling to the walk. San Diegans are talking about burritos already. When I was on the radio station 91X recently, the call lines were busy all morning with passionate San Diegans calling in to talk about burritos. It’s a real happening. I’m one of many burrito aficionados out there.

This culture is unique to this town. Nowhere else is the burrito made like in San Diego. To order a burrito in San Clemente is a gamble I’ve lost before. Yuma, Ariz., just over the state line, forget about it. And it’s not necessarily a function of the size of the Mexican or Mexican-American populations. I’ve been in barrios in

Albuquerque to be served chili in a tortilla. It’s a matter of culture and taste. They hardly eat burritos in

Tijuana, just down the way. I want to capture this subtle culture we enjoy here in San Diego with this site. Encarnacion Pinedo, in her book the Spanish Cook, sought to preserve her Mexican heritage through her nieces, who would grow up in an Anglo-dominated California, by handing down her favorite Alta Californian recipes. An old recipe, a good meal—these are things that make us think, that make us consider who we are. The burrito is an apt metaphor for this little city that I love.

I would like to hear back from burrito aficionados, particularly pertaining to the origins of the burrito. I am also interested in your associations with burritos and your favorite places to get them, in San Diego or anywhere. Send me an Email.

Good eating!

Crawford