what's in a name?

When perusing menus, there are certain words that jump out at me and automatically cause a particular dish to be seriously considered or immediately rejected. Is it the same for you? Personally, the words sun-dried tomatoes and black beans are winners, while anything containing those vile mushrooms and the entire seafood section are quickly crossed off. Another winning word is chipotle. So, as you can imagine, a restaurant called Chipotle definitely piques my interest.


I do love me some spicy food, and Chipotle's got it.


In case you're unfamiliar with this particular Mexican grill, you can get burritos, tacos, fajita burritos, burrito bols, or salads with your choice of barbacoa, chicken, carnitas, steak, or beans and guac (all of which come from critters that are free of antibiotics and added growth hormones, fed a vegetarian diet, and humanely-raised)(does that include the beans and guac?). They also have four stellar salsas from which to choose. I'll take a scoop of all four, thank you.

Chipotle is chain restaurant a lot like Moe's or Qdoba, if you've ever been to one of those.


Although I've never tried Qdoba, I do feel that Moe's is superior to Chipotle. One notable difference is the fact that Moe's keeps its salsas out in the dining area so you can get as much as your heart and tongue desire. (My heart and tongue desire a lot.) Another thing that puts Moe's above Chipotle in my eyes is the bowl-shaped tortilla used for their taco salad. That's some deep-fried goodness, folks.


What stands out to me as I check out the Qdoba website is the variety of sauces and salsas. There are 10 of 'em, ranging from your typical pico de gallo and guacamole, to more unique items like poblano pesto and ancho chile barbecue sauce. Yes, please.

I'll have to give Chipotle credit for one thing--it offers pig. Carnitas, to be exact. Seared, braised, and seasoned with thyme, bay leaves, juniper berries and freshly cracked black pepper. Doesn't that sound delightful? The naturally-raised aspect is nice, too. Plus, Chipotle clearly has the best name...


(...unless Moe's could somehow associate itself with this stud muffin. Then it'd be a toss-up.)

In a pinch, you won't find me discriminating--any of these places will do.