Green Chile Kitchen

One day, while I was expounding upon the brilliant deliciousness of Papalote, my favorite burrito spot, a friend of mine said, "Why on earth would you go there when Green Chile Kitchen is only 2 blocks away?" Intrigued, I asked for information and was lured in by the promise of organic ingredients and amazing guacamole. This was a few months ago, and so today, when the craving for Mexican got too strong to ignore, it was off to Pap.... I mean Green Chile.

I must admit, it was hard to walk past my old favorite, but I was determined to try something new. Once inside, there was no turning back, so I began to peruse the menu. While standing in line, 2 things caught my attention. First was the selection of organic wine, with some even being marked as specifically vegan, for those of us who would prefer our grape juice not be filtered with gross animal parts. Second was the wall of rotisserie chickens behind the counter. NOT appetizing. I pressed on, however, and ordered my vegetarian burrito. You can make things "super" at this joint, which means they add cheese, sour cream, and guacamole. I, as you can imagine, went only semi-super, and just added the gauc to my black bean, rice, pico de gallo, lettuce, and chile sauce - stuffed burrito. Alongside came some blue corn chips and salsa. Rounded out by a Corona, it was the perfect Saturday afternoon meal. (*Warning: You can add calabacitas - a zuchinni, squash, corn, and chile mixture, to your burrito - but it has butter in it!)

As picture perfect as this meal was, unfortunately, it just wasn't as good as Papalote. Some will say I'm crazy, but the flavors just weren't as "on" as they are 2 blocks away. The salsa, in particular, was lacking. It was still a yummy meal, don't get me wrong, and the guacamole was as amazing as promised. But vegans, if you're in the 'hood, and craving Mexican, my vote still goes to Papalote. Sorry, Green Chile Kitchen. I'll definitely be back to buy some wine, promise!