Be a food bigot
5 October 2007I am a food bigot. I don’t want my Italian food any where near my Mexican food. Please join with me in helping keep food pure. If you are a restaurant owner, you need to aggressively defend specialization. Here’s why.
I love Mexican food. I can eat it like the average computer geek can eat pizza and bawls energy drinks.
I enjoy fine Mexican food; I highly recommend a restaurant in Mexico called La Costa (pronounced "la coasta" by the locals). The best place to eat Mexican food in San Diego is El Callejon in Encinitas. Tell them Nick sent you and ask for a pitcher of Cadillac margaritas made with El Tesoro Anejo tequila. It will be the best — and strongest — margaritas you have ever had in a restaurant. Be sure to order the tortilla soup!
Fine dining aside, one of my favorite ways to enjoy Mexican food is to get a Carne Asada burrito from a dirty, grungy taco shop in Southern California. A good carne asada burrito has:
- 12-14″ diameter tortilla
- Carne Asada - small, grilled and seasoned pieces of steak
- Pico de Gallo - tomatoes, onions, lime juice
- Guacomole (optional, but recommended)
- Sour cream (optional, but highly recommended)
My mouth is watering right now. You haven’t lived until you’ve had a Carne Asada burrito from Santanas in San Marcos. Ever since moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, I really miss being able to go to a taco shop at 3:00am and get a breakfast burrito. There is no better way to prevent a hangover. Do you know of a place near Pleasanton that is open 24 hours? Let me know by leaving a comment.
As mexican food aficionado, imagine my disgust when I heard about the idea of a california burrito. For those that don’t know what this is, let me explain. You take a pristine Carne Asada burrito, and you add — get this — french fries.
That’s right. French Fries. In a burrito. Are you f#$%ing kidding me?!
There are other examples in our life. You can get a breakfast burrito at McDonalds. You can get a taco at Jack in the Box. You can usually get a hamburger at most Mexican restaurants.
The problem with this diversification is a lack of specialization. When I want the best Japanese sushi, the absolute last thing I want to see is on the menu is a hamburger for the kids. NO! Please NO!
If this trend of converging cultures continues, all our food will combine into a congealed super food, a protein paste that tastes like chicken.
Restaurant owners, take heed. As consumers, we don’t want you to appeal to every one. We don’t want you to have a variety of food from different cultures. There are hundreds of restaruants within 25 miles of where I live. If I want a hamburger, I want to go to the place that specializes in hamburgers. If I come to your restaurant, it’s because I want you to be the absolute best you can be for your type of food. Specialize, and stand with me in being a food bigot!
