burrito daydreams

Philly -> Bay Area. Chronicling an obsession with Mexican and street food.

[burritodaydreams]

Al Pastor Super Burrito, Taqueria El Castillito (Duboce Triangle, San Francisco)

Lacking the fanfare and notoriety of most other popular taquerias in this city, El Castillito is tucked away on Church Street, at the nexus of Duboce Triangle, the Castro, and the Mission. Let it be heard: This is my favorite burrito in San Francisco.

I’ve been writing about quite a few post-surf burritos lately, but sometimes it’s a cold, rainy Saturday afternoon and the only thing worth leaving the house for is a burrito. Not just any burrito will do. This is not the kind of thing you eat to feel good about yourself, but god damn if it isn’t delicious.

The key differentiator is this: El Castillito uses their flat top grill for a good part of the preparation, instead of just slapping together room-temperature ingredients from their line. The tortilla is warmed on the grill to let the cheese melt into it before assembly. Freshly shaved al pastor also given a quick fry on the grill. There are multiple types of beans and salsas to choose from. The staff is friendly and efficient. There’s never a god awfully long line like at Farolito or La Taq.

Also, it’s far enough off the beaten Mission path that you don’t have those freelance mariachi bands floating from shop to shop as everyone awkwardly tries to wipe salsa from their hands and they decide whether or not to tip.

[burritodaydreams]

California Burrito, Nico’s (Ocean Beach, San Diego)

Like most kids who grew up surfing in the late 90s-early 2000′s, I went through a huge Slightly Stoopid phase. On a trip to San Diego a few weeks ago, I found myself staying a few blocks from Nico’s, so of course I had to stop by. 

The waves were tiny but I surfed all morning, the water and sunshine warming my Bay Area bones. I love San Francisco, but really miss more forgiving water temps.

I’m a big fan of California burritos, and Nico’s is a classic for a reason. Simple set up, simple menu, cash-only. My trip was pretty short, and there are a lot of opinions on the best California burrito in San Diego, so I’ve got a lot of research to do next time I’m in town.

[burritodaydreams]

Chicken Tinga and Nopales Tacos (Tacos Club, The Castro)

Happy National Taco Day! Hope you’re celebrating the holiday surrounded by family and loved ones, or maybe just carnitas.

The Castro isn’t exactly a gastronomic hotspot, but the $2 Taco Tuesday deal at Tacos Club just hits the spot when I don’t feel like spending $$$ and/or wandering too far. It’s a tiny place, and there’s only a handful of tables, and it’s always busy. Service is always extremely friendly, and the food is solid. Nice spice from the tinga, though the nopales seemed bland in comparison. For $2 though, I’m not complaining. 

I’ll be back, and often.

[burritodaydreams]

Baby Super Al Pastor Burrito (Taqueria Pancho Villa, Mission) Pancho Villa is a serious operation, with about 20 people behind the counter cranking out a huge menu. It was a little overwhelming to have so many options, and figured my standard would be a good place to start. Having the option of a smaller-sized burrito is always appreciated, because I usually don't like putting a half eaten burrito in my purse for later (usually). Maybe I just need to learn to ask for extra foil. Anyway, great burrito. I've walked past this place a thousand times, and it's definitely going in the rotation. Side note: back east, it was incredibly difficult to find a bar that would let you being your own food, and I'm so glad that isn't the case out here. Burrito + happy hour = real nice.

[burritodaydreams]

Tacolicious Summer Guest Chef Series Week 5: Quince/Cotogna - “Everything But the Oink” Tacos with Avocado Corn Relish and Jalapeño Crema (Ferry Building, San Francisco)

After a few relentlessly windy and foggy weeks in the city, the sun finally decided to make an appearance. It was still breezy, and certainly less hot and humid than the east coast summers I'm used to, but made for a lovely walk to the Ferry Building once again for the next installment of Tacolicious' guest chef series. Cotogna has always been on my list of restaurants to eventually splurge on, especially for the glorious 7x7-lauded ravioli, so I was looking forward to get to try something from them. 

“Everything But the Oink” is cute. What all is in there? I don’t mind keeping it simple and just going with “pork.” After all, I was raised on pork roll breakfast sandwiches. Pork roll is a Philly/NJ-regional breakfast meat. It’s salty and delicious and you don’t ask questions. Same deal here. It was basically carnitas, which is almost always a good thing.

Big fan of the avocado-corn “relish,” though I’m not sure what differentiate a salsa from a relish in this case. Pickled onions and jalapeños came in super handy to help dial down the richness of the pork. This was a much better entry than last week’s attempt. Might have to break open my piggy bank and make my way to Cotogna sooner than later!

[burritodaydreams]

Tacolicious Summer Guest Chef Series Week 4: State Bird Provisions – Quail-fried Chicken with apricot crema and fresh herbs (Ferry Building, San Francisco)

Some people hate cilantro. I’m not one of those people. I can’t get enough of it, and honestly wouldn’t want to swap it out for any other herb after this experience. State Bird decided to change things up, and add dill and parsley to the mix, and I can’t say I’m a fan of either one. It’s nice to try new things, but sometimes those new things remind you of why something is classic or ubiquitous. The parsley was bitter, and the dill was just out of place. The quail-friend chicken was good enough, though the apricot crema fell flat, overpowered by the herbs.

I’ll probably never be able to eat at State Bird, so it’s nice to get to try something from their chef, but I couldn’t help but feel like I just wanted a good ol’ regular carnitas taco with onions and cilantro after this.

[burritodaydreams]

Tacolicious Summer Guest Chef Series Week 1: Rich Table - Chicken Confit with Apricot Crema and Green Bean Chimmichurri (Ferry Building, San Francisco)

Each year, Tacolicious does a charity event that brings some of the best chefs in the city to their Ferry Building tent, and serves up some fancy chef-curated tacos. A new chef is featured every Thursday for 8 weeks, and they’re usually from a restaurant I definitely cannot afford. Tacos are a great equalizer

The first week, on June 23rd, Sarah and Evan Rich from Rich Table did their take on a standard chicken taco: chicken confit with apricot crema and green bean chimichurri. I also ordered one of the regular “shot and a beer” braised chicken taco to provide a comparison. As is to be expected with confit, the Rich Table taco was delightfully greasy. And while the apricot crema was good, paired with the confit it seemed to make everything a little soggy. I think a salsa of some kind could have provided a little zip.

That was a tough act to follow for the other chicken taco, which seemed dry by comparison. Had I eaten this taco first, it would probably have tasted better. It’s basically how I feel about Tacolicious in general: tasty enough, but I never understood what the fuss was all about. I think this is an interesting program for a good cause, so I’ll keep stopping by on Thursdays.

This week’s offering was from Jason Fox at Commonwealth, and featured octopus, blood sausage, squid ink rice, and aioli. I didn’t get to partake since I’m allergic to seafood (an unfortunate fate for a coastal dweller like myself), but I also can’t imagine this appealed to a wide audience. It seems a little aggressive and pretentious. Then again, Fox owns multiple restaurants, and I write about things I eat on tumblr, so there’s that.

[burritodaydreams]

Big Donkey Chicken Burrito, Salsalito Taco Shop (Sausalito, CA) After a long walk from the Ferry Building across the Golden Gate Bridge, my friends and I found ourselves searching for lunch in Sausalito. It was a gorgeously sunny and hot day: the type that makes me feel like I’m on vacation in the place I’m so lucky to call home. Our plan was to walk from the Ferry Building to Tiburon, and we were famished by the time we crossed the bridge. We decided on the cute little beachy-looking shack called Salsalito (get it?), mostly because a Modelo sounded really, really good. I felt absurd ordering this burrito. The difference between the little donkey and the big donkey was the addition of cheese and guacamole. I can’t think of many things that don’t benefit from adding cheese and guacamole, so big donkey it was. Here are my thoughts on the smattering of condiments on top of the burrito: I think it’s mostly a presentation thing, and I think if you’re going to serve a burrito without it’s tinfoil, it’s necessary. Visually, there’s not very much appealing about a large beige mass on a plate. God forbid there aren’t any garnishes.

This burrito was decent, not mind blowing, but the most important thing about the Salsalito Taco Shop is that it’s just far away enough from the center of town. Downtown Saulsalito is usually crawling with tourists, enough that it becomes and unpleasant place to walk, bike, or exist, and this little restaurant was a welcome reprieve from the crowds.

[burritodaydreams]

Super Al Pastor Burrito (Taqueria Vallarta, Mission) 

Remember when I said I don’t do Mexican restaurants on Cinco de Mayo? Well I’m a liar. I started the night off at my favorite brewery, Cellarmaker, for their Taco Hands IPA collaboration with Tired Hands (Philly!). The beer is brewed with tortillas and cilantro, etc to be reminiscent of tacos, and after having one, I just couldn’t help but ride my bike to the Mission in search of tortilla-swaddled satisfaction. Ended up at Vallarta and went with my standard. Lines and crowds were not nearly as insane as La Taq or Farolito, but the burrito was just as good. Fresh tasting meat and hot AF salsa. Holy smokes. I heard a few nearby tables warning each other of the bright orange habanero salsa, but the pico was a predator. I unsuspectingly loaded a chip with some and all the piña Jarritos in the world couldn’t help me. There’s a hundred other burritos in a small radius, some just as good, some better, some worse. It’s always nice to try out a new place and find out it’s not a stinker. Recommended!

[burritodaydreams]

Al Pastor Taco and Carne Asada Taco Especial, Tacos Mi Rancho Truck, (Lake Merritt, Oakland) 

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone! I tend to avoid places that serve anything remotely taco-like today, since the holiday frenzy just seems excessive. I’d rather not fight the crowds. But this weekend, I got around to trying one of Oakland’s most celebrated taco trucks, Tacos Mi Rancho. 

Parked right near International Boulevard at Lake Merritt, it’s the perfect spot to pick up some food and post up by water. I’m a big fan of food trucks, but I’m getting a little tired of paying in excess of $12 for things made in a tiny kitchen on wheels. Tacos Mi Rancho is unpretentious street food. It’s why I like food trucks. Tacos are modestly priced, starting at $2 for a traditional cilantro and onion garnish. Prices go up a quarter or so as the taco fillings get more elaborate. Tacos Especiales come with sour cream and cheese, and Super Tacos add guacamole. 

 While in line trying to decide what to order, the girl in front of me ordered four carne asada tacos especiales. I figured she was probably on to something, so I went with one carne asada especial and one standard al pastor taco. Two tacos really hit the spot, though I can imagine coming here late night would warrant a three taco order. I can’t believe it took me this long to try this place. It’s really satisfying when a place lives up to the hype, and Tacos Mi Rancho did exactly that. They’re open late, reasonably priced, and absolutely delicious.

[burritodaydreams]

Seitanitas Tacos, Hella Vegan Eats (Koreatown Northgate, Oakland)

A few weeks ago, a vegan restaurant/beer garden opened on my street. Finally, I have nearly instantaneous access to great beer and food I can gorge on and tell myself it’s all good and healthy because it’s plant based. Everyone knows when there’s a vegan joint on your block, you’re officially in a sweet neighborhood. Hey mom and dad! I made it!

Anyway, the owner of this place, Tiff, is a real gem. She and her crew are really stoked on the success they’ve had with the place so far. Every Sunday, I’ve watched a line form outside the spot without respite. The block smells heavenly despite the lack of animal products. When they posted a photo of these seitanitas tacos on Insta, I knew I had to check them out.

Tiff comes from a Mexican family, and told me she thinks she’s done her heritage proud with these tacos. Right off the bat, I was a fan of the vibrant colors of the radish, cilantro, and pickled onions (spicy!) all nestled in their checkered paper bed. 

The seitan-carnitas were delicious. A word to devout carnivores: this is not a replacement for carnitas. If you eat these expecting the exact same experience as eating slow-roasted fatty pork, you will be disappointed. Rather, I’d like to categorize these as a separate (delicious) alternative to meat, not in lieu of.

Shout out to the homemade tortillas here. Details like this are what makes the place successful. Hella Vegan Eats is hella into flavor and quality, and the tortillas are a perfect example of what happens when you pay attention to every ingredient in your meal. Tortillas are often simply a vehicle for whatever they’re carrying, but these chewy yet crispy corn tortillas are a perfect base for the rest of the taco.

[burritodaydreams]

Chili verde burrito, Papalote (Nopa, San Francisco)

One of my coworker claims this as his go-to burrito in the city, so it’s been on my list of places to check out for some time. The place is well known for their roasted tomato salsa, and I was pleased to find out chips and salsa are included with burritos. It’s a damn fine salsa, nice and smoky, and I’d even consider picking up a jar next time I see it in stores. Tortilla was good and flaky upon unwrapping. All ingredients were present in decent ratios, and rice/beans didn’t overwhelm it’s composure. At one point I got a large bite of pork, and it was tender, good quality meat. No gristly surprises here. Pleasantly spicy throughout.

A word on selfies: I generally feel self conscious when taking them, even in when not in public. As I’m writing this, there’s currently 1172 posts tagged #burritoselfie on Instagram and plenty more on tumblr. It’s reassuring to know I’m not alone in taking pictures of myself with my favorite food.

[burritodaydreams]

Super Burrito Al Pastor, Taqueria El Buen Sabor (Mission, San Francisco) 

"You want chips?" "Uhh I don't know." "How about two chips? Just two?" 

And thus, two tortillas chips, still warm from the heat lamp, were placed gingerly in my red plastic basket alongside a burrito that made me so sick I had to call out of work the next day. 

 No bueno, Buen Sabor.

[burritodaydreams]

Tacos Paseados, Molcajete (Downtown Oakland)

In addition to tacos y burritos, I’m a big fan of tiki bars. There’s a few really solid ones around town, which is appropriate given the Mai Tai’s local roots. I’d been meaning to check out Longitude for a while, and since Mai Tais on an empty stomach are a disaster waiting to happen, we stopped at Molcajete along the way. 

Sometimes I don’t want to commit to just one type of taco, so I really appreciate this set up: One chicken taco, one carne asada, one carnitas, all served with pico. The tortillas were smaller than average, but held up wonderfully for the duration of the meal. It’s a real bummer when your tortilla fails and splits in the middle of eating.

I began with the chicken taco under the correct assumption that it wouldn’t knock my socks off. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a really amazing chicken taco. Next was carne asada. Molcajete uses quality ingredients, and this was clear in the steak, also well complimented by the smoky house made chipotle salsa. But the real winner in the bunch was the carnitas. I’ve come to expect this with tacos: carnitas can generally be assumed to be superior in flavor, texture, and quality to other offerings.

Delicious tacos and super friendly service. It’s a damn fine spot.

[burritodaydreams]

Carnitas California Burrito, Burritoville Cafe (Larkspur, CA)

Surfed out after a glorious beach day in Bolinas. Stuck in traffic. No food in the car save for some pita chips and dried mango. Stress levels spiking with each tail light flashing. At least another hour to get home. Search phone for nearby food options. BURRITOVILLE. Who could resist?

I must admit that a diet of green juice, dried fruit, and hummus is the kind of super crunchy west-coast sustenance I adore, but after a day in the water, I need something substantial. A quick detour off 101 and it was Burritoville or bust.

Maybe it makes me a bad Bay Area resident, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: many Mission Style Burritos are bullshit. I can’t stand it when a burrito is nearly half rice. As such, I’ll always opt for a California style burrito with french fries when available.

Unfortunately, Burritoville was bummerville, as I found myself biting into a tortilla full of undercooked, mushy crinkle cut fries. A good dousing of Tapatio helped to make things a bit more palatable, along with the wide range of house-made salsas. Salsas were all delicious. Chips cost extra, but worth it.

This burrito was better than sitting in traffic.

[burritodaydreams]

Carne Asada, Chili Verde, and Al Pastor Tacos, Mendocino Brewing Company (Ukiah, CA)

Mendocino is one of my favorite breweries in Northern California, so I was stoked to make a pit stop on our way back from Fort Bragg. Through many twists and turns down unmarked streets and over long-abandoned railroads, we finally found the brewery located in a bizarre setup of off-street strip mall near the Ukiah Municipal Airport. The place was oddly empty- we had the entire bar to ourselves. Despite this, the bartenders were very friendly, apologized for the lack of food, and mentioned they struck a delivery deal with the neighboring taqueria if we liked tacos. I can think of few things that pair so well with lil beers. 

In my quest for deliciousness, I’ve found that al pastor varies wildly in it’s quality. It can range from too saucy to too dry to too bland. The pastor here did not disappoint: proper level of spice, flavor, and solid portions were all there. Carne asada and chili verde were on point, though not as good as the pastor.

It was a wonderful happy surprise to find that Mendocino also happens to facilitate a delicious taco experience. There’s a ton of shitty reviews on Yelp about this place, which is a shame. I found it to be the perfect stop along a lengthy drive.

[burritodaydreams]

Super California Chile Relleno Burrito, Taqueria Los Pinos (Santa Cruz)

Skateboarding has long been a passion of mine, so you can imagine my excitement to kick off the year with a skate demo at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History. I’m a huge fan of the Santa Cruz Lady Lurkers, and watching everyone shred and share good vibes was amazing. New Years resolution: go skate more and have as much fun as possible. 

Of course, we decided to stop for a burrito before. Unfortunately, one of my favorites, Los Pericos was closed, but Los Pinos was right around the corner. 

No frills here- just a giant burrito plopped right on a plain white plate with no garnish. Definitely benefitted from the addition of red sauce, both flavor wise and aesthetically. There was a whole lot of pale going on here, right down to the sad little floppy french fries. While I normally don't like lettuce, here it was crisp and fresh tasting. The lettuce was the best part of this burrito. Hm.

I’ll be going back to Los Pericos when I’m back in town for sure.