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La Burrita (Berkeley)
Author: Ken
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Categories: Berkeley & Albany |
Tags: Tags: Berkeley, burrito, EuclidAve, Mexican
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1832 Euclid Avenue |
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I’ve been a fan of La Burrita ever since I moved to Northside, in my grad school days, and I frequently recognize a few of the same guys who have been working there for years. La Burrita is tucked into the back of a little pedestrian food-alley on the west-side of Euclid Avenue, half a block up from Hearst, on a short commercial strip with nice cafes and a few other restaurants that mainly serve the campus community. Celia’s Mexican Restaurant and Brewed Awakening Cafe is just across the street.
There’s a big-screen TV hanging from the ceiling and tuned to sports, to keep you occupied while you wait for take-out, or stick around and watch the game. I could say that there’s nothing too special about the food, but year after year, I’ve made it a regular standby, especially when I’m on my own for dinner. I crave it because it’s consistently good, and you can tell that they understand the meaning of healthy ingredients. The portions are generous—I’m usually satisfied with a regular sized burrito.
La Burrita is very veg-friendly. They have six different vegetarian burritos which are just under $4 or $5, depending on the size you get. Not bad! Two of the default options are vegan.
La Burrita is actually where I discovered how much I love green, tomatillo salsa. It goes well with their thin, hot, almost irresistible tortilla chips. I struggle to take less than I usually do.
Once in a while, I’ll skip the burrito and order the Veggie Tamale Plate instead. The tamales can be hit or miss, but the rice and veggies that come with it are excellent. There’s also a different kind of sauce that they serve with the tamales that I like. I don’t know the name of it. The Tamale Plate is $4.29 and it’s large enough that I often can’t finish it.
There are a few large, picnic-type tables outside, where students gather around lunch and dinner time. Inside there’s more seating than it first appears, owing to the narrow row of two person booths along the north side.
La Burrita is enough of a mainstay for me that I miss it if I don’t go once every few weeks. I’ve got my stamped frequent-burrito discount card in my wallet, ready for the next time.
Celia’s Mexican Restaurant (Berkeley)
Author: Ken
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Categories: Berkeley & Albany |
Tags: Tags: Berkeley, EuclidAve, Mexican
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1841 Euclid Ave |
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Celia’s Mexican Restaurant is a relative newcomer to Euclid Avenue, the main street for lunch and cafes on UC Berkeley’s north side. La Burrita is another Mexican restaurant that’s been there, across the street, for years, but Celia’s is different enough that I hope the two can co-exist peacefully.
Celia’s has a nice, large, sit-down dining area, with booths along one wall. I’ve only had one dish there, and it’s amazing. I get the Vegetarian "Hand Burrito" which should be called head burrito because that’s how large it seems. Filled with lightly sauteed vegetables, and covered in a tasty red sauce, this burrito is a real treat. There’s something about the white onions, zucchini, or black beans I ordered that makes this meal a huge standout. So far, I haven’t figured it out, so I’ll continue conducting the experiment 😉 Bucking the Nor-Cal burrito style, Celia’s burritos don’t come wrapped in thin foil and can never be stood up on their butt. They are simply too large, too delectable, and too delicate for a vertical burrito hoist. No, Sir; be prepared to use a knife and fork.
The food comes with thick, fresh tortilla chips and a few different kinds of salsa. Everything tastes homemade and fresh, the beans and rice are vegetarian, and the waiter is very friendly.
Picoso (Berkeley)
Author: Ken
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Categories: Berkeley & Albany |
Tags: Tags: Berkeley, burrito, Mexican, ShattuckAve, TakeOut
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1511 Shattuck Ave |
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Picoso is an excellent take-out Mexican Food place in the upscale Epicurious Garden on Shattuck, two doors up from César, and across the street from the Cheese Board Pizza. They make my favorite burritos in Berkeley, and if you time it wrong, around the dinner hour, you’ll end up waiting around with a nice group of hungry people who share my opinion. 🙂
I love the really flavorful rice; and the beans, salsa, and guacamole always taste exceptionally fresh.
At the counter where they make the burritos, there’s a about three stools where you could wait for your food, or sit and eat. You can also take your meal into the back garden, where the seats and small tables are scattered among an outdoor terraced patio with nice landscaping, although that’s probably a better lunch idea than dinner.
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