Jumping to Conclusions

I ate at Chile Jalapeños or Chile Jalapeño's, depending on which sign you believe, because they let me use their bathroom.


What are the odds that there's decent food behind such a garish display? I ordered my usual plus a pineapple agua fresca ($6.53) and took a seat in the back, next to a professional fridge and a household fridge. The view from my seat was as cluttered as the front:


There was no salsa bar. They had El Yucateco at one table, red pepper flakes at another and just salt at mine. Two adorable kids were running about; I'm guessing mom and dad own and operate the place. The disctractions of parenthood didn't slow down the preparation of my burrito. There wasn't even a plastic fork available, so I just took a couple bites:


Forget all the foreshadowing of disaster, this burrito really hit the spot. Big, tender chunks of meat with occasional crispy edges and juicy tomatoes put this place on the map. Speaking of which, the place is at 6706 San Pablo Ave, the Berk. A tiny cup of salsa, probably less than a shot, came with my burrito. As I poured it on, I noticed that, besides some tiny chunks, it had the consistency of ketchup. For a second after it touched my tongue, I thought that's what it was. Then the heat kicked in. It's a complex, bold flavor that stays just this side of painful. Highly recommended.

I leave you with their attempt at a tasteful back wall, ruined by a prominent security camera.

And Cake

In a move I had been dreading for a while, I lunched at


and Cake, 3221 Adeline, the Berk. Seriously, they have a sign on the counter adding cake to their already schizophrenic offerings.

The dilapidated sign and confused menu weren't what made me reluctant, considering the high marks I gave to Down Town Bakery II and the Axtlan Consortium of Candy, Burritos, and Gum. No, I had been here before and knew what to expect.

The ingredients are kept on display behind glass, not the brightest move when the meats all sit in various stews with skins on top. They'll stir the skin into the stew before dumping a pile of it onto your burrito. Thanks. After paying over $6, here's what you get :



No chips. No salsa, not even in a squirt bottle. Your utensil is a plastic fork. What do they spend all the money on? Interior decorating?



Unlikely.

Las Palmas makes a bad burrito. Too much filler. My earlier praise for lettuce in burritos only goes for quality lettuce, which this is not. The meat is pretty bland for half of a half, seeing as the juice runs to the bottom. The juice is a bright unhealthy orange and manages to deliver only the unenjoyable aspects of spiciness to the second half of the half. In a first for this blog, I didn't finish the burrito. I leave you with what I threw away :