A Natural Burrito By Mitch Hammes

Chipotle Mexican Grill has landed on the southeast corner of 24th Street and Baseline in our Village. I have been a fan of Chipotle for several years and am happy to have them here.

A quick-service restaurant with a full-flavored menu of burritos, tacos and bowl entrees is just the beginning. After deciding what you’d like to order, you get to play a part in its preparation. Walking the line along the preparation table, you decide what meats, salsa’s and other fresh ingredients go into your meal. The choices are all unprocessed, family-farmed, naturally raised, nutritious and hormone free. So you can feel just as good about your meal as it is for you.

My favorite burrito combination is the carnitas fajita burrito with just a little bit of rice, medium-spicy corn salsa, a tad of sour cream and guacamole and as much of the cool and crispy romaine lettuce as the friendly staffer can roll into the warm and fresh tortilla. Occasionally, I’ll order some chips, salsa and a cold bottle of beer to go with it (but only if I don’t have to go back to work!)

On most occasions though, I will get an iced tea and a story. A story you ask? That’s right. One of the most interesting concepts I’ve seen in recent restaurant history is Chipotle’s practice of highlighting special people and their stories on the cup. I’ve learned about the farmers who raise vegetables and the ranchers who deliver the naturally raised meats. I’ve learned about people that do business with Chipotle and even some people who have made an impression on Chipotle’s founder. I’d like to take some time to tell you about these truly interesting people, but then you wouldn’t get the whole experience. Chipotle Mexican Grill, 2415 East Baseline Road, 602-283-9500 (phone)
602-276-1917 (fax), Open 11am-10pm. Full menu including margaritas, specialty and domestic beer. www.chipotle.com.
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Mitch may be reached via email at mitch@hammesgroup.com. He is President and Founder of The Hammes Group, a Phoenix-based restaurant and hospitality services company. www.hammesgroup.com.