209677 Wed Apr 21 08:00:38 -0700 2004 16 18 Manhattan 0 1116746 I am pleased to give a resounding good review to Chipotle, the McDonald's-owned burrito chain whose brushed steel, round bar stools, and sans-serif-font menu practically screams, "this is not going to be good." But I might even say it's the best burrito in Manhattan... well, that's an unscientific thing and, if true, definitely says more about burritos in NY than about Chipotle. But mmm! properly wrapped in tinfoil and snug in its tortilla so I can eat the whole thing with my hands, with a-hint-of-lemon rice (cuts the burrito breath in half) and absolutely passable black beans. Hottest salsa item didn't make me cry or anything, but it was not too vinegary (as some are) and did add a bit of pep. I also asked for some corn salsa and it added a nice cilantro-y sweetness. Guac comes with the $5.95 veggie option and it has actual discernable avocado chunks, as opposed to creepy puree that seems like it might come from a powder that you get at some places. Like a starbucks at an I-95 truck stop, this bit of corporate presence is a-ok in my book. The 2 chipotles, as far as I know, are on St. Mark's place and somewhere in the west 30s or low 40s. For the latter, no neighborhood could possibly be more wanting of good lunches. The former, well, there is much better food in the East Village, to be sure. But the bonus for me was sitting at the huge glass window peering down on St. Mark's Place. It's annoying as hell to walk down that street, all the punky jersey kids staring down new piercing jewelry, but it makes for good watching from above. And across from Dojo-- no place I'd rather turn away from on my way to the next McBurrito. p.s. no great surprise, but from a quick look the new "chickpea" felafel place at St. Marks and 3rd-- I guess that's the name that won their $2500 naming contest, whoop de doo-- doesn't look so great. felafel looks like it's made with a stamp or something. at least it's only $2.95. RIP the great pizza place that used to be there years ago... Wed Apr 21 08:00:38 -0700 2004 0 bessbess 1 1116752 I like Chipolte too. I don't go out of my way for it, but it's nice when you need to fill your belly in a hurry. And, at the risk of invoking the ire of folks, I think their guacamole tastes almost identical to that of Rosa Mexicano (on the nights when the staff at Rosa doesn't oversalt it, as they tend to do). Chickpea, by the way, is passable quick-bite food. Sometimes the turkey shwarama is the perfect thing to hit the spot on a chilly day (not unlike today). Wed Apr 21 08:59:08 -0700 2004 1116746 0 MidTown Jimmi 2 1116775 was that turkey shawarma? i asked the guy behind the counter 4 times, but could not understand what he was saying -- mumbling in his israeli accent. i also did not see it listed on the menu. was it good? i agree with just about everything said about both chipotle and chickpea. the only think i don't like about chipotle is that it is an extra $1.50 for the guacamole on everything except the veggie option. Wed Apr 21 10:28:45 -0700 2004 1116752 0 mikemorg 3 1116801 They basically have four things there: 1) Chicken Shwarma 2) Turkey Shawarma 3) Falafel 4) Shwarma-Falafel -- mix of the two. The turkey is better than the chicken. For some reason the chicken is really bland in comparison to the turkey. Wed Apr 21 11:24:18 -0700 2004 1116775 0 MidTown Jimmi 1 1116753 isn't it great? If you close your eyes, on a sunny day, you can almost believe you're not on stinky old St. Marks, but rather at 1311 W. Sunset Road in Henderson, NV or even 3424 Piedmont Road, Atlanta, GA :-) By the way, there are four branches in the city and the chickpea falafel is not bad, although I'm not sure what they were thinking with the decor. Wed Apr 21 09:03:39 -0700 2004 1116746 0 James 1 1116764 The Chipotle in midtown is on East 44th b/w Lex & 3rd. Since it's less than a block from where I work, I am now tempted to try it. And just FYI - I ate at Chickpea over this past weekend and it was fantastic. The decor isn't important because it's not a real sit-down restaurant. And since they didn't spend a ton of money on the decor, they're able to keep prices down. I found the falafel to be crisp on the outside, smooth and fluffy on the inside, loaded with parsley; the pita was soft, chewy and warm; the shawarma moist and flavorful. Wed Apr 21 09:58:34 -0700 2004 1116746 0 Steph 2 1116797 There's also a Chipotle that tempts me by my office on 52nd btw. 3rd and Lex. Agreed--Chickpea is impressive. They've got the falafel down pat. Wed Apr 21 11:14:47 -0700 2004 1116764 0 EMA 1 1116778 Funny enough, Chipotle is considered one of the better burrito joints in Chicago, and there were line-ups out the door and around the block at lunch even when there are awesome sandwich places really close by. My favorite thing about Chipotle is that their salad mix is always fresh. And it involves more than lettuce and rock hard tomatoes. Wed Apr 21 10:32:32 -0700 2004 1116746 0 MunchyCanadian 2 1116812 Chicago Illinois? Take a look at the Chicago board and see if anyone raves about Chipotle. I mean, Chicago has a huge Mexican population with as many taco stands as hot dog stands, which is saying something. (And while burritos are for gringos, most taquerias here have the big flour tortillas on hand for burrito-seekers). You likely were in the Loop at luchtime, which is a dining wasteland. I could see a line forming at Chipotle around noon, but I couldn't fathom standing in it. Even in the Loop you can find better, eg at the Burrito Buggy or La Cocina. Wed Apr 21 11:44:32 -0700 2004 1116778 0 JeffB 1 1116792 You're dead wrong about Chickpea. Their Israeli-style falafel is definitely a contender in the neighborhood, far better than the joint down St Marks or the one around the corner on 2nd Ave. Sure there are better places in Manhattan, Hoomoos Asli comes to mind, but I'd go to Chickpea anytime. Their lentil soup is very good also -- haven't had anything else yet. Wed Apr 21 11:08:43 -0700 2004 1116746 0 Peter Cuce 2 1116873 Agrred. Chickpea's Israeli falafel are some of the best in the city. I even reviewed the joint in am newyork a few weeks ago. Wed Apr 21 15:32:21 -0700 2004 1116792 0 josh L 1 1116869 It's all right, but what i'd really like to see is a Baja Fresh in Manhattan. Why hasn't this happened yet? Wed Apr 21 15:17:53 -0700 2004 1116746 0 frankie lee 2 1116879 I would love to know the answer to that myself. Baja Fresh is WAY better than chipotle. Wed Apr 21 15:58:30 -0700 2004 1116869 0 ast 3 1116903 YES! My friend from high-school's brother is a lawyer in LA and he is suing Baja Fresh. My friend was saying that Baja Fresh has an insanely high franchise fee. Would that explain why nobody has one in Manhattan yet? Then again, they smacked a Baja down in some of the most expensive real estate I can think of in DC a couple of years ago, and the place must make a fortune--line out the door every day. Wed Apr 21 19:02:32 -0700 2004 1116879 0 Dave 4 1116928 Why is he suing and which place are you referring to in DC? Thu Apr 22 09:58:21 -0700 2004 1116903 0 ag 3 1116941 How about Pequito Mas? IMO better than Baja Fresh. Thu Apr 22 17:24:24 -0700 2004 1116879 0 pebbles 1 1116925 after all the chickpea thrashing I took on that comment, I tried it last night. I stand corrected, it's great. No Rainbow for spices in the actual felafel, but much better pita and finely chopped lettuce/cabbage mix (over falling-apart pita, giant chunks of hard tomato and iceberg lettuce at Rainbow) it does a very fine job. Thu Apr 22 08:15:40 -0700 2004 1116746 0 bessbess