Pablo Picanté revisited
I decided to give Pablo Picanté another try. Actually two tries.
On the first return visit, I went for the shredded beef burrito. The girl at the counter asked whether I wanted regular or mild salsa. I confidently answered, “Regular.” She asked, “Are you sure? It’s really spicy.” Like an arrogant American, I responded with a completely straight face, “Nothing around here is spicy.” She smiled and said okay, scribbling spicey on my order. Actually, she probably scribbled “extra hot” to get back at me. It was, after all, quite spicey. I guess it tasted good, but I was too busy thinking about how much my mouth was burning that I’m not sure, to be honest.
On my third visit, I went for the vegetarian again. It was evening, so the place wasn’t busy. I got to chatting with the owner about how feta cheese in a burrito is sacrilegious. He said his advisors, including one from California, recommended feta but admitted he’s been having second thoughts. We agreed that if you’re going to put lots of grilled vegetables inside (which turn soggy after sitting in the hot tray for a long time), you need something like feta to balance out the taste, but I told him that what you end up with is not really a burrito (at least in my book). I suggested putting beans in the vegetarian instead of grilled vegetables, thereby allowing him to include a normal cheese to go with the beans.
While I ate my burrito (whose tortilla was too dry), a woman came in and ordered a burrito of her own. She also got to chatting with the owner about the menu options. He started off with “We have a new” before quickly correcting himself: “Well, Pablo has a new” before going on to elaborate about something on the menu. I see he’s taking his “fictional brand ambassador” quite seriously.
I should also report that, while the Mexican food at the farmer’s market is lousy, the adjacent stall with the samosas has good food—perhaps not quite spicy enough but with all the right ingredients … and fresh ones at that!