Mex and match

Mexican goes vegetarian and
organic at Burritoville

by MATHILDE RABBAT

There certainly is no lack of coffee joints within Concordia's downtown perimeter. Good eateries in the area, offering healthy, tasty and environmentally friendly sustenance, on the other hand, are in short supply. For about six months now, the annexes standing in the shadow of the Hall Building, lining Mackay and Bishop streets, share their turf with a refreshing Mexican resto that should appeal quite nicely to the Concordia set.

A brief menu features basic and I mean basic Mexican fare, all of which is vegetarian and mostly composed of organic and locally grown ingredients. Offerings chiefly fall under three main headings: tacos, quesadillas and burritos this is Burritoville after all. You can opt for fuller meals (priced at either $8.50 or $9.50, with taxes), which include a salad or chips and salsa, or a cheaper, more take-away friendly version where only the main dish, i.e. the wrap or shell of your choice, figures.

Whether you nosh on a flour or whole-wheat quesadilla or tortilla is entirely up to you. You also have the option of selecting either black bean, chipotle or corn nacho chips, that you can dip in yet another choice of salsas: pico de gallo (a basic tomato, onion and chili mixture), roasted vegetable, black bean and corn, or tomatillo verde picante. With its tangy, diced tomatillo, onion, yellow pepper and spicy vinaigrette, you simply cant go wrong with the latter.

My large crispy chipotle nachos provided more than adequate shovels for scooping. Those who opt for the salad will be faced with the difficult decision of picking a zesty lemon and lime spiked quinoa toss up, or a mound of assorted sprouts topped with roasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a thoroughly enjoyable sesame oil drizzle. Both salads are creative and heavenly in their own rights ($3.50 for a small or $4.50 for a large, if ordered separately).

Burrito dishes can be stuffed with a spicy pinto mix, chili, or an interesting sweet potato concoction. Sweet potato also makes up the stuffing for an enjoyable taco plate, incorporating a black bean mixture enhanced with a fine dose of cumin, melted cheese and pico de gallo salsa. My sole complaint here lies in the fact that it was eaten with a knife and fork, since its whole wheat taco shell had partly caved in on the dish. The flattened veggie quesadilla, however, managed to tightly contain its roasted zucchini, eggplant, onion, red and yellow pepper-condensed stuffing, slimly padded with rice.

According to the menu, fennel was supposedly part of the package, though if it was there, it went largely undetected. Among the other quesadilla selections are the classic (stuffed with cheddar cheese, rice, tomatillo salsa and served with sour cream), the spinach mushroom (with rice and melted cheese), and the chili (three bean chili loaded with a variety of veggies including carrots, celery, peppers and mushrooms).

Burritoville's dishes may be praiseworthy, but portions are modest. On the off chance that there's something left on your plate, rest assured that it will be composted along with other scraps from the kitchen. In addition, at least according the manifesto on the menu card, only biodegradable packaging is used and, thanks to big bins in the entrance, they minimize waste by recycling. With a mission that also proudly states, We endeavour to promote other like-minded small businesses and give back to the community and world around us, how can you not love this place?

A relaxed atmosphere, live music most nights, and above all, good eats, make this eatery a must, not only for vegetarians, but also for those looking to grab a quick bite, or to chill for a while, before or after class. Business has already quieted down with the end of the winter semester. Summer school will hopefully keep the resto kicking till the next wave of returning students takes the area over once again in the fall.