Photograph from greefus groinks on Flickr During tough economic times, restaurants search for quick fixes to make up for lost revenue. Some options: extending hours, skimping on portions, and adding breakfast service. As a fervent breakfast burrito lover, I was curious if Chipotle had considered the morning menu addition. Currently, the national chain doesn't open stores until 11 a.m., but maybe they could set the alarm clocks earlier and throw some eggs on the griddle? When asked, Chiptole's public relations director Chris Arnold, had this to say: That is certainly something people have suggested to us, and something we have thought about ourselves. But it isn't as simple as it might look. Doing breakfast impacts our labor model (which... More

How do you like your salsa? Fruity? Garlicky? Roasted and smoky? Spicy enough to pack a punch? Garrett, the blogger behind Vanilla Garlic, embraces all of the above with this chipotle-tomatillo salsa. It's adapted from a recipe by Rick Bayless in his cookbook Mexican Kitchen. Garrett entered it in an office salsa contest, but somehow did not win! We want more intel on this questionable other salsa conquistador.... More

Zach Brooks on the blog Midtown Lunch shows what a farce the calorie counts posted by Chipotle are. The calorie counts are required under a new New York City law that mandates they be revealed to consumers. A basic burrito is listed as having "420 to 918 calories," but Brooks's basic math skills reveal that a 420-calorie burrito would consist solely of the tortilla wrapper and vegetarian black beans. If this is what the new law is going to provide consumers, this is indeed a law without teeth (pun intended). I'm also saddened to find just how caloric most of the food at Chipotle is. I'm going to have to look closely to find out how many calories my... More

Candice Choi of the AP, on how the flavors of South America are becoming mainstream: "A decade ago, chipotle was virtually unknown in the mainstream. Now today, companies like Sargento Foods are launching chipotle-seasoned Cheddar. Three varieties of it. Kraft, whose iconic Oreo cookies already come in dulce de leche (a caramel-like flavor popular in South America), is rolling out Fresa (strawberry). Wrigley's Orbit chewing gum now comes in a "mint mojito" flavor. "Hispanic cuisine has really taken off and become part of Americana," says Chris Groom, spokesman for Plymouth, Wis.-based Sargento."... More