If Arizona is known for any kind of grub, it has to be its Mexican food. So when out-of-state visitors come to ASU and when international students come to school here, naturally top-notch south-of-the-border cuisine should be easily accessible to them, right? But if that was the case, then why does acquiring the best burrito in town require a 15-minute drive?
For those who have had the opportunity to dine there, Chipotle [Chip-OAT-lay] restaurant is a hands-down choice for the finest concoctions stuffed in a tortilla that money can buy. But alas, the nearest one requires a trip on either the Interstate 10 or Loop 101.
We at The State Press propose a Chipotle should be erected right here in the heart of Tempe, where all Sun Devils can bask in its spicy shredded beef, free-range pork and lime-rice goodness. And we propose that it be built right over top another fine Mexican joint that recently skipped town, Dos Gringos. Dos, a longtime ASU favorite, recently relocated because it had its liquor license revoked due to a law that requires establishments to sell at least 40 percent food in order to be classified as a restaurant.
Chipotle will face no such obstacles, as lines would reach around Forest Avenue during lunch hours for an opportunity to enjoy one of the restaurant's delicacies, which are made your way, right in front of you and with premium ingredients. Yet, Chipotle could still carry on the Dos tradition of $2 Coronas.
The restaurant that expanded into Dos' territory, Flip Flops, should be evicted immediately. Just who wants an island-themed restaurant as a top option at a school based right in the middle of the Sonoran desert? Not to mention, Flip Flops will face the same difficulties regarding 40 percent food sales that Dos did.
Plus, God himself could not have created a better meal suited for the college-student diet than Chipotle. The restaurant's burritos are relatively healthy, startlingly hearty and set at a modest price for what you receive. The very nature of quality burritos is easily identified with a college-aged crowd, just as much as pizza is. And since we're the biggest university west of the Mississippi, driving 15 minutes to get the best burrito money can buy is simply unacceptable!
By no means should we be forced to settle for the inferior burritos served at Salsa Rico in the Memorial Union. How this sham of a product made it to our campus we will never know. And why anyone would stand in line for its tasteless food with no options is beyond us.
But one thing is for certain, Salsa Rico will be Salsa Pobre when, and if, Chipotle comes to us.
