It happened again...

Damn you Jeff Bilodeau. This was supposed to be my first day clean and sober, kicking the habit, getting that damn monkey off my back. That delicious monkey. But Jeff wouldn't let me. He told me I can't stop now. And fuck if he wasn't right.

I stopped at a place on the way home, a place I'd been to before. A place I remember having liked. Or at least thought was decent. Saguaro's on 30th in North Park. I'd been here somewhere in my first 20 days or so I think.

They serve their California burrito with pico only, but now that I was no longer bound by the pointless rules of my own make-believe program I was free to make changes. Put some sour cream on that bitch, amiga!

The addition of sour, plus the .35¢ fee for using a credit card had jacked the price of my precious to $7. On top of that, I had forgotten they use potato chunks, not fries. It was a bit of a letdown. I can't let it end on a down note, not after all the effort I put into it. Besides, I'm kind of afraid to quit now. I think my body's grown dependent on them.

RELAPSE!!!

This evening I found myself near SDSU. And if you've been paying attention you know that one of the best California burritos ever is nearby, at a shop called Trujillo's. What kind of Californian would I be if I didn't stop and get one?

To my complete lack of surprise, it was motherfucking delicious. They don't even use guac or sour- which if I had remembered I would have requested. Just pico. And it's STILL a top 5 Cali burrito, if not the best.

What's that? The color on that photo is a bit off, making the Orange Bang appear pink in color? Well that's because it is pink! That's right, Strawberry Bang, bitches! Some things are not meant to be strawberry flavored- I'm talking to you, Quik bunny- but this is effing amazing. It's no Orange Bang, but it's freaking tasty. Well done, beverage scientists, you continue to impress me.

Now that the pressure of constantly finding new places is off I can just relax and enjoy the food. Hit me up if you want to go on a burrito run.

Day 90- the circle is complete

Final day. I can't believe I actually made it through. And I really can't believe that I still find California burritos as delicious as the first day I had one. How's that for dedication?

I had a lot of options for day 90. I still had a long list of places I hadn't hit yet. Two in PB, 4 or 5 down south, some north county inland. Not only that, but earlier tonight my fellow comic Damien Pruitt looked up "taco shops" in San Diego on Yelp and got 405 results. Clearly there's still a shit-ton of places for me to try. So what would be a fitting end to this journey? With so many choices, there's really only one that makes sense.
El Zarape. Bring it back full circle to the place that started it all. Not only is it the only choice that makes sense, it also gives me a chance to really compare El Zarape's California burrito to everything else I've tried. As the first one I ever had, I had no frame of reference. No California burrito barometer to really judge it against. And days 2 and 3 were underwhelming, so El Zarape seemed even more amazing by that comparison. I had to see if it truly held up.

Accompanying me on the swan song of my odyssey were comics Rajan Dharni and Jasyn Brackett. We just left another great show at Live Comedy Live and were mere yards away from where it all began. I ordered my California burrito and took the exact same seat, at the same table, from Day 1. Holy shit was it delicious. They serve it with everything... and it is awesome. I would definitely call it a Top 10.

I guess I was pretty lucky that I had started here. If I had my first Cali burrito at a crappy place B90X may never have been born. And my colon would have thanked me. But El Zarape and their delicious food of the Gods set the wheels in motion on an amazing adventure that has touched the lives of many people. Or at least a few. One? Whatever, it's been fun. Thanks for tagging along.

Day 89- Salsa Brava

I was actually on my way to a different taco shop when I saw this one on El Cajon. A small, run-down looking place. I'm a sucker for those. So I decided to stop here instead.

I speak very little espanol, but managed to have an in-depth conversation with the woman there about their credit card machine and what we need to do to make it work (since my card didn't go through the first time). Thank you every restaurant job I've had.
They have a fantastic California burrito here, with one major flaw. Anyone who's been reading this blog regularly (aside from having too much free time) knows that at this point I'm pretty much looking for reasons to not recommend a place; there's just too many. Salsa Bravo has an almost world-class California burrito. They have the crispiest fries ever, which counts for a lot. They use guac and sour, and plenty of cheese. But the carne asada is kind of gristly. And that is a big 'no me gusta.'

So on we go to the final day, and a fond farewell to this pointless journey.

Day 88- Taco Surf

Taco Surf is a little shop in PB, and it's been recommended to me by a couple of people now. Normally I stay away from PB, but I figured I might as well give it a try. Like most things in PB, it disappoints.

It was pretty busy, but in trendy kind of way. Not in a holy shit this is awesome kind of way. It's expensive, too. $7. They serve it with guac and sour, but they use hash browns instead of fries. In all fairness, the hash browns are fantastic; super crispy. And the carne asada is great too. Overall it's a great fucking burrito. It's just not a great California burrito. Because hash browns- no matter how good- are no substitute for fries. And I'm pretty sure I said "Can I get a California burrito," not "Can I get a breakfast burrito, but hold the eggs. And could you charge me a couple bucks extra?"

I was stoked they had Orange Bang, but I'd say pass on their Cali burrito.

Day 87- El Sabroso and the EPIC FAIL

I think this El Sabroso is unrelated the one I hit before. I think it actually has 2 names, which is kind of weird; the other being Lucy's. Never noticed it, even though I've driven by it many times on my way home from Bar 11 comedy on Wednesday nights- an amazing comedy show hosted by Nick Crosby, if you haven't checked it out yet.Anyway, El Sabroso most likely has a fantastic California burrito. Their carne asada is great, they use all 3 toppings, there's plenty of cheese, it's relatively fast, not too expensive... however, I can't be sure how great their Cali burrito is. Because they didn't put ANY FUCKING FRIES in it!!!

It's 50/50 if I eat the Cali burrito in my car while I drive away. This particular night I did not or I likely could have corrected the error. WTF, Sabroso? The nice lady at the counter even asked me twice, "California burrito, si?" To which I replied- both times- "Si." So as much as I'd love to say the Cali burrito here is awesome, I can't.

Day 86- Valentine's

Found this place downtown, late on a Thursday night. Only a few days left of B90X, and I've been debating whether to keep going with new shops or use the last few days to re-try my favorites and see if they hold up. Not really enough time left for that, though.Valentine's has a really good California burrito. Possibly even a top-10. I was expecting a letdown for several reasons: it was $7, the service is slow as shit, and they don't even know what Orange Bang is. But their burrito is effing delicious. Great carne asada, great fries, pico, guac... sooooo good. I'd say it might be a little salty for some, but awesome nevertheless.

I was surprised to find such a great California burrito this late in the game. Figured I'd just be coasting these last few days. Thanks, Valentine's, for proving me wrong.