Chipotle Opens in My Hood

It was the best kind of event to cover ... one that was a mile from my house ... and one that wasn't even a press event, but the usual Chipotle neighborhood welcome. In order to say hello to its new neighbors, they held a fundraiser tonight, to benefit the Charles H. Flowers High School Athletic Department in Bowie. A $5 donation got you a big, gourmet burrito, or order of tacos, a bowl or a salad, along with crispy tortilla chips and salsa and guacamole. All proceeds, yes 100%, went right to the school’s various sports teams' programs.

I've been a big fan of Chipotle for a long time now ... how can you miss with good food, served quickly in a quick serve environment that works. I can remember meeting Bill Niman (he's one of the fine pork producers for Chipotle) and Steven Els, the chef founder who has made a credo of selling Food With Integrity at the opening of the Dupont Circle store. Here you have an owner committed to doing it right and suppliers who are actually food people, not commodity pushers.

Most people you see in a Chipotle don't read the massive positive press clippings, understand fully the green commitments in the way they build out their locations. Most miss the highly entertaining Web site that is more like a visit to Facebook than to a corporate portal in cyberspace. If you like dogs, go here. If you believe in pentapping go here.

Onward. While I've tasted many other items, I always get the carnitas bowl and tonight I made my first adjustment from the norm, I had pinto beans instead of black beans. I was happy ... but the ordering will slow down as I will have to think now ... black beans or pinto or maybe black beans. That's the other thing I like about Chipotle is that the line moves fast. Good food coming at you fast ... OK, so I'm taking a break from the Slow Food people for a moment ... relax. I will eat slowly and savor each bite.

In the foto that's regional director, Phil Petrilli -- until I just looked at his card, I didn't realize he has the while Northeast Region. Well, he can be a tough interview ... he would much rather be helping out and talking to happy customers. That's OK, it gave me time to enjoy my carnitas bowl.

In case you're in my hood, this Chipotle is at 10201 Martin Luther King Jr. Hwy, Bowie, Md.