The Hungry Blonde Bristolian: My Burrito

I have to admit that during each and every post-work gym session, the prominent thought occupying my mind is what I'm going to eat afterwards! I almost always have to push myself to resist the carby-hit that I crave to replenish my flagging energy-levels and on this occasion, I bypassed the temptations typically offered during the usual supermarket run and instead, decided to try something a little different and dare I say it, a little healthier too!

Date and Time: Friday 13^th May 2011, 18:40

Name of Establishment: My Burrito*

Location: 7 Broad Quay, Bristol

Reason for Visit: Post-gym re-fuelling

Venues serving freshly-prepared burritos and wraps are fast becoming Bristol's preference to the common takeaway; food remains conveniently quick and satisfying yet provides a healthier alternative to the deep-fried, oily offerings with which other 'fast-food' outlets are accustomed.

My visit to My Burrito started with the deliciously spicy aromas that whet your appetite you as soon as you walk through the door. It was this, in addition to the clean, cool vibe that this venue projects, that made up my mind that I would 'sit-in' this time, rather than take my food elsewhere. The décor consists of black marble table tops and red leather-effect seating and, along with the Bristol-themed art work*, potted plants and ample reading material, it made for a funky-come-contemporary space which was both stimulating and comfortable.

My only gripe was the volume of the radio which dominated the space and made it slightly difficult to converse with my server, (who unfortunately was a bit of a mumbler!) However, this was swapped for some moody jazz a little later in my visit which was far more in keeping with the ambiance created here thus far. Furthermore, service was laid-back, friendly and mumbling aside, proved accurate and efficient.

Onto the food which is prepared before your eyes using locally-sourced, farm assured (where applicable) ingredients. I chose a small tortilla wrap which was packed with chicken, (marinated in an abodo of smoked chillis, cumin and coriander), basmati rice and pinto beans which are cooked with smoked bacon, garlic, onion and Mexican spices. These ingredients alone created an amazing array of flavours and so, when combined with the accompanying salad, (home-made) smoked tomato salsa and cool sour cream, resulted in an explosion of varying tastes and textures with that familiar underlying Mexican heat. I particularly liked the lime-zest which had been used to flavour the rice, adding, in my view, an extra zing to your palate! There is a great choice of burrito fillings on offer as well as a range of sides and extras and a rather authentic selection of bottled Mexican beers – lucky that there are complimentary chips and dips to graze on whilst you're making up your mind what to choose!

I felt suitably saintly tucking into my protein-enriched chicken burrito that I decided to follow it with a sweet treat – freshly made Spanish Churros with hot chocolate dipping sauce! These did take a while to prepare as a fresh batch of chocolate had to be made up (and heated) but staff were consistently apologetic and fortunately, as I had planned to take-away dessert so that I could share it with 'The Boy', I wasn't in a hurry. I can report that when the Churros were finally devoured, they were just as anticipated; indulgently moreish and sugary-sweet! The chocolate wasn't of the best quality, (in my opinion, tasting a little like artificially-sweetened hot chocolate!) but the Churros themselves were delicious; warm and fluffy in the middle and crisp on the outside- - yum!

Churros and Hot-Chocolate Dipping Sauce

I think it's fair to conclude that takeaway food need not be unhealthy, neither does it have to prove a drain on one's finances - I didn't think that the prices here were terribly unreasonable at £4.75 for a small burrito and £5.75 for a large. It's true that I did end up with a deep-fried 'takeaway' in some respects but it was for research purposes and after all, I thought that it was only fair to 'wrap' up my evening with a well-earned treat!