You know what, Men's Health? You can kiss my ass! How dare you peel back the caloric curtain once a year and demolish my ignorantly blissful thoughts about what I’ve been consuming? Why create a list of the 20 Worst Foods in America? Is it simply to crush dreams and ruin lives? How do you sleep at night? And, as if your behavior wasn’t bad enough, now you’re talking smack about my culinary boyfriend, the Chipotle Chicken Burrito? That’s it! The gloves are coming off! Because no one bad mouths my food love!!!

Perhaps you’re just jealous, Men’s Health, because you never thought to create a burrito the size of a newborn baby wrapped in a tortilla blanket that cradles the mother lode of all fillings. I remember the first time I ever went to Chipotle (it was the one on Beverly Drive) and how I knew after just one bite that my life would never be the same. Over the years, Chipotle has become my Cheers, greeting me with a fond familiarity as they prepare my usual. Yes, they know my order without me telling them and I’m damn proud. It has been the same for years now. Despite occasional deviation, I always find my way back home to the Chicken Burrito.

Let’s take a walk through the process that brings me (and many others) so much joy.

We begin with a 13 inch flour tortilla toasted to a warm fluffiness.

A heaping mound of basmati rice begins the festivities as it jumps on board glittering with flecks of cilantro and the zip of fresh lime juice.

But black beans want to party too so they hustle on in bringing their cumin and garlic with them.

Chargrilled chicken, marinated overnight in ancho chiles, hatch marked with fire and smoky good, follows in hot pursuit.

Next, the salsa bar beckons. Pico de gallo, made with fresh tomatoes, red onion and jalapeño is mandatory but the secret winner in the Chipotle stable is their grilled corn salsa that offers sweet fire in a way no other salsa can. A little of the psychotically hot stuff in a container on the side to be added at will and we’re on to the final ingredient, fresh romaine lettuce.

No need for cheese and sour cream, your burrito is packing enough power already and, sadly, the cheese tends to stay unmelted and somewhat unappealing. A bit of Chipotle’s stellar guacamole on the side doesn’t hurt but isn’t essential. It is, however, some of the best guacamole in town. Made fresh several times a day, this guac is simple and tomato free, just avocado, cilantro, lime, chile and onion, with each bite offering large chunks of Haas avocado, none of that squishy, runny paste you find in some places.

I know people like to bash Chipotle because they were part of the McDonald’s Corporation but Mickey D’s fully divested in October of 2006. Chipotle takes pride in serving food with integrity, following humane animal treatment guidelines, creating environmentally responsible locations, and supporting local farmers but, best of all, they make a two-hands, five-napkin burrito experience that is heavenly. Chipotle offers other exceptional options like their slow braised barbacoa; heady with oregano and adobo, or the pinto beans made with bacon to lend a meaty, smokiness, but the thing that keeps me coming back time and again is the Chicken Burrito that was so maligned by Men’s Health this month. As Isaac Hayes once sang, if loving you is wrong, I don’t wanna be right…or thin.

Chipotle
Numerous Locations
121 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles - (310) 855-0371
110 S Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles - (323) 857-0609
3760 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles - (213) 765-9068
244 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA - (310) 273-8265
246 S Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA - (626) 229-9173
135 E Palm Ave, Burbank, CA - (818) 842-0622
www.chipotle.com
Dream Crushers : http://menshealth.com/20worst/

There are fan sites dedicated to Chipotle and they offer recipes from the chain. Here is the official Chipotlefan.com guacamole recipe:

Chipotle's Guacamole Recipe

Ingredients:
1 large ripe Hass avocado, pitted and peeled
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Serrano chili, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Mash up avocado with a fork or electric mixer.
2. Add lime juice.
3. Add all other ingredients and blend well.
4. Serve with tortilla chips.