John’s place (technically John’s Sushi and Steakhouse, but who wants to say all that?) announced a new menu item on their Facebook page:
We’re about to start serving Burritos at John’s Sushi and Steakhouse.
Good burrito must have good beef of course, but restaurants have a few more tricks; good lard when make tortillas, good cheese, and refried beans must taste good itself. Good refried beans mean good bacon lard and bacon.
We cure our own bacon, use fresh pinto beans, and always use good meat with imported Wisconsin cheese.
Coming very soon!!!
Yesterday John announced they were ready and being offered at the introductory price of 395 pesos and posted this picture as further incitement:
I had a couple of warm-up beers at IDM, then made my way up the highway to John’s place.
After my meal, I hung out in Wet Spot for a bit before calling it a night. I just wasn’t feeling well for some reason. Truth be told, I might be overthinking things with Swan, and it is affecting my mental health. I reckon I’ll figure out what needs to be done in that regard, but I’m going to avoid making any hurried decisions.
When I got up to take a leak during the night, I felt a stabbing pain in my lower back. No idea where that came from; I was fine when I went to bed. I’ve also finished with the prednisolone prescription, and sure enough, the nasal congestion is back in full force with all the incumbent side effects. So, that’s my dilemma–prednisolone is not recommended for long-term use but are its side effects worse than what occurs without it? I will wait a few weeks and see how it goes, then consult Dr. Jo again if need be.
Up this morning to start another day, and sure enough, it was raining again. The sporadic showers have continued throughout the day so far. Feeling inspired by last night’s dinner, I got busy in the kitchen.
My version tastes different than John’s professional creation, but they are both good in their own way.
A couple of views from my dog walk this morning:
I visited Swan for our morning coffee together.
Swan gave me a back massage using some menthol lotion that heated things up. It did seem to relieve some of the pain, and I was able to take an abbreviated walk through the Santa Monica subdivision.
Swan also advised me that she had made other plans for tonight, so it seems I’m on my own again on a Saturday night. Perhaps that’s my destiny. It’s weird, though; I don’t find the bar scene all that enticing when there is someone I’d rather be spending time with. Oh well. Swan has her priorities, and I’m not one of them. Apparently.
Anyway, enough of this self-pity nonsense. Whatever the future brings, I’ll deal with it.
My first burrito at John’s.
He could’ve at least seared the burrito on two sides. The photo he showed was obviously from somewhere else. If he’s looking for opinions, I’d definitely suggest searing on all future burritos. It adds an extra layer of flavor.
Truth be told, I might be overthinking things with Swan, and it is affecting my mental health.
Delightfully cryptic.
Up this morning to start another day, and sure enough, it was raining again.
But wait—how long did the stabbing pain last?
The innards
At least there’s no fuckin’ onions.
Time to eat!
And you’re not searing, either, I see. What’s with you guys?
Sounds as if you really might be overthinking things with Swan. “Take it slow” is not what you want to hear, but slow and steady wins the race.
A little cilantro and some black beans never hurt a burrito. And totally agree with the searing suggestion.
Yeah, John’s burrito offering didn’t look at all like the photos. It was the first day; maybe there was a learning curve to overcome. As for mine, I never seared until Kev shamed me into trying it. In yesterday’s version, I did sear the tortilla; I just did it before adding the contents. Does that make a difference? There were some green onions in my burrito, but I take it you are less averse to that type, right?
A combination of aspirin and Swan’s massage eased the stabbing back pain. I can still feel it when I twist and turn, but it feels much better today.
Re: Swan. Yeah, I am so far ahead of her that it gets painful sometimes. He’s gone, and I’m here, but it often feels like she prefers the past to the future I’m offering. Anyway, I’m going to give her the time she says she needs and see what happens. I guess I’m just preparing myself mentally for another failure.
Drain, in truth, my burritos are more like a soft taco because I don’t use beans at all. I’ll give the cilantro a try next time and see if that spices things up some.
I second the notion of beans and cilantro. Sear after wrapping and rolling. If you try searing before wrapping, you make it unnecessarily difficult to roll the tortilla up.
Yes, I’m less averse to green onions. And strangely, I’m okay with the minced onions in pico de gallo. Go figure.
Other things to add either in the burrito or on top of it:
pico de gallo (mentioned above)
salsa
sour cream
sliced olives
sliced avocado
guacamole
The sky’s the limit.
Okay, first time I tried a pre-roll sear. I didn’t overdo it, though, so no problem with the roll-up. Ah yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve done the sour cream add; I’ll pick some up next time for sure.
John, in relationships, you seem to be either 0 mph or 100 mph. Doesn’t seem to be any middle ground. If you are attracted to someone, it is full speed ahead, blinders on, Katy bar the door, (add any other cliche in this space), etc.
This is purely speculation, but objects of your attraction may not have the same accelerator as you have. From their perspective, they may be interested in going quite a bit slower. Maybe you come on too strong?
I realize that you have indicated that you are trying to take things slower with Swan, but the recent passing of her partner/husband appears to be pretty raw. It has only been four(?) months, and it seems as though you have already put out feelers to her about moving in together etc.
(No offense intended, just giving a 10,000 foot perspective from someone who obviously does not know the full situation! LOL)
Brian, no offense taken. I always appreciate different viewpoints and advice. The universal feedback I’ve received thus far is that I’m attempting to move too fast. It’s not my nature to hold back, but I don’t appear to have any choice in the matter…Swan controls the pace.
You might also try some spinach (raw or cooked) in a burrito or quesadilla. Kinda healthy and all that. Fried egg can also be an option for either. Or even a little fried tofu, properly seasoned. I dig meat but am minimizing my intake for health reasons. That said, I do occasionally enjoy longganisa (the savory kind from Vigan, not the sweet kind). Plenty of fresh chunky salsa (not that watery shit in a bottle), guacamole, and some sour cream will make just about any protein burrito filler taste really good.
I have searched far and wide but have yet to experience genuinely good Mexican food anywhere in the Philippines, so have learned to improvise.
Drain, I understand Popeye enjoyed spinach burritos!
Those are some interesting ideas as potential burrito ingredients. I’ll keep some of those in mind for future reference.
Where in the PI are you located? In addition to John’s and Sit-n-Bull, Papagayo in Barretto has some better-than-average Mexican offerings.
I’m a bit farther north but I’ll give John’s a try next time I’m back down in Subic. Cheers.
I guess John will need a new restaurant sign. John’s Sushi and Steakhouse and Burrito Stand.
Did you hear about the guy who forgot to put cheese on his burrito? How dairy.
Why can’t you trust burritos? Cause they will spill the beans.
My girlfriend was just like a spicy burrito. It hurt when she left me.
I’ll be at The Comedy club in Las Vegas on the 12th and The Pussy Cat Lounge in Angeles City on the 16th.(2 drink minimum)
Have a great day in the archipelago. Peace Out!
Thousands of comedians out of work, and YOU’RE trying to be funny? Nice try, though! Burrito jokes are always an excellent sauce for humor. That’s a wrap!