electric burrito

I’m doing the Hell-apeno today.

If anyone sees Kristi Ritchie around town today, can they please help make sure she knows?

While supplies last…

I’m nothing if not a diligent attempter at keeping my word.

To that end, I’m ready to get back to that to-go ordering that I said would be a couple of weeks away. Basically, I’ve put together a limited to-go menu that I’ll ask you to use. The portions and prices are in line with our entree menu, as some folks are seeking to-go orders not only at lunch, but also in the evening hours. I need it to be uniform for my own sanity. The entree menu choice of beans or rice is confined to beans on this to-go menu.

You can pick up 5.5″ X 8″ hard copy at the Burrito, or print the image below for use at home or in your office.

Thanks for supporting us!

Thanks to multiple requests (popular demand?), we’ve scheduled a second Mexican luncheon at the Fickle Frog.

Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 (serving from 11am to 1:30pm)

We’ll need to have your reservations by 5pm on February 22 . Seating is limited, and we actually had to turn some late reservation-makers away last time, so don’t procrastinate.

The menu will be a little more familiar than January’s lunch in that we’ll be serving refried beans and rice as a side to what else? Electric Burritos! These are nacho average burritos, I should mention. These are inspired by Granddad Dave’s elk machaca. Fear not–these will be beef, not elk, and they are mighty tasty.

We look forward to seeing you there!

A big thanks to all who came to the yesterday’s lunch served at the Fickle Frog. We served a total of 56 customers, and I heard a lot of positive feedback on the food. Thanks.

Intrigued by our menu choice, several folks asked if we’d have the posole and spoon bread on our menu. The answer to both is yes, with the posole showing up as a “soup of the day” and the spoon bread as a side for evening specials. Our menu will definitely include the tacos, burritos and enchiladas that everyone would expect, but Thursday’s menu choice gave us a chance to show you some depth, while doing something a little more manageable for a “one-off” meal in “somebody else’s kitchen.”

The other question that came up yesterday was, “will you be doing this again before you open?” The answer to that is yes, at least once. Donna and I will sort out a date for late February. I’ll post the info here, and of course, you’ll be able to check in at the Frog for the menu, date and reservations.

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PS: Please thank Donna, as I’m probably a pain in her neck.

I don’t know about you, but over the years, I’ve developed a real appetite for doing things locally.

It started by appreciating good beer, and grooving on eating at brewpubs, where they brew on-site. Then I remembered that garden fresh tomatoes are way better than the stuff shipped to an Iowa grocery store in the middle of January. Aside from the fact that it tastes better, is better for you and is better on/for the environment, eating locally is good for the economy.

When I was doing research and putting together my business plan, I learned that each Iowa restaurant dollar translates to an additional $1.17 spent in related industries. For a small town like Corning, a statistic (or dollar) of that kind is even more important. Just think of the positive benefit of eating out in Corning once Electric Burrito is off the ground.

In addition to the gas money that will stay in Corning, you might just decide to walk up the street after your meal and take in a movie that otherwise may have been viewed in Creston, or even Des Moines. You may stop by Corning’s Hy-Vee for a gallon of milk that you otherwise may have purchased elsewhere. You might recall while walking back to your car that you need to replace your leaky bathroom faucet. Fortunately for you, and Corning, Gadberry’s Hardware carries bathroom faucets.

Specifically at Electric Burrito, we hope to spend as much money in our own community as possible. We hope to have some of the best beef around as a result of doing business just down the street with Corning Meat Processing. In the summer, we’ll strive to find local corn, tomatoes and onions.

We’re excited about our plans to feature the wines of Corning Winery and Vineyard. A little bird told me that there’s a chance that at least their white wines will be bottled and ready for our opening. And where beer is concerned, we’ll have a number of Mexican choices, as well as a concentration of regional microbrewed beers from places not a whole lot further away than Kansas City, Chicago, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Colorado. With any luck, I’ll be able to secure some Iowa brewed beer (hard to come by in these parts) and hard cider.

Still in the start up phase, I’ve got a lot of good Corning people I’m working with on everything from signage to flooring to paint to insurance to plumbing to business cards. I’ve tracked down used equipment not too far down the road in Greenfield and Villisca. Long story short, we hope to be a positive element to the local economy, in more ways than one.

Hopefully, when this little Mexican joint opens up on Davis Avenue, you’ll turn into a locavore as well–for not only dining out, but also for your banking, heating and cooling, dough nuts, medication and gifts (really, this list could go on forever).

For those of you chomping at the bit to taste what Electric Burrito will be serving, relief is on the way.

We’ll be serving an Electric Burrito preview at the Fickle Frog on Thursday, January 24, from 11:30 to 1:30pm. Slated for the menu:

• Posole (What’s that? Click here.)
• Spoon Bread
• Quesadilla with Electric Salsa

It should be a satisfying lunch for a cold January day. If you’re interested, give the Fickle Frog a call (641-322-3266) to let us know what time you’re coming, and how many you’ll have in your party. We’ll need to know by 5pm on Tuesday, the 22nd, so don’t procrastinate.