 Baja Fresh
*Sigh* You always remember your first. My first celebrity sighting while I was in LA was the loverly former Noxema girl and "90210" guest star Rebecca Gayheart, as smokin' in person as in the countless magazine photographs that line the walls of my dirty room at the Y – well, at any rate, she gazed at me with definite interest, but I was busy paying close attention to the details of the Baja Fresh experience, savoring the delicious Veggie burrito I ordered and sampling their four salsas. Had I not been so diligent in my reviewing duties, I would surely have been able to get the digits. Think, I could have been the next Mrs. Rebecca Gayheart.
*Sigh* Oh well. I was enjoying the company of my sister, who was far less impressed with this sighting than I was. She once saw Emilio Estevez waiting in line at a mini-mart. Or maybe it was robbing a mini-mart, I can't quite remember. Both scenarios seem equally probable. At any rate, we were capping a deliriously fun afternoon of outdoorsy-type activities with a stop at one of the many Baja Fresh chain restaurants. It's your basic giant burrito-type place, but with a healthier focus and far more celebrities than you'll get, say, at El Famous Burrito in Chicago at 3 in the morning. The Baja menu offers a variety of burritos, tacos, quesadillas, tortas, etc., with a mix of meat and meatless opportunities. The ingredients are markedly fresh and the overall package is quite delicious. I had the aforementioned Veggie burrito (no cheese, no sour cream), which nearly got me a date with supermodel Rebecca Gayheart, while my sister had a bean and cheese burrito. Neither of us got drinks, and both burritos came with a handful of fresh tortilla chips. The prices were reasonable (mine was $5.03, hers was $3.63) and the food was excellent. I assume that what drew Rebecca Gayheart to me in the first place was the fact that my burrito had a scintillating blend of grilled vegetables and black beans, unified by a smoky pico de gallo sauce. Clearly the expression on my face bespoke of how fresh it tasted and how well it hit the spot. Perhaps she saw the chips and was just about to walk over to ask if she could have one, but she noticed my embroidered Loud Bassoon lederhosen and decided to leave me to my important reviewing duties. As I said before, I did fail to get the digits, though I did get a review out of it with more than the usual name-dropping.
We ate outside, which was a delight. The place itself is clean and the service is good. I should point out that LA restaurants have a health inspection rating posted in their windows – this one got an "A," just like I did in Mrs. Salzman's 7th grade language arts class after I learned how to "stick to the point, stay focussed, and keep it simple." Any reader of my award winning restaurant reviews will attest to my lean style and straightforward narrative approach. It is a style as straightforward as the simple, healthy fare offered by Baja Fresh, whose motto "No microwaves; no can openers; no freezers; no lard; no M.S.G." is as catchy as it is reassuring. For health conscious consumers who like huge burritos, Baja Fresh is the place to see gorgeous Rebecca Gayheart, who was *cough, cough* my first, you know.
Review by La Fée, August 1999 |
