Twelve p.m.—Four Cardinal salsa enthusiasts enter Chipotle with empty stomachs eager to seek relief from a cold Monday morning. As snow falls steadily outside, the group settles down into a booth ready to warm up with an enticing array of salsas laid out on the table for each hungry taster to sample.
Chipotle is the first stop on the group's salsa crawl down State Street. The four Cardinal staff members—Kristin Czubkowski, Christopher Guess, Kimm VanDen Heuvel and Katie Vann—sample salsas from four restaurants in search of the perfect combination of spice, flavor and texture.
While waiting in line, Kimm and Katie observe fresh cilantro bunches being diced for salsas and avocados halved and laid out on trays to be used in guacamole dip.
Kimm eyes up the guacamole and decides that after the salsa crawl, she will come back to Chipotle and order some guacamole for an afternoon snack at the library.
The tasters start off with Chipotle's fresh tomato salsa.
Kimm comments that there is just the right amount of cilantro present to compliment the fresh tomato chunks and red onions.
Kristin shakes her head in disagreement and says ""the onions almost overpower the tomatoes while they should just be providing a hint of flavor"" to the salsa.
All four agree that the roasted-chili corn salsa lacks flavor.
""The roasted-chili corn salsa does not have enough kick to stand alone in a boxing ring, which is why it should only be paired with an entrAce,"" Kimm says. ""It needs more spice to be considered a salsa for chips.""
However, the bold flavor of the tomatillo-green chili salsa distinctly stands out.
The tomatillo-green chili salsa contains the ""best balance of chips with salsa,"" says Kristin. ""I could drink it like a smoothie.""
The tomatillo-green chili salsa did, however, ""lack texture;"" Katie notes, ""the flavor is amazing, but it's hard to scoop onto a chip because it's not thick enough."" Katie disagrees about whether the green salsa would make a good smoothie. An avid fan of vegetable smoothies, usually fruits need to be added to mask the healthy green taste.
The group next ventures down State to Chipotle's main competitor for fast Mexican food—Qdoba.
Qdoba offers an additional ""extra hot"" salsa known as the fiery habanero.
Expecting a painful encounter to be in store, the expectations for a fiery blend are met with disappointment. The fiery habanero seems dull to all tasters.
Not much of an onion fan, Kristin enjoys the milder pico de gallo salsa better because the tomato and cilantro are more pronounced than Chipotle's version of this salsa.
Meanwhile, Chris is enjoying the improved texture of Qdoba's version of the salsa roja while also criticizing the chips for lacking ""the lime and salt of Chipotle's.""
All agree that while the textures of the salsas improved, the salsas, along with the chips, all seemed to lack a certain zest.
Giving their taste buds a slight break, the foursome take in fresh air and prepare for two more stops, the first of which is Casa de Lara.
A hostess seats them at a table, and while waiting for the chips and salsa to arrive, the group immediately dislikes the tacky restaurant dAccor.
The chips and salsa are also a bit over-the-top. The waitress places a warm basket of chips, adorned with pickled carrots, onions and jalapeAos on the table. After dipping a seasoned chip into the salsa, Kimm cringes and mutters that it tastes like ""a can of tomato paste with water.""
""I feel like these are just generic chips with seasoned salt added to them,"" she says.
While Kristin agrees the salsa isn't anything special, her love for the pickled carrots leaves her with a lasting positive impression of Casa de Lara. She sticks up for its efforts in trying to stand out.
""They really personalize the chips,"" she says. ""The carrots are definitely unique.""
The last stop is Frida Mexican Grill. Surrounded by art and bright dAccor, the four salsa crawlers have high expectations for quality.
The waitress brings out Frida's four salsas—the tomatillo salsa, the house salsa, the salsa de arbol and the salsa diabla.
Feeling full, Kimm takes hold of a warm chip and reluctantly tries the salsa de arbol.
She comments that it is ""very different from any other we've tasted yet today.""
""It seems almost too sweet for me though.""
Curious, Chris tries the salsa de arbol as well and adds ""it does taste a lot like citrus.""
Both seem indifferent to the taste.
Katie notes how the salsa de arbol and the tomatillo salsa are served warm. Chris and she both agree that it works to compliment the flavors of each.
""It's perverse,"" Kristin cuts in. ""It shouldn't be warm. It's like tasting a warm lemon.""
The garlic in the salsa de arbol isn't apparent, but they do pick up on it.
The house salsa that comes complimentary with the chips before a meal tastes standard.
Saving the salsa diabla for last, Katie is unsure whether the taste testing is worth possibly losing her taste buds for the next few days.
While Chris says that it is the spiciest he's had yet, Kimm thinks it lacks ""true devil punch.""
""It tastes like stale coffee grounds,"" Kristin says.
After trying 15 salsas in the span of an hour and a half, the group is pretty sick of salsa. The warm, salty tortilla chips served by Frida's, however, are eaten up quickly without salsa, and another basket is ordered.
Exhausted, the group reflects on their experience and selects favorites. It is Chipotle, hands down. Chris and Kristin decide on Chipotle's tomatillo-green chili salsa as their favorite, while Katie and Kimm agree on Chipotle's fresh tomato salsa.
The group parts, taste buds assaulted but still intact. Walking past Chipotle, Kimm decides against the guacamole, at least for the afternoon.
