El Nutri Taco

Tonight we had to be boring adults and take the car to be DEQ'd (that's "smogged" if you're in California, or "emission tested" elsewhere). Because we were short on time, we grabbed dinner at a cart on the way home.

I had heard good things about El Nutri Taco for a while, but to be honest, the name was offputting. Seriously, it sounds like they put nutria (a large aquatic rodent) in there. Plus, the location was never convenient, until the recent move to NE Alberta Street. We drove by recently and were excited to see the words "vegan" and "chimichanga" on the sign. Sadly, they were closed at the time, but we got some awesome deep fried onigiri at Yogio, a nearby Korean-inspired cart instead.

This time the were open, but unfortunately it was so dark, rainy and cold that I didn't get any photos. Maybe next time (and there will be a next time). At the El Nutri Taco cart, the menus are posted on either side of the window: vegan/vegetarian on the right, and something else I didn't pay attention to on the left. There are some creative special burritos as well as nachos, sopes, huraches, and a long list of vegan sides. Daiya cheeze, Tofutti sour cream, and Earth Balance are all used to make items vegan. For many of the items, you can choose potatoes, tempeh, soyrizo or tofu-- awesome!

We got a tempeh and black bean chimichanga coverd in Daiya and Tofutti, and a grilled burrito filled with all sorts of veggies. The chimichanga was definitely the favorite-- crispy on the outside, filled with a nice blend of crumbled tempeh and smashed black beans, served with a little salsa fresca on the side. I will definitely be back! It's also just a couple of blocks away from Back to Eden, an irresistible dessert stop.