Preview: Cafe Burrito in Belmont

A few days ago, Joel and I had Dan from The Food in My Beard over for dinner to discuss a top secret event we're planning for the fall (more info soon!) and to force him to taste-test a recipe we're working on for a lamb contest (more on that soon too!) He told us about his latest gig, developing the menu for an upcoming burrito and coffee shop in Belmont in the space of a gelato store at which he worked until its recent closure. He encouraged us to swing by and check it out, which we promptly did the next day. I shot some interior photos and did a little write-up for Eater Boston, which you can read here. Since Eater's not really into food porn photos, I'll share those with you here.

Dan shows off his magical chili powder spice blend. It'll be available for sale in jars.

Carnitas taco with salsa, cheese, and pickled carrots and radishes (yum) 

Barbecue chicken taco with peach salsa and lettuce (more yum)

Joel tried a burrito. This is all you'll see of it because there's nothing attractive about the interior of a burrito, no matter how delicious it tastes.

I contemplated eating this entire bowl of peach salsa. Amazing. 

This is one of Cafe Burrito's "quesos a la plancha," hybrids between quesadillas and grilled cheese. This particular one is modeled after a Cuban sandwich, featuring ham, mustard, and whatever else goes into a Cuban. (Cuban sandwiches are clearly not my area of expertise.)

Just a bird's-eye view of the aforementioned sandwich

While Belmont isn't really in my usual territory, I definitely plan on going back once Cafe Burrito opens up. (The goal is August 11, currently.) Dan's ridiculously good at developing recipes, and I need to eat more of that peach salsa, or whatever other fruit he's using by then. There will always be five salsas available, all made in-house, and one will be a seasonal fruit that rotates monthly. Plus, I'm always up for awesome tacos, and these were quite good.

By the way, Cafe Burrito will also feature a wide range of tea, coffee, and smoothies, as you might have guessed from the "cafe" part of the name.