El Pelón Taqueria owner Jim Hoben might be best recognized for his swooping handlebar mustache and a burrito that is now being lauded as one of the country’s best by David Chang and FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver. But Hoben has some other equally enticing offerings at his two taquerias, including some of the city’s best guacamole, mouth-watering carnitas enchiladas with verde sauce, and an alluring array of tacos.
We Have Now Identified 12 of the 16 Best Burritos in America
We now know the best four burritos in what we define as the Northeast in our Burrito Bracket. Correspondent Anna Maria Barry-Jester traveled from Iowa to Maine as part of our search for America’s best burrito and found some gems along the way — including a burrito with a freshly handmade corn tortilla.
‘The Handsome Man’ Burrito And Its Plantains Win by a No
I promised myself I wouldn’t eat the whole burrito at El Pelón Taqueria. It was my second burrito of the day, and late that night I was flying to California to begin the last region of the Burrito Bracket. But who was I to leave behind even a single piece of the sweet, fried plantain embedded throughout the bundle?
The Search For America’s Best Burrito Turns to the Northeast
The Northeast, which in the Burrito Bracket extends from Missouri to Maine, has the second-most burrito-selling establishments of any of our four regions (after California, of course). It lacks the historic Mexican culinary influence of California and the West, but is flush with college campuses and big cities, which breed burrito lovers.
El Pelón Burritos Are Fourth Best in US According to FiveThirtyEight
According to Silver’s website and blog FiveThirtyEight.com, there are 67,391 restaurants in the United States that serve a burrito. In Silver’s ongoing quest to find the country’s best one, the El Pelón Taquería burrito has been named number four.
El Pelón Taqueria Hosting Habañero Eating Championship
If you’re a fan of watching heat-seeking masochists wallowing in self-inflicted pain, then you don’t want to miss out on El Pelón Taqueria’s annual hot chili pepper eating championship on May 7. Throughout the month of April, contestants qualified by eating (and keeping down) 15 roasted habanero chili peppers in 15 minutes.
Tragedy Inspired Acts of Kindness
Out of the terror and tragedy at last year’s Boston Marathon bombings came many stories of people helping others. Some were stories of heroism and bravery, but there were also stories of those who helped in a more subtle way. Their acts of kindness were often relatively small—food, use of a cell phone, shelter from the cold—but they were timed in a manner that caused them to make a big difference.
Cocktails For a Cause
For one night only, The Hawthorne is partnering with the Anti-Defamation League to raise funds for the World of Difference Institute, a leading provider in anti-bias education. On the evening of March 24, the $20 price of admission will get you Latin-inspired food provided by El Pelon Taqueriaand The Hawthorne kitchen staff, as well as Eastern Standard bartender Naomi Levy’s award-winning Guayaba Arabica cocktail.
A Day in the Life of El Pelon Owner Jim Hoben
Our Eater NY colleague, Robert Sietsema, notes that greasy spoons are generally small, cheap, not afraid of fat, and adored by their communities. While we often speak of diners when referring to greasy spoons, he and we both know a wide range of places can fit the bill. Fenway and Brighton's El Pelon may not make French fries, but the fry-o-lator is constantly bubbling with fish for pescado tacos or plantains for the El Guapo burrito.
Boston Area’s Best Tortas
The toasted roll gives a nice crunch to this torta. Add in a meat, refried beans, the delectable limed onions and guacamole, and you have a great meal. But the true star of the sandwich has to be the spicy mayo. A nice kick of flavor to end the ideal bite, this condiment gives your taste buds exactly what they need. These tortas are best with the chicken, but don’t be afraid of the steak or braised pork. Any option is a good one for this zesty dish.
