Cruisin' to Burrito-Ville on a Monday night

Coming off of a spectacularly hectic weekend that saw me taking three trips to St. Louis in four days, I found myself on a Monday staring at a Tuesday deadline for this article. Honestly, this is nothing new. Procrastination is life for me. It's when I'm most productive, precisely because I have to be. The problem with waiting for a Monday to eat somewhere is simple: a lot of restaurants are closed on Mondays. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to those places that stay open on a slow Monday and save my procrastinating butt.

I got in our old car, a '77 Monte Carlo garage queen that doesn't see the light of day often enough. I had to drive it; our truck was in the shop, because of course it was. The sun was setting. I was hungry and tired and just done with going and doing, but the Monte fired right up after I pushed the gas pedal 20 ... 30 times. Off to a good start!

We rumbled down the interstate, just the Monte and me, and we floated like a 4,000-pound cloud. Down Broadway, where the Monte used to cruise on a Friday night when we were both younger and shinier. All the way to Burrito-Ville, where I maneuvered into a parking spot somehow and walked in, just desperately wanting some good food in a fun spot.

Every time I'm on my way to Burrito-Ville, I'm humming "Margaritaville" under my breath with the words changed appropriately: "Eating away again at Burrito-Ville. Ate too much food, not really my fault." I wanted to try something I'd never had there before, something wild and crazy-ish, so not my regular Strip Club burrito with chicken and bacon. No, this time I tried a new one, a burrito that's only been around for three or four months, the Steak Teriyaki Burrito. Loaded with steak, rice, teriyaki sauce, grilled peppers and pineapples, this was sufficiently odd enough that I was interested. I haven't been craving beef lately, which is odd, so I subbed the beef for grilled chicken, turning it into a Chicken Teriyaki Burrito. I also ordered some dessert tacos with absolutely no guilt.

I sat at a table by the window to wait, watched the Monte, and sipped my drink. I sure hoped the car started when it was time to leave. Sometimes, it was more than a little reticent. It probably needed a tune up. Anyway. Like magic, the food arrived, hot and smelling incredible.

Dessert tacos from Burrito-Ville, all the strawberry cheesecake goodness you could want.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

I cut my burrito in half to get some good pictures, and I almost couldn't wait. Like, I considered taking a bite and hiding it in the pictures, but thought it wasn't worth the risk. So I took the fastest pictures ever and dug in, and that burrito was everything I wanted in life in that moment. The chicken was chopped up so finely that it felt like it was going to melt in my mouth. Still tasting strongly of taco-ey seasonings, cumin and chili powder, the teriyaki sauce just added an extra layer of savory sweetness that complemented the meat. The grilled peppers were bright and beautiful, still a little crunchy and mild. And the pineapple pieces sealed the deal, a pop of sweetness that permeated my taste buds and made me smile. I have half of that burrito waiting for me at home for lunch today, and I can't wait to finish it off.

The dessert tacos are made with lightly fried flour tortillas, crunchy on the outside, soft inside. They are stuffed with cubes of cheesecake, graham cracker crust still attached. You can pour a strawberry "salsa" onto them, and I highly recommend it. For cheesecake lovers, this is wonderful, a deconstructed cheesecake in a tortilla for easy handling. If you go on a Wednesday, which is Date Night, and order two entrees and drinks, you can try it for free.

Among other new offerings at Burrito-Ville are limited-time pickle fries and the Hot Cheese, which is a quesadilla filled with pulled pork, spicy cheese and pineapples, and served with a teriyaki dipping sauce. If you like a little spice, these flavors may be for you.

Burrito-Ville ended a hectic weekend for me and started my week off right. A good meal can change the world. The Monte started like a dream, and we floated home, the wheels rolling over the open road for another night. We'll both keep moving as long as we can.