DISH OF THE WEEK: Breakfast Burritos at URSULA

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

While waiting for my burrito at the cramped take-out café Ursula, I noticed the only others in the shop were young hipster-types and an older couple waiting for their food in the corner. They seemed strangely out of place.

And that was when I remembered that this unlikely little New Mexican café had just been named a finalist in the James Beard “Best New Restaurant” category. Could that be why this couple was here on a weekday morning? Or did I judge unfairly and they are in fact neighborhood regulars?

The neighborhood in question is Crown Heights, a mostly Caribbean immigrant community that has recently been gentrified by younger transplants that are probably thrilled that this great  breakfast burrito spot has opened in their new neighborhood. There are even gluten free pop tarts – what more do you need?

Ursula has been on my list for quite a while and I’m thrilled I finally got to see what all the hype is about. Breakfast burritos have become very fashionable in Brooklyn lately and these are truly the best I’ve ever tasted.

All of their burritos feature some form of the New Mexico hatch chiles (either green or red), eggs,  cheese (vegan is available), protein, and the surprising addition of a hash brown.

I had a tough time picking just one option, but I settled on the chorizo filling with red chile.

The burrito was pretty large and had been nicely toasted on the outside so that it almost resembled a quesadilla. Impressive.

Even more impressive was the amount of filling that took up the entire volume of the burrito. There were no lonely empty bites here.

And each bite was truly fantastic. I didn’t plan to eat the entire thing but before I knew it, it was gone.

The chorizo was creamy and spiced well, the eggs were fluffy, the cheddar added a nice rich sharpness, the chiles gave it a mellow burn, and the hash browns provided texture to the entire masterpiece.

I really wonder what that older couple thought about the food. And which James Beard nominee they were heading to next. Price: $11