Burrito stand debuts at Fields Center

Brunger's Burritos is open for business. After weeks of meetings with University administrators and representatives from Dining Services, U-Councilor John Brunger '05 and USG Vice President Jesse Creed '07 finally saw their plan for a new late-night burrito stand come to fruition Tuesday.

Due to regulatory restrictions from the New Jersey Department of Sanitation the stand could not yet be open to the public, so the invitation-only inauguration party consisted almost entirely of USG senate members, class presidents and members of the Race Committee.

USG President Leslie-Bernard Joseph '06, one of the first taste-testers, was already optimistic about the future of the burrito stand. "I see this becoming a successful late-night meal option," he said.

The event was meant to function as a test run to see what sort of preparation would be needed to make and serve the burritos.

The kickoff got off to a rocky start when Creed discovered that the oven in the Carl Fields center, where the burrito stand is located, was broken. As a result, Creed and Brunger, the chefs for the night, had to heat the burritos in a microwave one at a time — a long and inefficient process that would have proven disastrous had the Fields Center been packed with hungry customers.

The menu for the night consisted of one item: a burrito with chicken, salad, sour cream, tomato salsa, peppers, onions and cheddar cheese. While Creed and Brunger rolled the ingredients in soft tortilla shells, they would pause occasionally to reference a recipe and listen to impromptu reviews from patrons.

In the living room adjacent to the kitchen, Joseph expressed particular enthusiasm over his burrito. "For the fact that this burrito was made by a USG councilor it's pretty damn good," he said. "I would eat it for lunch."

Academics Chair Robert Wai Wong '06 was also highly satisfied with his burrito. "This is really good," he exclaimed. "I highly endorse the service of product."

While the original plan for the stand was to have it open from 10 p.m to 2 a.m. on Thursdays and Saturdays, Wai Wong speculated that it could have even later hours. "I think we may try to keep it open until 2:30 or 3:00," he said.

There is still some uncertainty about whether the stand will open to the public before the end of the year. While Joseph said it was likely that the stand would open, Brunger had his doubts. "Because of exams it would be hard to staff it, but for sure it will open next fall," Brunger said.