Omnivore - First meal at the new Bell Street Burritos

At Irwin Street Market and close to ice cream

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Another restaurant, another addiction. This time it’s Bell Street Burritos, which opened at Irwin Street Market a few days ago.

The restaurant’s story is well known to long-time Atlantans. It opened a few years ago at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market for lunch only. Owner Matt Hinton’s goal was to recreate the recipes of the defunct Tortillas, a San Francisco-style burrito shop on Ponce de Leon noted for grunge ambiance, savory flavor, and fanatical fans (including me) during the ’80s and ’90s.

Not long after opening the Sweet Auburn location, Hinton opened a second one in West Atlanta, where he could be open for lunch and dinner. But less than a year later, he lost his lease, and has now opened this new location.

I ordered my usual shrimp burrito with pinto beans and roasted green chilies. Hinton suggested I try a different style of preparation he offers now. He melts butter on the griddle and browns the tortilla. Meanwhile, he covers it with cheese so that it melts into a thin layer. Then he wraps up the tortilla with the customer’s chosen ingredients. The effect is super-rich and really demands the acidic counterpoint of a green or red salsa.

After lunch, I made the mistake of leaving through the section of the market fronted by Jake’s Ice Cream. Yeah, I had to have a cone topped with fig-cognac ice cream.

A light lunch.