'Tis the Season ... For Gobblerito!

What on earth is a Gobblerito? Think Mexican food meets Turkey Day. 

One of my favorite perks about living in the Moon/Robinson area is that I don’t have to drive into the city to get tasty, hep food because we have a Mad Mex perfectly centered between the two communities. Mad Mex is a California/Mexican restaurant owned by the regional chain Big Burrito. These folks really step up their game in the month of November. It’s the season of Gobbleritos!

“Huh?” you say?  

Well, a Gobblerito is basically a burrito filled with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and corn with a side of cranberry sauce. That’s right. An entire Thanksgiving meal rolled into one, tidy, perfect burrito. Yum!

To me, the Gobblerito exemplifies exactly what I adore about America—the blending of cultures and traditions with a dash of gluttony. Now maybe I’m just rationalizing so I can consume an obscene amount of calories. Regardless, the Gobblerito is something very special. Not just to me, but to many Pittsburgh-based hipsters.

Check this out. It is only the first week of November and the Gobblerito has been trending on both Facebook and Twitter. As any self-respecting Millennial will tell you, that is the true litmus test of what is actually important to the young people. I called Mad Mex in Robinson to congratulate them on the Internet buzz and to ask a question or two. 

I spoke to a hostess named Lisa who was positively giddy at the mere mention of the Gobblerito.

She asked if I had tried any of the seasonal margaritas.

I told her that I wasn’t much of a drinker. She insisted on telling me about the drinks anyway. 

For the month of November the resturants are offering Cranberry, Apple Cider and Pumpkin margaritas.

I informed Lisa that I was beginning to re-think my views on alcohol.

Let’s face it, pumpkin is the greatest flavor on the planet! Mad Mex has somehow figured out a way to combine pumpkin with Tequila and make it taste good. I’m pretty sure that they deserve an award for this, some kind of Nobel Peace Cocktail Prize or something. I told Lisa they were geniuses. She started laughing. 

Then, in a sing-songy manner, she asked, “Do you know what’s happening here in December?” I dropped the phone in excitement. I quickly picked it up and giggled as I asked, “What Lisa? What’s happening in December at Mad Mex?”

Lisa began to describe a new burrito called: The Roast Beast, named after the famous dish in Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.  The roast beast consists of braised short ribs, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, peas, corn, pearl onions and gravy rolled into a burrito.

Get this, they have an accompanying margarita! A frozen eggnog margarita.
Eggnog + Tequila = yummy in Gabby’s tummy.

Suddenly, I became Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I began whining to Lisa over the phone, “I don’t want to wait for December! I want a frozen eggnog margarita and a roast beast NOW!”

Lisa tactfully informed me I’d just have to wait. Then she shared with me that her manager was not thrilled with her taking a 45-minute phone call from a stranger and that she had to go.

After Lisa hung up, I got to thinking. She was right. I do have to wait until December to start celebrating Christmas. It’s almost like Mad Mex has become a metaphor for the holidays. Most businesses try to forget about Thanksgiving and move right into Christmas after Halloween. Not Mad Mex. They savor that turkey and cranberry for a full month. As well they should.

So join me won’t you, in my Gobblerito obsession?  Why on earth would you eat all this Turkey Day food separately when you can stuff an obscene amount of it in one giant burrito and gorge yourself in one fell swoop! After all, this is suburban America! (Burp).