Chipotle has been busy this week.

Hello World.

This morning Chipotle reposted added an ordering application to the Apple iTunes App store. The app is free and allows “iPhone and iPod touch users the ability to create their favorite Chipotle order, place it at the Chipotle location of their choice, and also pay for their food direct from their device.”

The app serves a useful purpose without even considering the ordering aspect - it helps locate nearby Chipotle locations and provides hours and maps to assist you in shoving 3 pounds of bliss in to your stomach.

Dulles Airport should read 6:00 AM to 9:00PM

If you do decide to place an order the App knows to let you do all the things to your burrito you may wish to do when ordering in the line. In particular, you can order extra meat, combo meats, and add both beans and fajitas to your masterpiece. One problem with this process however is that it completely removes the chance of a magical Chipotle hook-up…. you know what I mean too, like when you order in Spanglish and wink at the burrito wrapper and they smile and somehow neglect to place the $1.85 surcharge ”G” on your foil or when double meat comes at single meat prices…

Sorry, no triple meats however…

Fear not, there is still a chance to tell them to do some kind of crazy bullshit to your meal if you like it that way (to this point the day laborer in Kingstowne who poured a full Budweiser in to his burrito bol before eating it takes the cake). On the last page you can name your order something absurd and place any special instructions such as “Guac on the side, yo” or “set on fire”…

I can only imagine how many PEN 15 orders are made a day

Last but not least, now Chipotle fans can broadcast from their iPhone/iTouch main operating screen that they enjoy burritos enough to necessitate a button that is always within a seconds reach should they need to immediately place an order.

45 minutes from placing my “SYSTEM TEST: Code 002″ order…  maybe it will end up being free. 

Ever wonder if you can get to the gated terminal area of an airport without a boarding pass?

The head of security at Dulles Airport (IAD) told me “no freaking way” when I asked if I could get in to Terminal B for nothing more than a Chipotle burrito breakfast.

He didn’t seem interested that I HAD to follow-up on my last visit to Dulles and at least SEE what was on the breakfast menu - it was really tormenting me and the Internets failed me in producing an answer.

All of that didn’t stop me from enlisting a friend from getting the job done and I can say I am not disappointed in what my flying detective found out.

You are seeing it right, there are three breakfast options. The new Chipotle breakfast unveiled new burrito ingredients previously unheard of in the history of the restaurant: herbed potatoes, scrambled egs, a new sausage meat option UPDATE 9/24: and a new Onion-Jalapeno spicy salsa. I am still not sure why Chicken didn’t make the AM cut.

The inside of the Dulles Chipotle is also a new take on the traditional Chipotle formula. The location encourages eaters to sit (briefly) at highly lit stool seating. This is probably to help move traffic along and fit as many people and their luggage in to the restaurant as possible. Also, new sheet metal artwork adorns the walls and a wood grain ceiling contains noise while it accents and contrasts with the unusual slate colored entrance.

Given this news, the next time you plan to fly out of Dulles make sure you book a morning flight and arrive early (breakfast is served 6am-10am) - and perhaps most importantly - come to the airport on an empty stomach. The “breakfast burrito coma” is sure to make any flight, even on Continental, a relaxing experience.

Our next target: Blacksburg Chipotle. EDIT: Well, that was easier than expected.

I suppose its only fair to post the FXCO reply video to my earlier posting of “Arlington: The Rap” - unfortunately Fairfax sucks so much worse than A-Town that its more depressing than funny to watch. They did at least visit a Chipotle …

Unfortunately the Dulles Airport Chipotle didn’t open as planned. Originally set to open 8/7/09 the first airport location won’t open for almost another two weeks. I was disappointed when I approached the storefront, located near gate 58 in the B Terminal, on what was supposed to be their grand opening day and found coming soon signage. Upon finding what you see above I tried to get a glimpse through the cracks of the front doors and someone on the other side spotted my snooping and opened the door smiling.

The location has a much more modern feel to it than most Chipotle locations. Less than the usual industrial facade, the tables are well lit and bright. The stools have cream leather and the kitchen is brighter, spacious and opened up like a cooking show.

The man who opened the door was pleased to hear that I was a fan of the C and told me the new location would open on August 19th and in response to my question of if they would be serving breakfast he said it was a definite and they were still working out the breakfast-burrito combination.

Now I have to figure out where to fly next Wednesday.

UPDATE: The Chipotle breakfast menu unveiled

On August 7th the Dulles Airport Chipotle location opens. This is great news to all of the passengers who will be flying on one of the airport’s 1,200 daily flights. However, there is a much more interesting aspect of this particular Chipotle thanks to its airport real estate - it has to serve breakfast.

Other staple franchises have found ways to accommodate this… For instance Quizno’s makes sub length toasted breakfast sandwiches for morning travelers. Five Guys lets you top one of their delicious burgers with fluffy scrambled eggs. Even Auntie Anne’s makes Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Pretzel Pockets.

We might be able to predict what Chipotle will do based upon what another burrito business has done to address the hunger pains of morning flyers. California Tortilla, located in concourse C, offers a variety of breakfast burritos, pop tarts,  yogurt, and even beer in the morning. This is not quite as revolutionary considering the variety of CT’s ever-changing menu compared to the staple and very few offerings made by its competitor Chipotle, a restaurant that prides itself on having a menu that hasn’t changed substantially in its 15+ years. Even later this summer when Chipotle unveils its “new” menu, the only major change is the addition of soup offerings.

Now, Chipotle is free to simply offer its tasty menu all-day and label it “breakfast” before 10:30 AM but something tells me that they will take a chance on placing an asterisk on the Dulles location and try using the grill for more than just Chicken and Steak. I know how a breakfast version of the overstuffed Chipotle burrito tastes and it’s heaven. One morning a few years back I brought with me a bag of scrambled eggs to the Tyson’s Corner location and they happily spooned them on to my steak burrito. The combination, paired with maple syrup and original Tabasco sauce, lived up to the wet dream of how I had imagined it would taste.

I have actually booked a flight leaving Dulles on August 7th (no not just because of this, but buying a 200-mile roundtrip ticket to Harrisburg just to find out what the menu board will reveal doesn’t seem crazy to me) and so I’ll find out opening day if “Breakfast Bacon and Sausage Burrito, Blackbeans” will be fair game when ordering Chipotle at 8:00AM.

So there is this book that says you should not eat “THAT!” and it shows you a steaming hot pile of gooey cheese fries covered in ranch sauce weighing in at 2900 calories and next to that it will say instead eat “THIS!” and it shows a steaming hot plate of sweet and breaded Bloomin’ Onion weighing in at 2893 calories. (You may have seen this in Men’s Health magazine actually.)

Well, today while awaiting an install of new tires on my car (I failed state inspection 7 different ways) I walked in to the local Barnes and Nobel and began flipping through this “No-Diet Weight Loss Solution” book. I flipped to the Chipotle page and took note. They labeled the Chicken Burrito (THAT) as “Worst Mexican Entre” and instead recommend (THIS) a Chicken Burrito Salad (skipping out on the buttery rice and calorie loaded tortilla but strangely it didn’t say anything about the fatback dressing).

I also was unaware that book stores do not take fondly of people taking pictures of their products.

So I figured what the Hell… hundreds and hundreds of Chipotle burritos in my life and I have never once tried 1/5 of the menu possibilities represented by the Salad. I walked down a few doors to where the Chipotle was and stood in line. I actually felt a little bad when I walked up and faced the counter to order - like I was turning my back on beloved Chipotle or eating a Q-Doba lime chicken burrito as I stood there. I quietly spoke out “Chicken Bur- er… salad… black beans” and continued down the line. The guy in front of me, seemingly taunting my EAT THIS decision ordered a double meat and guacamole behemoth which pushed his burrito’s tortilla to an A-Rod forearm sized bulge. I paid and sat down and sighed at the step I was about to take. It felt like the whole restaurant was staring at me, calling me a “burrito pussy” under their breath. “No… you’re the pussies” I thought as I dumped half a bottle of Tabasco in to the mountain of food in front of me, attempting to restore some manhood to my meal.

I took a bite. Then another. Man THIS is pretty good! I devoured the entire bowl of greens and spicy toppings in record time and felt satisfied at both the flavor and saving 700 calories. I don’t know if I would follow the logic and instructions of the book for a complete diet (after all if a Triple Whopper with Cheese already crosses your mind during lunch time decisions, chances are you are going to die of a heart attack within the next 40 seconds) but I can say this book showed me an amazing meal in my own wheelhouse, and I am both astonished and humbled.

Then I went and ate some fucking Cold Stone Creamery. THAT shit is good.

Chipotle has officially graduated me from the designation of Honorary Burrito Ambassador to that of Master Burrito Ambassador. It took many years of hard work, dedication, and corn salsa to achieve this prestigious honor and I am proud to hang up my new MBA certificate next to my doctorate and bachelors degrees.

I will admit that I have put more effort in to achieving this MBA than I probably did in to some classes back in school and if I had to quantify Chipotle I would say it is a 12 credit class that I have paid a few thousand in tuition to. I am appreciative they decided to include some scholarship money with my Masters and graduation gown.

Commencement will be at 1pm at the Camp Washington Chipotle. Food will be served.