Columbia City Source

A reader emailed me (thanks, Rob!) and let me know that with all the hype Watercress has been getting, I completely missed including the write-up Corazon Taqueria (between Hillman City and Columbia City) also earned in The Stranger’s “Best New Places to Eat for Cheap in Seattle.” Charles Mudede writes:

The Perfect Urban Burrito in Rainier Valley

CORAZON TAQUERIA: Located almost exactly between thriving Columbia City and emerging Hillman City is a small Mexican restaurant that faces the constant traffic of Rainier Avenue, one of the main arteries of the most diverse neighborhood in Seattle. You can hear the bells of Link trains from here—right outside the restaurant’s building. Inside, the space is short and narrow, with a row of stools on the left side and a row of dining tables on the right. You place your order at the counter, behind which are the kitchen’s swinging doors. “The beans are fat free, and the food is prepared by hand. I cut all the vegetables, the onions, the tomatoes, the cilantro,” says Melissa Lopez, the woman taking my order: one carnitas burrito with everything ($5.95), one carne asada torta with everything and regular mayo ($7.95). The hard work that went into the preparation is apparent on the first bite of the burrito. Nothing fancy, not at all greasy, and no feelings of guilt when one is done with the business. The carne asada torta is also excellent, but it comes with tater tots, and there is no way to escape the guilt of eating those fried and fattening things. This little place gives you more than your money’s worth: The food is fast and very satisfying, and you get a real sense of being in a big and dense city. Seattle needs more restaurants like Corazon Taqueria. (5303 Rainier Ave S, Suite B, 557-7921) CHARLES MUDEDE