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This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

Food

Attack of the Chicken Wrap

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LAist has noticed a startling development in the current food trends of the greater Los Angeles area. That trend -- that the once unique and sparsely-distributed "chicken wrap" has now infested every nook and cranny of LA's food service world.

The emergence of the classic chicken wrap originated in the mid-90's when restaurants like California Chicken Cafe started rolling their juicy morsels of chix up in tasty packages. There was chinese dressing and croutons and cheese and avacado. The chicken wrap of the early 90's brought smiles and happy intestinal goodness to those who braved the risky chicken wrap waters (only risky, of course, due to its newness).

But the late 90's brought copy-cats. Chicken wraps infested places like Koo Koo Roo and Jack in the Box and took the place of the Grilled Cheese as the most commonly ordered lunch and dinner item ever. An unnamed Los Angeles City Official was anonymously quoted as saying, "Next to crime, these chicken wraps are taking over the city with horrifying results."

Today, chicken wraps are everywhere. From high-end restaurants to low-end fast food joints to supermarkets and lunch delivery services (low-carb to no carb). Chicken wraps are no longer special, no longer unique and some might even be daring enough to say, no longer wanted.

Fortunately, LAist has noticed that there is a new trend gracing the tables of restaurants everywhere -- the no bun, protein only burger. It has already started to suck the life out of the chicken wrap and we can only hope it accelerates to a point that in two years, the chicken wrap will be nothing but an anecdote in the food history of Los Angeles.

We can dream, can't we?

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