The Chile Relleno Has a Cousin — The Chile Pablano

With some version or other of Mexican food available every few blocks on the west side of town, there

to

when it opened on Harding Road in early 2008.

Still, as Carrington pointed out, it's a Friday dinner option that everyone in a week-weary group can agree on, so we end up there occasionally.

This last time, I looked over the menu more carefully than usual and found chiles poblanos (though it was spelled "pablanos"). I thought maybe it was a chile relleno in disguise. But no, it has another identity. Like a relleno, it is a poblano chile, stuffed with cheese. But rather than being batter-dipped and fried, the two chiles on the platter were wrapped in a thin layer of omelet. Our server called it a specialty of the state of Puebla.

And it's good. The warmth of the pepper is mellowed by the cheese and enriched with the egg. It has the effect of a relleno without the whole frying thing. A great choice for vegetarians, but filling enough to satisfy a meat eater. And honestly, it's exciting — and unexpected — to discover something new on a Mexican menu in Nashville.