Tucked away in the land of the '09 zip code, there lays a quaint Mexican vegetarian-friendly joint called Adelante that claims to be the place "where heaven and health meet." Anxious to see if such a wholesome culinary nirvana existed here in San Anto, I popped in for dinner after a chilly scooter ride hoping to warm myself up. I kept things rudimentary and ordered the essential trifecta: a taco, enchilada, and a quesadilla. My enchilada of choice was called the Southwest Poblano, a gargantuan mound that erupted onto my plate like a volcano each time I cut into it. Strips of poblano pepper, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes and monterey jack cheese were all stuffed into a corn tortilla topped with a chipotle ranchero sauce (tomatillo sauce is also an option) that was surprisingly fiery upon first bite, drowning out nearly everything else. The woody, warm spicy flavor of chipotle I was expecting from the sauce was MIA. Halfway through, I decided to move on to the veggie taco. In place of my usual maiz preference, I chose the whole wheat tortilla (slightly toasted) which gave a nice light crunch to the sprouts, avocado, shredded carrots, and red cabbage, tomato, and traces of red onion. Unlike my scorching enchilada, this taco was begging for some heat, so I grabbed a chip to test out the salsa (often my chief indicator of a Mexican food restaurant's skill set) before drenching my taco. It was lackluster and on the watery side, missing the flavor I was expecting. Any flavor would have been great, really. I put down the chip. After my bipolar experience, I was happy I saved the even-tempered zucchini poblano quesadilla for last. The homemade corn tortilla (folded in half) was delectable. Corn, traces of green onion, and feta cheese were refreshing and satisfying. I didn't save room for dessert, but I did save enough room to steal a bite of rice from my dinner companion's plate, only to discover it was just like the salsa: not so stellar. In a nutshell, Adelante strives to use simple techniques with fresh ingredients to create a healthy haven in a scene too often ruled over with the heavy hand of lard and extra cheese. But before Adelante can transport anyone to heaven, some of those staples need attention.
Adelante
21 Brees Blvd
(210) 822-7681
