One of the many things I like about this restaurant is that Jack and his crew keep things fresh by periodically introducing new dishes, which they did recently. My favorite, well, my two favorites of the new menu additions are the feathery, lightly battered steak and cheese-stuffed chile relleno ($7) and rigatoni vodka albondigas ($14), a piquant southwestern-style pasta and meatballs.

Let’s start with the chile relleno appetizer. So many chile rellenos around town are too heavy and doughy—some arrive cold, or even frozen in the center.

Here, a real poblano pepper is stuffed with tender strip steak and gooey white cheese. It wears an egg batter that’s been whipped so hard the texture is as light and airy as cotton candy. A spicy, though not offensive tomato and serrano puree puts the exclamation point on this soulful version of the chile relleno. Perhaps the best I’ve eaten in Atlanta. And, I’ve eaten almost all chile rellenos up and down Buford Highway and from Canton to Cumming to Gainesville.

In New Mexico cuisine hatch chiles are used in just about everything. And Jack has done an amazing job showcasing the distinct mellow zing of the New Mexico green hatch chile, in fact, he utilizes the green hatch chile more than any other restaurant in town. That’s why I wasn’t surprised in the least to see what most would consider an odd addition to a southwestern menu, rigatoni with green hatch chile vodka sauce and meatballs. Why not? Those green hatch chiles lend some much needed bling to the vodka sauce—a sauce I generally don’t eat due to its bland nature. What a brilliant fusion of two cuisines.

Stab a fluffy veal and chorizo meatball with your fork and swipe it through that convivial vodka sauce and see for yourself how that one single bite bridges the gap between old and new world cooking.

And that’s really what Agave’s kitchen does best—it fuses the old with the new while safely combining the familiar with the mysterious.

March 20
Mud Bug Festival at 5 Seasons Brewing Westside
Crawfish Boil, Alligator Etoufee, music and more. Visit www.5seasonsbrewing.com for more.

March 22
Scotch 101 at 5 Seasons Brewing Prado
Starts at 6:30 and costs $20 per person. Visit www.5seasonsbrewing.com for more.

March 23
Don Julio 1942 Tequila Dinner at Agave
Starts at 7pm and costs $70 per person. Visit www.agaverestaurant.com for more.

Finding a bowl of posole here in Atlanta is no easy task, authentic or not. Even the abundance of authentic taquerias we’re blessed with choose to leave it off the standard everyday menu. Though some do occasionally slip it in as a weekend special.

Weirdly, this soulful Mexican soup can be found on the everyday menus at four American-friendly neighborhood restaurants — from edgy Cabbagetown to suburban Alpharetta. Don’t expect a pig’s head to emerge from the murky broth at these places, nor need you be prepared to fight over the ears. The places mentioned below wisely substitute tenderloin or shoulder meat so not to scare off the more polished — or, squeamish — American clientele that makes up the bulk of their business.

Agave (242 Boulevard, Cabbagetown, Tel: 404.588.0006)
While you won’t have to muster up the courage to consume odd pig parts, you will have to prepare yourself for a biting sting when putting your lips to Jack Sobel’s Southwestern take of this down home Mexican dish.

“It’s a great seller for us,” claims managing partner Tim Pinkham, after being asked if many people order it.

“It’s a simple version,” continues Pinkham. “Nothing fancy about it, just fresh, well-executed ingredients.”

I enjoy it for its distinct lucid heat that doesn’t overwhelm, but instead successfully straddles that fine line between a lively, flavorful bite and a spoonful of napalm.

Pozole (1044 Greenwood Ave., Virginia Highland, Tel: 404.892.0552)
Located in the heart of Virginia Highland directly across from Panita, this little eatery billed itself as a Nuevo Latino restaurant at conception. The food coming out of the kitchen was unique and mostly delicious, but the pozole struggled like a lost leader whose name proudly hung over the door.

Today, the menu reads more like that of a Mexican restaurant with a few Nuevo Latino accents. And along with the changes arrived a “born again” pozole featuring a rich, soul-soothing red broth spiced with a skilled hand. Chock-full of hominy and stewed pork, this version is served with a side of finely diced red onions, slivers of creamy, ripe avocado and a wedge of lime.

Pure Taqueria (103 Roswell St., Alpharetta, Tel: 678.240.0023)
Chris Sedgwick jetted off to Mexico for a little getaway and returned bearing recipes and flavor profiles for this Mexican concept that promises suburbanites a taste of Mexico without leaving Alpharetta.

The posole served here is called posole verde, which arrives a thin, greenish broth rife with cilantro, onions and pork drippings. It’s topped with shredded cabbage and paper-thin slices of radish.

This giant bowl of heady goodness is one of the best dishes in the house and worthy of a trip from anywhere in the city, especially for those who just happen to have a hankerin’ for posole verde. I admittedly feel the need to scratch that itch every once in a while.

Bone Garden Cantina (1425 Ellsworth Industrial #6, Westside, Tel: 404.418.9072)
Bone Garden Cantina arrived on the scene last summer with attitude. It is after all, owned by the same couple that owns The Vortex where major attitude is the foremost ingredient for success.

Problem is, at some point the whole attitude thing becomes tired and I just want something that tastes good. And that just doesn’t happen at Bone Garden Cantina. The menu has promise offering authentic sounding dishes, but mostly leaves me scratching my head.

The posole offered here is chicken posole blanco. The flavor profile varies from visit to visit. During one attempt, it tasted like my grandmother’s intentionally tamed chicken noodle soup, minus the noodles and flavor. A second attempt rewarded me with a face-wincing overdose of oregano. Not once in four visits was I served a posole worth hanging my hat on.