Life lesson: Restaurants are not like relationships. Well, that’s not entirely true. Both can be experimental and fleeting; both can feed a part of your soul. But whereas the beginning of a new relationship is usually referred to as the honeymoon phase, that is often not the case for restaurants as the staff works out the kinks in their new situation.
While everyone rushes to try the newest establishments, often lining up around the block – Chattanooga is, after all, a big small town – my advice is to wait until the craving has died down. Just don’t wait too long: Statistics show that 60 percent of restaurants don’t make it past the first year, and 80 percent buckle before the five-year mark.
If you go
› Where: La Adelita, 110 Kristin Drive, Ringgold, Ga.› Phone: 706-937-3707.› Website: la-adelita.com.› Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday, noon-9 p.m. Sunday.› Price range: $7-$14 (entrees).› Alcohol: Full bar.
The regular salsa has a tomato sauce-like consistency, but the flavors of onion and cilantro are discernable. There are several other types you can try for a minimal charge. Shown here are the regular, tomatillo and habanero, along with cheese dip with chorizo added.While I’m sad to report that La Adelita, which literally just opened in Ringgold, Ga., had some obvious kinks to work out, I’m hopeful it will be around long enough to become one of the great loves of local diners’ lives.
THE SPACE