Dining outside of Madison
And where do you eat if you are not in Madison? Here's a list of places I recommend or wish to try out. I don't have the time or the patience to keep up with detailed blogging, so these are short.
Pongal
Speciality: South Indian
Lexington Ave (between 27th and 28th St), New York City, NY
Remarks: Good Service, Tips included in bill, Atlas cried after sipping rasam
Tamarind Savoring India
Specialty: South Indian
Greentree Rd, Pittsburgh, PA
Remarks: Good Service, Family run, relative's Prof @ UW, the Mysore Masala Dosai's Masala hit even my parents!
Namasthe Cuisine of India
Specialty: Family owned and run; North Indian
Redmond Way, Redmond, WA
Remarks: Spring of 2006 while waiting in the lobby inbetween interview sessions, I happened to spot a binder full of menus of local restaurants waiting for developers to order from for late night takeout. I thought it would help me relax a bit before the next round and I had a hidden agenda as well - that night's dinner. New to the place and not wanting to touch base with any of my friends there, I decided to take my chance with NCI and found it located in a strip mall on a one way street. The husband and wife team who ostensibly own the place, run it and also wait on the clientale were very attentive. I ordered a masala chai upfront - what I needed after one of those rare times in my career so far when I have worked a high concentration 12-hour day purely for myself. That came in a large cup. This was then followed by some very good Chole Bhature. I ended that with a carryout order of Sweet Lassi. Satisfying respite to a triumphant day and a good meal before a calming evening at the Kirkland marina - ducks quacking as I made my way among them watching the far off lights of Seattle twinkle in the evening drizzle and the thin fog starting to roll in over Lake Washington.
Pagliacci Pizza
Specialty: Italian American, Bread sticks
Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA
Remarks: Kulwinder Singh and Steve Ballmer walked in for what seemed to be a Saturday lunch meeting and sat at the next table to mine - I couldn't stay and say hello for I had to catch a flight. Again, good service; was surprised to find later that it's part of a chain.
Tiffin
Specialty: North Indian Generic
W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL
Remarks: The only redeeming restaurant for all the hype of Devon (MG Road); be prepared to wait long for a table on Friday or Saturday evenings, a full bar greets those who are prepared to wait and quaff in the meantime.
Bombay Sweets
Specialty: North Indian Punjabi entrees and North Indian Sweets
S 13 St and Holt Ave, Milwaukee, WI
Remarks: Low key family run gem, one of the few that I have selfishly not mentioned to many people afraid that any more publicity would drive the food quality low; self service, authentic flavor for punjabi and the sweets - Jalebis, Halwa, Besan ka Laddoo, Moti Choor Laddoo and Kalakand make even an hour and a half's drive worth it. Where do you go for Makki Di Roti and Sarson Da Saag in Madison? Where else, but Milwaukee. The Pewaukee branch isn't that good, although it cuts down on the trip by a good 15minutes each way.
Saffron India Bistro
Specialty: Closest South Indian Restaurant to Madison
Bluemond Road, Brookfield (Milwaukee), WI
Remarks: Chimpoo and BH went here on my insistence sometime in the Fall of 06 for a lunch buffet. The food was not bad. However unlike Bombay Sweets, SIB is not a purely vegetarian restaurant, but there was undoubtedly a South Indian cook at work in the kitchen. I find it hard to judge a restaurant by its buffet menu at the best of times and this wasn't one. I remember the day was a very pleasant day for the drive. This I mention because of the many dozens of times I have driven to Milwaukee, almost - almost every time the drive has been through driving rain accompanied variously with sleet, snow, lightning and thunder. There is some odd chemistry between me and Milwaukee and I guess Chimpoo acted as an Anticatalyst on that day.
Tamba Indian Cuisine
Specialty: North Indian Generic
Hawaiian Marketplace, S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV
Remarks: Bills itself as "Only Indian Restaurant on the Strip"; I bill it as "Andhon Mein Kaana Raja" - the oasis in a desert, itself an oasis in the desert
Sunsets on Wayzata Bay
Specialty: Sunday Brunch
Lake St, Wayzata, MN (Overlooking Lake Minnetonka near Minneapolis)
Remarks: I discovered that I have more to thank the Belgians for than just Tintin and Chocolate. First time I had Waffles and Hash Browns. High-end, sophisticated, dress accordingly, most other patrons were in suits possibly because they were just returning from Sunday Mass.
Marigold Kitchen
Specialty: Sunday Brunch
S Pinckney St, Madison, WI
Remarks: On one 2006 November Saturday morning, KC joined me for the rare (rare for me) "Sunday Brunch" at the small place, thus catapulting it from my todo list. After a short wait in what was obviously a well known brunch eatery, I got to have their very satisfying French Toast with assorted berries, maple syrup and cream topping, downed with some hot Capuccino. I was very excited to have the French Toast after a very long time - the last time I had it was either when I shared my lunch with Shan Shan (he would prefer if I called him "The Rajput") back in my second year of undergrad or even before with Baby in 1995.
On the List to try:
Saravanaas
Specialty: South Indian
Lexington Ave at 26th, New York City, NY
Remarks: The next time I'm there this place is on my hit list. I want to go there for the galla potti, the horlicks and boost jars, the hopefully exceptionally poor service and to reminisce about the great Kripananda Variar. The one in Bay Area is (I heard) already corrupted with the poor service and the parking lot outside full of BMW 3-series. Update: I have been warned against an impostor restaurant already open on the other side of Lexington. This is really cool!
Vatan
Specialty: Gujarati Indian
3rd Ave at 29th St, New York City, NY
Remarks: I hear you get a little of everything.
Hema's Kitchen
Specialty: North Indian
Clark and Fullerton, Chicago, IL
Remarks: Recommended by: http://www.cs.uic.edu/~venkat/personal/restaurants.html
"On Clark just north of Fullerton intersection. My favorite North Indian restaurant in Chicago. Try their Dal Dhakani!! " I should.
(In Madison)
Saigon Noodles
Specialty: Veitnamese (?)
Odana Rd, Madison, WI
Should stop there some Friday for lunch, doesn't seem to be much of a dinner place.
posted by terrywhatlee @ 9:54 PM
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