My parents were coming in for a visit to make the most of some time off, so I figured it’d be a perfect opportunity to introduce them to Jen and catch the last of Restaurant Week in DC at the same time at indebleu. The restaurant sits near the corner of 7th and G St in NW, just opposite the throbbing display of the jumbotron of the Verizon Center. I’ve eaten at indebleu for Restaurant Week when the doors first opened a few years ago, and my initial impression of the food served was less satisfactory. The memory of dry chunks of chicken in a creamy, oily sauce that had little indication of anything other than a mass produced vat of the stuff waiting to be served to Restaurant Week customers has kept me from visiting again, but a friend had mentioned that the chef had changed since my last visit (closer examination on the Googles has actually proved that there have been several chef changes, including spare change, a tire change, and a sex change, but none of that really matters in the discussion of food) with Chef Michael Hartzer currently at the helm (having created previous culinary impressions at both Ray’s the Classics and Citronelle).

We went up to the 2nd floor (the first floor houses a room full of monkeys seated at typewriters and some sort of bar) and were quickly whisked away to our table by the hostess. The décor is much more subdued with rich, dark tones, contrasting starkly to the minimalist white and blue theme that had been initially in place a few years back. The ambient noise is a bit higher than conversational, probably to compensate for the untz-untz-untz-disco-untz-untz-untz of the lounge downstairs. There were several times that we had to ask one another to repeat what we just said because the din of the other patrons droned out our own conversation.

Service here is, without hyperbole, probably the most uber attentive of any restaurant I’ve ever visited. Within 60 seconds, we were asked on whether we would prefer sparking, flat, or Potomac water at the table. Within the next two minutes, we were asked the same question again by two completely different waiters. A woman elegantly dressed in gold hues smiled and greeted us, as if her only duty at indebleu was to walk around as a professional greeter (isn’t that what a hostess is?) and make sure that you haven’t somehow become disgruntled with how the seating process was handled, or if you were to make the request that the clamor around you wasn’t loud enough, and that you wanted an accordion-sitar-trombone-standup-bass quartet to come and play your favorite Journey hits for you.

I was slightly miffed at the fact that you can only order from the price-fixe Restaurant Week setup, with no a la carte options available, because I know both Jen and my mom are fairly light eaters. I also remembered that the portions tend to be a bit on the small side (don’t let this discourage you, they are rich enough to keep you content) so I figured everything would work itself out…and it did.

Bay Scallop in Green Thai Curry

My dad and I both ordered the Bay Scallop Green Curry to start. Two medium sized, seared scallops, divided by a border of Thai green curry ratatouille, served with a simple but well thought out presentation. My mom ordered the Tuna Tartare Spring Roll with a curried cognac remoulade, and Jen opted for the Thai Style Vichyssoise, a chilled potato and Kaffir lime soup. Everyone seemed pleased with their order, and already the restaurant was overturning my previously set impressions.

Wild Mushroom Pasta

For the main course, Jen went with the Wild Mushroom Pasta, which she commented tasting more like a delicious Vegetarian Stroganoff. My Dad went for the Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs, although the meat that came out looked more slices of flank steak rather than short ribs. My Mom ordered the Masala Seared Salmon, but commented that the accompanying lentils were flavorless, lifeless, and had the soul of a Tupperware container (She didn’t really say that. She said the soul of a plastic bag. (She didn’t really say that either.)) I had the Peruvian Style Roast Chicken, and was very pleased that the chicken didn’t come out dry but actually tender, moist, and just about close to perfection, although I’ve yet to try Nando’s Peri-Peri. I’m sure the Peruvian chicken from there is on an altogether different level being more of a casual dining meal whereas indebleu is a more elegant experience, but I always try to keep in mind that good food is still good food, and it’s out there just begging to be eaten!

Peruvian Style Roast Chicken

The desserts were pretty good with lots of opportunity for creativity, and the kitchen definitely poured that into these dishes. Jen and my Dad ordered L’Opera- A layered cake with almond biscuits, almond ice cream, chocolate ganache, and served with a scoop of pistachio ice cream. My mom and I ordered the Creamsicle – orange mousse and honey mascarpone, served with ice cream on top of a mango suzette. I didn’t particularly think the suzette really fit into the textures of the rest of the dessert, and was entirely too difficult to break apart without loudly driving the spoon into the table like a cro-magnon (you get one guess as to who did that, and it wasn’t my Mom).

L'Opera

Overall, the dishes seemed to try and incorporate the fusion idea that a lot of places seem to cling to when they can’t nail down a consistent theme, but it does offer an opportunity for lots of creativity with their dishes, and that’s definitely something indebleu has one. As for the lady in gold? Apparently she’s the co-owner of indebleu with her husband, making sure that every customer is getting their money’s worth from their visit. Indebleu might not make it as one of my favorite places to go, but it’s definitely a good leap up from the place I had dinner at several years ago, and worth spending a few dollars to eat at if you’re looking for something different during Restaurant Week next year.

Restaurant Week in DC is always a mixed bag. There are plenty of restaurants that honor the basic idea- you get to sample the food, service, and atmosphere of one of the many participating establishments at a fraction of the price of a normal meal. Of course with any sort of open enrollment dining program like this, some restaurants will use the opportunity to simply shell out less than average quality dishes and service just to cash in on bargain seeking diners such as yourself, or say, a pirate who’s at port for a few weeks. What? Pirates need to eat too.

Jen and I took the opportunity to check out Casa Oaxaca at the south end of Adam’s Morgan in Northwest DC. This restaurant is about two blocks away from the noise, lights, and vom strewn streets of the main thoroughfare of Adam’s Morgan, which I’ve managed to steer clear of for most of my time here in DC. The general area just doesn’t appeal to Jen or me. So having a restaurant on a block that sees more neighborhood resident patronage than midnight whalebone four dollar intern specials and vomit free sidewalks are already a step in the right direction.

The restaurant is a thintangular split level establishment, with a modern Oaxacan theme up top, and a more relaxed, come wear nothing but your favorite futball team jersey (goooooooooooooooooooal!) and a weekday drinking problem. Both are actually very well decorated and have a lively atmosphere. I was a big fan of the painting upstairs where we sat. iAy dios mio! Caliente. I couldn’t find the owner to ask whether or not I could purchase such a fine work of art for my own home, but mayhaps that’ll be on the agenda for my next visit.

Everything at Casa Oaxaca starts the off with a small treat for every diner, courtesy of the chef.  We were given miniature corn tortillas topped with sautéed onions, spices, and Oaxacan cheese. Deeeelicious, and Zone friendly to boot!

The owners also have another establishment in Arlington, a more relaxed Oaxacan tapas bar called Guajillo (pronounced no-ha-blah-ess-pah-nee-ole), which is on the list of places to stuff our faces full of tacos and guac.

Speaking of green tasty treats, Jen and I started our meal with an order of their guacamole, which came to our table with a basket of chips, the house salsa, and the offer of a super spicy salsa that was quickly agreed to by the both of us. The guacamole was fair, but I think the spicy table-side prepared one at Oyamel beats the one at Casa Oaxaca hands down. Opt for a different appetizer to start your meal. We initially ordered the Ravioli de Huitlacoche, but after a warning of a 20 minute prep time for this dish, we thought better and went with a quick dip.

The house Sangria, and I'm boldly making the claim as a n/a it's the best in the city.

I had the Duck Confit salad start, a small but tasty and well proportioned dish accompanied with jicama, grapefruit, and slices of red onion. The heavy shreds of duck complemented the texture of the jicama and the lightness of the salad (argula, I think?) well. Completely awesome execution. If it were any better, it’d have to be at the expense of Anne Boleyn all over again.

The main course of my Restaurant Week picks were the Pork Medallions in a black mole sauce, which had heavy tones of Oaxacan chocolate, garnished with roasted sesame seeds and served with a molded serving of seasoned rice. I skipped on the rice, but Jen tried it and said it was pretty good. The pork was juicy and even better when devoured with the black mole sauce.

The last dish of the night was the dessert, several churro sections filled with a sweet cream cheese, just like your Aunt Juanita used to make for you as a niño pequeño. Tasty, but don’t expect it to hold up well the next day if you’re bringing leftovers home.

Service is fairly attentive here, and the little dish brought out compliments of the restaurant (they figured it’d be a better business decision than a quick slap to every patron’s ass on your way out) to you is a nice touch.  I’ve yet to try  tacos at this restaurant, but between Oyamel and Casa Oaxaca, you’ll find that each restaurant does different things better.   The black mole sauce on just about anything here is great, as is the duck confit salad.  Oyamel’s spicy guacamole wins hands down.  If you’re looking forward to a big main course type dinner, Casa Oaxaca would be your best bet, while Oyamel is a better option for sampling lots of different types of food.

Dear 8 pound, 6 ounce, new born baby Jesus, don’t even know a word yet, I want to thank you for this wonderful meal of fine pastas and carbonated soft drinks from our unwilling sponsor Coca-Cola, that you have given us on this fine New York evening…

A game time decision for dinner on our last night in New York led Jen and I down to Little Italy. It’s interesting seeing the stark difference in environment when you come out of Chinatown and into the Italian District. Is it even called the Italian District? The Meatball District? What do I know. But the dark, unlit streets of Chinatown at night didn’t seem to invite late night diners as much as Little Italy. We wandered from restaurant to restaurant, trying to decide on a place to eat based on the patronage sitting outside as much as we were from the menus proudly displayed at each establishment.

When we finally wandered to the corner of Mulberry and Broome, we settled on the restaurant on the corner, Grotta Azzurra Ristorante. The host boasted their long history (established in 1908), their exquisitite service, and fantastic dishes, which really is hard to differentiate from the 32904849380 other Italian restaurants pushing the same agenda…bring in the customers. With a reasonably large menu and perfect people watching from the corner, we accepted a table outside almost right on the corner.

I started off with the Carpaccio di Manzo, delicately sliced raw beef, topped with argula, thick shavings of parmesan, and topped with a lemon vinaigrette. The ingredients were fresh, but for my next visit I’d opt for one of their other antipasta dishes.

Carpaccio di Manzo, photo courtesy of Grotta Azzurra Ristorante

The real stunnahs of this meal were their pastas. I ordered the 4 Cheese Ravioli, and Jen ordered the Gnocchi Al Telefono. Holy crap on a stick, this pasta is good. I really can’t think of any place in the U.S. where I’ve had such fresh pasta. I can’t recall the exact combination of cheese in my ravioli, but I do remember it at least having ricotta and marscapone cheese in it. The raviolis were absolutely enormous. The liferafts from the Titanic weren’t as big as these things. I’d guess they were somewhere around 5″x5″ big, and not completely overwhelmed by the accompanying sauce. Jen’s Gnocchi was ridiculously good, with large chunks of fresh mozzarella infilitrating the gnocchi ranks. The texture was soft, slightly chewy, and not at all gritty like you experience with many mass produced versions you’d get from even the highest quality of grocers. The pasta is made fresh daily, on site, and well worth the visit.

Four Cheese Ravioli, photo courtesy of Grotta Azzurra Ristorante

Be aware that the restaurant policy is to automatically include a 20% service charge to all checks, so if you feel that your service was exceptional, you can always add more to the coffers of your server, but you should’t be obliged. Thin of it as an bonus for those of you who did horribly at middle school math. Just leave room for cannolis and gelato across the street!

On a side note, make sure to check out the street vendors, and pick up a baby Jebus magnet for your refrigerator back home.

Amen.

One of the great things about living in the suburbs of the Washington DC area is the wide array of authentic ethnic dining from a dizzying array of choices. It almost seems absurd that having Indian cuisine for dinner would be one of the less exotic choices you could go with around here. Regardless, many of the Indian restaurants I’ve eaten at are of above average to excellent quality, without the severe price hike you’d come to expect dining within the District.

Minerva is an excellent chain of restaurants serving up authentic North Indian cuisine. Each of the various suburban locations (four in the DC Metro area: Fairfax, Chantilly, Centreville, and Gaithersburg) has the added bonus of offering a lunch buffet that is guaranteed to send you to foodcomaville (population: you) for hours on end. Afternoon productivity? Don’t count on it.

For this visit, Jen and I dropped into the Fairfax location. The space is larger than it appears from the outside with cavernous depth and styled with simple decor, probably in favor of the various large 42 inch LCD televisions that adorn the walls. Service here isn’t particularly great, but it’s not terrible either. Visiting is definitely to take advantage of the well-priced dining.

You have your choice of ordering either a la carte (another French term, which translates roughly to “from the kitchen via a flaming wheelbarrow”) or the full dinner entree. The a la carte option will get you the dish you ordered with no sides, although it’s pretty likely that whatever you picked pairs up very well with a separate order of naan (traditional Indian flatbread). Jen wisely went this route, ordering up the Chana Masala (chickpeas aka garbanzo beans in a tomato sauce) with a side of Garlic Naan.

Chana Masala, photo courtesy of Seattle Pi

I ordered the Chicken Pasanda dinner, which arrived with a small army of sauce samplers, rice, and plain naan. I really wish I could identify all the various sauces/dips that came with my order, but none of them really stood out. There was one yogurt sauce, three tomato based sauces, and another sauce that had fried cubed of cottage cheese, with the texture of firm tofu. There was also some sort of bread pudding like dish that had a unique and mildly sweet flavor to it.

The Chicken Pasanda, however, is OUTSTANDING. The sauce is a yogurt and curry based sauce that I was close to devouring up with a spoon after finishing off the chicken. That alone is worth it for me to return to this place and go Shiva-Destroyer-of-Worlds on their buffet selection.

Pasanda Curry, photo courtesy of myindianfoodrecipes.com

If you’re a wine drinker, you’re in for a treat. Wine is on the super cheap here. Jen seriously considered the merits of ordering a half carafe at the FIRE! sale price of $8, but then opted to go for just a glass to avoid having to pay her respects to the Porcelain God after we got home. Still, the wine by the glass is an extraordinary deal. The waiter gingerly walked from the bar to our table with her glass of riesling, and it wasn’t until when he set it on the table, almost completely filled to the brim, did it dawn on me why he was doing the ninja trot in the first place.

If you’re going to make a visit for dinner, I’d suggest going to the a la carte route with the naan of your choice. The value is better if you consider going for something other than the regular naan, and you’re not missing out on much from the dinner entree. You’ll also have a bit more room for dessert, which Jen and I missed out on this go around. She really talked up the Gulab Jamoon at Minerva, which are described as deep fried dumplings of dried milk and flour soaked in a sugar syrup. Sweet merciful glycemic overload that sounds like it should come with a waiver. There’s apparently something about the process of creating these things where the dumplings defy physics and nature, soaking in more syrup that should be physically possible. I’ll head back soon and report more on these deep fried black holes soon.

All this fantastic food with nary a word of breaking the bank. Nice.

I sometimes wonder if the various terms used to describe a certain method of cooking really are throwbacks to the originating method, or just an ingenious method to keep the intimidated out of the kitchen.  So rather than tell you right off the bat that we’re going to braise these leeks, I’m going to tell you that we’re going to cook these leeks like trashy hobos.  Why?  It’d go something like this.

Hobo 1: Hey man,I found these weird green things discarded on the side of the road.

(aside: In my reality, hobos use words like discarded)

Hobo 2: Well let’s cook ‘em and eat ‘em!

Hobo 1: Yeah but they’ve got all this dirt coverin’ em. Guess we’re gonna have to throw out the outsides.

Hobo 2: Yeah, whatever man.  I’m starvin’.

Hobo 1: And they ain’t gonna fit in our pot, so I gotta cut off these tops if we’re gonna cook ‘em.

(Hobo 1 tosses the leeks into the pot.  Upon deep reflection, he pulls out a battered tin of Extra Virgin Italian Olive Oil that his mother passed on to him many years ago. I know. Shut up and keep reading)

After a few minutes, the leeks start burning.

Hobo 1: Ah crap!

Hobo 1 tosses in some water and covers the pot, letting the leek boil.

Ten minutes pass, and Hobo 1 removes the lid.  They split the leeks between the two of them.

Hobo 2: Hey, these are pretty damn good! Ain’t it a shame we ain’t got no Charles Schleret Riesling, especially that stuff from 2002!

Ok whatever. You get the point.

Braising is an uber-easy method of cooking, so don’t be scurred off by that term.  It means to use both a dry and moist heat in cooking, which is essentially what the trashy hobos in my example did.  You want to take whatever you’re cooking and give it the slightest burn, and then add some liquid to continue cooking your dish.  Easy, right?  Just don’t eat it out of a trash can.

Braised Leeks with Lemon, adapted from Epicurious (yoink!)

Ingredients

• 4-8 medium sized leeks
• 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil
• 1/3 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
• Zest from 1 lemon
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• Sea salt, to taste

Directions

1. Take leeks and cut off the root end and the green stem tops of each one, leaving you with roughly 5-8 inches of the leek left.
2. Peel or cut off the outer layer of the leek.
3. Slice leeks in half lengthwise.
4. Completely soak leeks in cold water for 5-10 minutes, making sure that all dirt and grit come off in the process. Set aside.
5. Rinse your lemon and use a fine grater to get as much zest as you can from the lemon.  You should get anywhere from 1/2 a teaspoon to 1 teaspoon, but don’t worry about the exact amount.
6. Take a large metal skillet, approximately 8-10 inches in diameter, and place the skillet on the stove top.  Set the burner to a medium high heat.
7. Once the skillet is heated, add either your 1 teaspoon of butter or olive oil.  Let it heat for approximately 30 seconds.
8. Add the leeks to the skillet, with the flat side facing down on the pan.  Let the leeks cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally if necessary.
9. Add the stock to the skillet, and spread the zest as equally as possible into the stock and over the leeks. Cover the skillet, and turn the heat down to a medium.  Let the leeks cook for another 10-15 minutes.
10. When you remove the cover, the leeks should have a translucent appearance, and very little of the stock will be remaining.  If there is still a considerable amount of the stock left in the skillet, cover the skillet and let the leeks cook for a few more minutes.

That’s it!  You’re officially a trashy hobo.

These. Taste. Awesome. Try them without the salt and pepper first, it holds up just as well without them, but sometimes, a little bit more flavor can’t hurt.

Unless that flavor is cyanide.

Zone Blocks:
Protein: 0 blocks
Carbs: 2 blocks
Fat: 9 blocks

Note: 1 cup of cooked leeks will give you approximately 1 block of carbs.  I wouldn’t suggest using less fat in this recipe, as you need it to properly braise the leeks, but feel free to add more fat, or alternately, you can cook more leeks and share it with a friend!  Serve it up with your meat of choice, although any cut of pork pairs very well with this recipe.

Braised Leeks with Lemon

Gobo is a vegetarian’s paradise in Gotham. With two locations, one in the West Village and the other in the Upper East Side, there is really no excuse for any vegetarian or vegan to visit one of their restaurants.

I’m usually very skeptical of vegetarian/vegan only establishments, as I find that I normally have to have at least some sort of meat to really feel mentally satisfied with my meal. Gobo, however, is quite the exception.

I wanted to introduce Jen to KTMc, who I consider a good friend, despite the infrequent opportunities we have to see one another, so it was nice we could get together for a meal to chat and catch up. KTMc suggested Gobo, which sounded as good as any given Jen’s dietary restrictions. With an extensive menu offering, it was pretty difficult to figure out what to eat. We opted for three appetizers to help start us off and get our OMNOM on: the Scallion Pancakes, Pan Seared Vegetable Dumplings, and Roti Canai. All three of these dishes were solid choices. I was a little dismayed that the Roti Canai only came with one piece of flatbread to complement the curry tofu in the dish, but it was still delicious.

The main courses arrived quickly thereafter.  KTMc ordered the Natural Seitan Medallions in Sizzling Spicy Citrus Sauce, which had strong citrus tones that helped enhance the texture of the Seitan. Jen had the Butternut Squash Risotto with Toasted Almonds, which was perfectly well put together. The chunks of Butternut Squash worked well with the creamy and soft texture of the risotto. I had the Sizzling Soy Cutlet Platter with a Black Pepper Sauce, served with cutlets that was very similar to the texture of KTMc’s Seitan. I suppose there’s only so much you can really do with vegetarian proteins. I was fortunate to try all three dishes, and I really think that the dishes using Seitan at Gobo are outstanding.

There’s even a juice bar out in front if you’re just passing by for a healthy drink during the day, and a ton of great people watching to do in the West Village. Jen and I parted ways from KTMc in search of desserts around the corner. There’s a Beard Papa that serves up amazing looking puff pastries, and a Grom Gelato shop, both within a few blocks of walking of Gobo. We opted for the gelato, saving a visit to Beard Papa for another time.

Grom is a direct transplant from Torino, Italy, serving the freshest of the fresh gelato. The company prides itself on using eco-sustainable cups and utensils and high quality ingredients to make their gelato.

What’s the big difference between gelato and ice cream? Both Jen and I wondered the exact same thing. Both use very similar ingredients such as fresh cream, eggs, and sugar, but gelato tends to have less fat and less air whipped in during the production process. The end result is a much more flavorful scoop of deliciousness served into your cup or cone. Gelato is also more dense than normal ice cream, and needs to be served a higher temperature than regular ice cream…so be prepared for it to melt as soon as it’s prepped and handed off to you! I had the Crema Come Una Volta (Egg cream prepared, “as it was, once upon a time”) which had a smooth, slight sweet taste, but there were plenty of others (Cocco e Cioccolato, Bacio, and Nicciola) that made it hard to pick. The Grom in NYC is the company’s first global outpost, and I have to say it holds up very well to the gelato I’ve had in Italy on my trip there a few years back. The tiny storefront has several sliding glass doors that open up to the street, a perfect view to watch the people passing by.  Their gelato is the perfect way to cool off on a hot New York summer’s day, or to top off a meal with the people you care about the most.

Let’s get to the brass tacks. Crumbs is a major player in the cupcake game, as far as I’m concerned. That’s right, I said the cupcake game. If you haven’t been paying attention to the food industry in this country right now, cupcakes have become the new hot commodity in baked sweeties, and we’re not just talking your grandmother who does it for her ‘glaucoma’. DC has seen a proliferation of cupcake and related bakeries, with names like Cakelove offering locations in Shirlington, Tyson’s Corner, and DC, while smaller shops such as Georgetown Cupcake, Hello Cupcake!, Red Velvet, TangySweet, and Baked&Wired (the omnomnivores cupcakery of choice) who each have their own rabid followers (don’t ever put your fingers in between me and a Pretty Bitchin’ from B&W).

So many choices, so little stomach space.

So it was no suprise that on this trip to NYC, we made it a point to break into the Gotham cupcake scene. The first choice was Magnolia on the West side, but promises of long lines (thanks to a featured episode on Sex & The City) with basic flavors had me searching out other places. While talking to concierge at our hotel, I noticed that there were several exchanges of cupcakes from Crumbs, who already have 13 locations in Gotham, as well as storefronts in New Jersey, California, and Connecticut. I wouldn’t say it’s a stretch that we’ll see a Crumbs opening in DC within the next few years as well. What I really liked about this shop was the uniqueness of their cupcake flavors. 30 flavors to suit pretty much anybody’s tastes, and if you can’t find one you like, well, you should just go back to sucking rocks and slurping mud with the other cave dwellers. I instantly targeted the Signature size Key Lime cupcake, which I estimated to be about 1000 calories of artery clogging ecstasy, while Jen opted for the 12 mini-cupcake “Sampler of Dietary Doom”.

The 501 Madison Avenue shop has a convenient public seating place just around the corner, seated next to a soothing public waterfall. Just ask the staff and they’ll gladly direct you there with your baked goods. And don’t tell them that the omnomnivores sent you, because they’ll have absolutely no clue what the hell you’re talking about. Just go, and enjoy the ride.

A Key Lime Signature Cupcake, about to meet its OMNOMNOMNOM

Peshawari Naan

Mint is a little Indian restaurant that can be found at 150 East 50th, nestled between 3rd and Lexington in Midtown. The decor is very modern that could easily transition the space into a lounge at night. If several tables full of Indian diners is any indication to the authenticity and the deliciousness of the food, then this is the spot for some amazing Indian deliciousness to storm your gullet. We started off with the Lasooni Gobi, a tasty fried cauliflower dish doing laps in a pool of tomato garlic sauce. The entrees came quickly thereafter- Jen had the Amritsari Chole, chickpeas cooked in a tomato and onion sauce, while I made quick word of the Lamb Pasanda, a close relative of Lambchop cooked in a rich curry sauce. All this was taken down with Peshawari Naan, an Indian flatbread stuffed with coconut, almonds, raisins, and cranberries.  Service was attentive, which is always a plus.  We never waited too long to order or be served our food, and our glasses were never left empty.

Lamb Pasanda, precooked

So how was it? The Lasooni Gobi was delicious. I spent a good amount of time trying to deconstruct the dish so I could make it later down the road for Jen. As far as I could tell, it was several large chunks of cauliflower, quickly deep fried in vegetable oil and then dressed with a sugary tomato garlic sauce that didn’t seem like it would be too difficult to reproduce, but I’ll have to research the sauce a good bit later. Jen loved the Amritsari Chole, but I wasn’t a big fan of the dish myself. I really enjoyed the Lamb Pasanda, with the tender chunks of meat in a rich and vibrant sauce that reminded me of my formative childhood years spent in Notrth India…

Wait. I’m Chinese.  That’s somebody else’s memory.

Anyways, it was a solid dish.  Definitely order a side of naan to make the most of the sauce, and a much better way to savor every last bit of whatever you order instead of rice.  Jen thoroughly enjoyed an Elderflower Champagne drink (the name escapes me) and it tasted just boozy to me, so it comes highly recommended from the both of us should you decide that it is necessary to get your swerve on.  We deferred on Indian desserts so we could make the local cupcake shop our next destination…Crumbs Bakery.

Jen and I went to Spring Street Natural on the recommendation and praise from the concierge at our hotel.  Conveniently located at the top of Spring Street exit on the 6 train on the corner of Spring and Lafayette, we popped in the corner restaurant for lunch.  The hostess led us along the sticky wood floors (coated in authentic organic Gotham Grime!) to a window seat that looked out onto Lafayette Street.  Jen ordered the Mushroom and Cheese Croquette (which I believe is French for Stupid Americans, haw haw haw) and I had the Southwestern Grilled Organic Chicken Salad.  We were both very happy with our choices, especially with the generous portions.  I was stoked that I could stick fairly close to Zone with my salad, subbing enough olive oil to drown a cat for the dressing.  There was a good amount of cranberries, Gorgonzola, almonds, and a subtle hint of salt to make this a fulfilling meal.  Jen seemed pretty content with her Croquette, leaving nothing but a barricade of croutons on the plate.  I resisted the inner 12 year old to flick them to the adjacent tables, but only barely.

Mushroom and Cheese Croquette

Be aware that even though the restaurant may seem sparsely attended by patrons, you’ll wait a good fifteen or twenty minutes for someone to come by to take your order by the waitresses dressed up in all black, as if they were waiting tables as their day job to pay the bills while they desperately attempted to get supporting roles in the latest vampire movie coming to a theatre near you.  Once you do get your order in though, the food comes out quick.

This is an ideal place for the hungry vegetarian/vegan, with plenty of options, even for meat eaters like me.  I’d go back again, even for just the salad.

If you’re looking to go Paleo-Zone with the salad I had, try asking for it without the corn or Gongozola in addition to the removal of the dressing.  You won’t be disappointed!

Southwestern Organic Chicken Salad

Jen and I are packed, ready to go.  The bus takes off tomorrow at 7a and we’ll be back at the start of next week with a couple of good gotham gastronom stories.

Ready?

Set?