Category Archives: Indian

The Clay Pit: a delicious Austin Indian eatery

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First of all, Happy 2012 everyone! This is my first post of the year, and I apologize for my mini hiatus. As a tiny little recap of my new year’s eve, I spent it at home in Austin this year (since I’m still recovering) and had families and friends over for a night of champagne, games and fireworks.

Above is one of my best friends, Stephanie. She’s actually afraid of sparklers but she managed to hold it still enough for the cutest photo of the night.

Ok, now on to one of my favorite restaurants in Austin: The Clay Pit.

What: Indian

Where: Austin

Just looking back on our photos from our giant Indian feast at the Clay Pit, my mouth is drooling. The food is that good. What made it even better was it was my entire family of 6. Always a good time. Especially when Maddy threatens me with a knife with a sweet little smile:

As my first restaurant using my new camera, I felt a little conspicuous with the large lens, but I think it’ll work. Our waiter was very enthusiastic and prompt, and kind of reminded me of my high school history teacher who was straight out of The Office. Nevertheless, it was great service.

The inside is large and comfortable, but we were seated in their back room that was a bit hard to hear. Because of the close quarters and about 10-12 tables, the acoustics weren’t right, but it was clear everyone was having a good time. When I go back, I think I’ll request to dine in the large room.

The food? Out of control delicious. We started off with some veggie and chicken samosas. The crust was flaky and melted in your mouth, the inside was the perfect blend of spices and filling.

I had the tandoori vegetables, served with a side of tikka masala sauce and basmati rice. I could have just eaten a bunch of rice with tikka masala sauce all night, but the veggies were an added bonus. Cooked in some sort of yellow curry and grilled up with spices in the tandoori oven, I got a large mound of all sorts of veggies. The tikka masala sauce was incredible as usual, not too spicy, not too creamy.

And the tandoori chicken was a hit at our table as well:

And no Indian meal is complete without the nan bread.

Overall, always an awesome experience If you are ever in the Austin area, I highly recommend Clay Pit. It’s perfect for big groups or small, Indian food lovers or not. Either way, you’re going to leave full and satisfied.

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

Cosmic Cafe: a centering meal

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As you walk into Cosmic Café, you’re greeted by bright colors, assorted Buddha figurines and a fresh breath of relaxation.

Located at 2912 Oak Lawn Ave., Cosmic Café brings Dallas one of the very few truly vegetarian restaurants, offering up Indian-inspired dishes and even some vegan items.

Seating is open, and if it’s a nice day, their front porch is a great spot to dine al fresco. The vibe of the place is very relaxed, and you feel as if you’re not in Dallas anymore. The scenery is never boring. From Asian lamps hanging to Indian rugs on the ceilings to a little Buddha figurine watching over you as you take a bite of your samosa, Cosmic Café brings you to a new place.

The wait staff is very friendly, will help the vegetarian newcomers and is always happy to explain the menu.
Speaking of the menu, instead of appetizers, they offer “primordial energy”, “souper nova” for soups, “big bang entrees” and “celestial light offerings.” If you’re not so much of a hippie or not quite in tune with your inner Buddha, have no fear. Patrons range from young people, old people, office lunches and devout Cosmic Café eaters. Vegetarian and non-vegetarians alike can enjoy their entire menu and not even miss the meat.
Menu items range from soup to salad to stir-frys to smoothies. Whatever diners order on the menu, they can expect all-natural, healthy meals with plenty of greens.

If you’re just stopping by for a light snack, the soups are a satisfying, delicious option. The squash bisque is lightly spiced and goes well with a side of their fresh garlic nan bread. Other light snacks include their smoothies, made with our without dairy, or one of their sweet options like the banana, honey, peanut butter and tahini on nan.

Curry lovers can get their fix, with a new curry each day, but be sure to ask the waiter or waitress the spice level of the day. Their curries vary between spicy levels, so it’s important that you ask if your dish includes curry sauce. Also daily are their rotating vegan desserts, with no dairy products whatsoever.
Cosmic Café’s main dishes range from their curried vegetables, samosas, dahl, spinach enchiladas, stir fry, falafel with pita, black bean burgers and more. With so many options, it makes it hard to choose just one, and also makes it easy to forget the lack of meat.

The stir-fry comes with a grilled tofu, asparagus, cauliflower, bell peppers, onions, carrots, squash, snow peas and ginger served over basmati rice and a side salad. The vegetables are grilled and topped with a light curry sauce that makes for a very bland meal. The veggies are fresh and plentiful, and the salad takes up half the plate. It’s a nice way to fill up on veggies, but the blandness was a bit surprising, seeing as curry usually has a kick to it.

Ruml’s falafel, served on nan with yogurt dressing, tomatoes, onions, sprouts and lettuce, proved to be filling, delicious, but slightly dry. Falafel, a chickpea patty, should come a little moister, but had mouth-watering hints of lemon and other Indian spices.

And food isn’t the only thing Cosmic Café offers. Patrons can also get their “om” on. They hold yoga classes, poetry readings and meditations in the upstairs portion of the building. But before you go up, you must remove your shoes, as the sign says at the base of the stairwell.

Dallasites who believe meat and cheese are the only meal options, should head to Cosmic Café to see what vegetarianism is all about. Not only are their tons of options, but they’re tasty and filling. And if you know what your mother told you when you were little: you can’t know you don’t like something until you’ve tried it.

This food review can also be seen in today’s edition of the SMU Daily Campus.

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

Samar by Stephan Pyles: a not-so-upscale dining experience

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Samar by Stephan Pyles

What: Indian/Turkish/Spanish

Where: downtown Dallas

An almost whimsical experience greets you before you even open the door. “Samar” is projected onto the front of the building and the brightly colored lamps and a sleek lit-up bar are the first things you see.

The atmosphere is hip and sleek, but very far from your usual downtown Dallas culinary experience. There’s something special about the colors and the continuous waft of exciting spices you can’t quite put your finger on.

Then you enter the main dining area. And there goes the romantic, upscale dining experience. The tables are squished into close quarters, the noise bounces off the giant windows making conversation near impossible. A cashier screen rests prominently in the corner of the restaurant, making up many diner’s aethestic viewing pleasures for the night.

And then there was our waitress. Clearly a rookie, she began by explaining the menu (which is quite complicated, but very cool) so quietly that nobody could really understand anything she said. Next, she completely forgot to take our drink orders and disappeared for a good 20 minutes. Once she was back, we knew what we wanted to order, so we ordered our drinks and food all at once. She never once smiled or attempted to be friendly with us.

Going into Samar, I had high expectations especially on the service front. At Stephan Pyle’s original restaurant, you can count on a fine dining experience from the service to the food. At Samar, you got the fine dining prices, but definitely not the upscale service it deserves.

The concept Stephan Pyles had in mind for Samar is a very unique one. The menu is “tapas” style, so most of the plates are small and are meant to be shared. It begins with the Spanish section—tapas ranging from gazpacho to potatos and chorizo with egg. Next up, Turkey, where you can order a dip trio, salads, seafood and more. Finally, my favorite, is the Indian section. They offer several types of naan bread and tandoori specialties.

I don’t have too many complaints as far as the food goes. We started with the dip trio which came with a hummus, moutabal and a labne with naan. Translation: an interesting variety of spreads that were all delicious. We ordered the rosemary garlic naan, which was the only item we weren’t fond of. I expected a rosemary and garlic spice baked in to the naan, but instead it was a type of paste/sauce painted on top of the naan. I’ll skip that next time.

The fatoush salad was fresh and full of vegetables and greens. The dressing was slightly creamy, with a hint of tahini and a bit of toasted naan. I had the “murgh makani,” a tandoori chicken masala with tomatoes, fenugreek and basmati rice. It was a very small portion, but was the most delicious part of the whole meal. I could have licked the bowl, the sauce was so good. Last thing I tried was the tandoori samosa—a veggie and spinach stuffed samosa (like an empanada). It was good, but not out-of-this-world.

We skipped out on dessert after being left at our table with no service, and having a hard time hearing each other. Samar definitely has potential with its delicious food and cool concept, but it’s got a long way to go as far as their dining experience goes. Maybe after they smooth out some kinks, it would be a more pleasurable experience. For now, I’d rather find some other place to spend my upscale dining dollars for a true fine dining experience.

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Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

Tamarind: a sexy New York Indian eatery

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Dum Aloo Gobi

Tamarind

Where: Flatiron District, NYC

What: Indian

Coming in at number two on my list of favorite restaurants in New York City (Extra Virgin being number one), Tamarind has me really turned on to Indian cuisine.

I have to start by giving props to my dad. He chose the restaurant by searching Zagat (?) and because of his love for Indian food, decided on Tamarind, an upscale authentic Indian dining experience.

I’ve always enjoyed Indian food, but I don’t usually even consider it when deciding on where to eat in Dallas. Maybe there’s a lack of Indian places here, or perhaps I just haven’t been looking hard enough.

Upon entering the restaurant, you are greeted by friendly staff members and your nose gets the royal treatment. I nearly melted when we first stepped in. The garlic and curry and all the delicious spices wafted through the air and made me even hungrier than I already was. Then, you walk a little further through their dining room and pass the open kitchen complete with tandoori ovens. And if you weren’t already convinced of the authenticity of the place, I noticed most tables were occupied by Indians and Indian-Americans alike. The food has to be good.

Chicken Shahi Korma

And it was. Although the menu was sort of confusing for a not-so-regular Indian food eater, the waiter was kind enough to explain everything. Before I go any further, I must preface the rest of my review with a warning: prepare to be extremely full.

To begin, I had the mango caipirinha (a fruity take on the traditional Brazilian cocktail) and my friend had the tamarind margarita. My drink was tasty, but not cold enough. They used freshly blended mango that was probably not refrigerated, so at least it was fresh. The tamarind margarita was delicious. Don’t even try to miss out on their innovative drink menu.

For our appetizer we ordered the Dum Aloo Gobi. Bear with me on these names. It was a potato and cauliflower dish simmered in onion tomato sauce. If you enjoy cauliflower, this dish is for you. I love cauliflower, so the crunchy texture paired with a mildly spicy and smoky flavored sauce was incredible. I’ve never tasted anything like it.

For my main dish I ordered the Chicken Shahi Korma. A roasted chicken in a saffron cashew sauce. Ok, I’m craving this right now just typing this. It came served in a deep silver dish with plenty of extra curry-like sauce. On the side, we all shared lemon flavored basmati rice. The waiter served the rice on my plate and topped it with my chicken dish (as you can see in the photo). I loved the friendly service. The chicken was cooked to perfection and the sauce was slightly creamy, but not too overwhelming. The mixture of spices made for a very exciting, but not too spicy dish.

Majjiga Pulusu

My dad ordered the Majjiga Pulusu. A large dish with green plantain, yam, radish, white pumpkin, carrots and okra with buttermilk, mustard seeds and curry leaves. The large bread-looking things in the center of his dish are kind of similar to an Indian equivalent of a popover. Because my dad doesn’t eat meat, this was one of many great vegetarian options.

Although your table will be full of food, the roti breads are not to be skipped. We ordered a basket of garlic nan. It was a delicious accompaniment to the meal, not to mention you can dip the nan in your extra sauces, or in my case, my curry.

Overall, insanely delicious flavors, a sexy dining experience and a staff that treats you like royalty. A hands down win on all fronts.

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl