I am disappointed. The Indian restaurant nearest us is just not very good. Not only do they not have bhatura, the rest of their food just isn't where it needs to be. I wish that instead of Café Tandoor, we had our beloved Ajanta nearby. I know there is good Indian food in Cleveland, we just haven't been there. I sampled some delicious chicken tikka masala from Saffron Patch, but it's not nearby. I plan to drag my Beloved across town someday soon, though.
J had tried Café Tandoor for lunch before I arrived in town, when she first started her new job, and had reported back that their chicken tikka masala "sucked." Skeptical, I talked her into going back, thinking they had been having an off day. The food was okay (we ordered a different chicken dish, chicken in butter sauce) but nothing special. The naan was boring, the chicken was boring, the chai tea was not as good as Ajanta's. However, today I just had to try again. We shared some very tough palak paneer with mediocre chutneys accompanying it. Then, she had chicken korma which in no way resembled the glorious dish Evvi always orders at Ajanta. I ordered the chicken tikka masala & have to concede that J was absolutely right about its degree of suckage.
I am consoled by the delightful and gorgeous cookie one of J's employees baked. She took a whole platter in & they were all just lovely. Santa hat sugar cookies, that sort of thing. She thinks this one I adored is a recipe from Gourmet and promises to get it for me. They were thin chocolate stars, drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy cane. Wonderful!
Now, I am off to do my own baking & candy-making. Chocolate rum balls & cut-outs for certain. Fudge, I imagine, as well. Caramels. Cheese crisps. Who knows what else. Maybe some cashew brittle for my Beloved.
2 comments:
You can take a measure of comfort from the fact that Ajanta may not be the Ajanta you remember anymore. The owners sold the restaurant and it is under new management since the beginning of last month. I know that most of the kitchen staff planned to stay on, but I'm not sure how long that will last or how long it will be before the new owners want to put something of their own stamp on the place.
Argh! Well, I know there is good Indian food in the city, so I must begin my travels in search of it. I should just go to Chowhound. I am also looking for good Mexican up here. I hear from my wife and oldest that El Rodeo is not Los Mariachis by a long shot. Looking for good Chinese, too. I suspect Luchita's or La Tortilla Feliz may be the former & Bo Loong may be the latter. There is a little Cuban sandwich shop, too, that I want to check out.
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