Taj Mahal Indian Restaurant

7315 3rd Ave(btwn 73rd St & 74th St)

Brooklyn, NY 11209

(718) 836-1512

Yippee! I convinced my boyfriend to eat indian food for the first time and since I do not know of any places in Brooklyn, we just googled and found this place. Because it was his first time, I did not order anything too complex and stuck with my usual 'safety dishes:' vegetable samosas, chicken tikka masala, vegetable korma (vegetable stew in a cream sauce), and chicken biryani. All relatively harmless for beginners. Unfortunately, Taj Mahal was just standard, in my view; nothing spectacular. We did have a slight mishap, which I won't discuss as it is nothing to write about, but the staff was consistently gracious throughout our dining experience and attended to our needs. Overall, I thought the dishes lacked the spice and vibrant kick that you expect with a mouthful of curry. But, I will say, ironically, for that reason, Taj Mahal was a good choice since I was with a first-timer. Let's just label this is the Starter indian restaurant.

Quercy Restaurant

242 Court St

Brooklyn, NY 11201

(718) 243-2151

Since it was Brooklyn's restaurant week, many places were offering prix fixe menus. Quercy is a relatively small eatery and every table was full and lively with conversation. Here, the prix fixe was 3 courses for $23- not a price to complain about. Unfortunately, the same can not be said about the staff, who were slow and inefficient, to be quite frank. Anyway, lets talk food.

Starting, I ate goat cheese wrapped in puff pastry with salad greens. I thought that the warm goat cheese salad was relatively good. There was a housemade dressing on the side, which did not seem to complement the salad as a whole, so i did not use it too much. Basically it tasted like buttermilk-ranch dressing. However, the goat cheese was scrumptious... well, let's face it, anything wrapped in pastry is divine! The Coq Au Vin was relatively okay and was accompanied by a side of buttered green beans or, 'haricot vert'. It is a traditional french dish, meaning chicken cooked in wine. I expected much more vegetables in my stew, but I cannot complain about the quantity of chicken. Unfortunately, the stew seemed to be lacking something, though I could not pin-point what was missing. As for my dessert, I was very happy. The chocolate cake was flourless and decadent! Very chocolatey and a dense cake who would make any chocolate lover happy. I sampled some of my fellow diner's food: the chicken in a mustard sauce was excellent. The chicken was moist and the mustard sauce was not overpowerful, yet creamy and pungent enough to have a lasting taste on your tastebuds. Also, the scalloped potatoes were creamy, cheesy, and buttery. What more can you ask for in a potato?

I drank House wine and it was very good red wine. It was notable, as it came in a wine bottle where the label seemed to have braille on it; never saw that before. Definitely not a bad drink of choice, especially for house wine.

Overall the food was decent. I really wanted to try the beef bourguinon but it was not part of the prix fixe menu. Maybe I would go back and try that next time especially if the service changes. Hopefully it was just an 'off' night for the wait staff and next time they will be a bit more speedy with the service. Overall, the food was quite lovely.

Mama Mexico

2 locations in Manhattan and 1 in New Jersey

Are you looking for a loud, lively scene? Well, vamos a Mama Mexico's! Mama Mexico offers a large selection of Mexican fare, with more than just your standard burrito and taco. However, this place is usually crowded with large parties and a mariachi band with over-sized guitars and sombreros! So, if you're expecting a fine Mexican meal, this might not be the best start. I have sampled many items including various enchiladas which are good, but not mind-blowing. I will, however, rave on and on about the guacamole. It is house-made at your table, which adds to the already chaotic scene, with a mortar and pestle. The creamy avocado is suddenly a memory with the medium blast of heat. It is perfect to wash down with their sangria. Portions are plentiful here and whether the food really wakes up your palette or not, you're pretty much guaranteed to have a great time with friends!

Dawat

(212) 355-7555

210 E. 58th St (58th & 2nd)

New York, NY 10022

Indian food has played a big part in my childhood...thankfully. My father, hailing from England always cooked his 'Saturday night curry' and slowly introduced my sister and me to this excitingly mystical cuisine. I think that many people are intimidated by the strong aromas and spices that are not commonly used in western cuisine, but really it makes for some flavorful food.

Dawat (pronounced, Da-vut) was an excellent representation of Indian food. Owned by Madhur Jaffrey, cookbook writer and winner of several James Beard awards for cookbooks, this restaurant offers a varied selection of Indian dishes. Often times, dishes are shared, or, 'family style.' My group and I ordered vegetable samosa appetizers, lamb and chicken biryani, chicken tikka masala, and naan. All entrees were very tasty and with a good amount of spice. I often get samosas at Indian restaurants because any type of pastry stuffed with potatoes and veggies is bound to be yummy. These samosas were excellent, as expected, but they were on the small side, as were the entrees- really the only complaint I have. The lamb and chicken biryani's are essentially meat and rice. The meat, in both dishes, was tender and juicy in comparison to the al dente rice (can rice be al dente?... oh well, I'll go with it!). It was a nice marriage of textures. Finally, the masala, which is similar to stew: bite sized pieces of chicken swimming in a creamy, spiced tomato broth, was delicious and comforting. It is the perfect dish to mop up with fluffy naan bread, especially with the sudden heat that arises after a bite or two.

I was certainly happy with the meal and my company- my cousin and his girlfriend were visiting my sister and I, from the west coast! I would definitely return here, especially to sit in the back of the restaurant where you can view chefs cooking at the tandoors (ovens commonly used in middle eastern cuisine). Now, if only I can hop on a plane and get to India my experience should be complete...

ColYUMbian...

Okay, so unfortunately with this posting, I clearly don't have the name of the restaurant or location. The reason for this is that by the time I wrote the post, I had completely forgotten the name. The best I could do was this: it is located somewhere on W. Waters Avenue and Armenia Avenue in Tampa, Florida. Luckily my dad told me this. I feel very sad that I can not share the precise location, as this restaurant was an absolute gem!!! Ironically, I remembered everything that I ate. I guess you could say it left an impression on my palate. For the sake of everyone's sanity, let's just call this place, "ColYUMbian." HaHaHa I crack myself up!

"ColYUMbian" place was a true hole-in-the wall!!! But, these places usually have the tastiest, most authentic cuisine. Also, it's not filled with tourists, but the people of the culture! We were practically the only one's who spoke english. I loved it! I felt like I was in Colombia! The staff was SUPER friendly, helpful and always greeted with a smile on their face. Always appreciated!!!

If I had one word to describe the food at "ColYUMbian," it would be 'rustic.' Nothing was overdone, just food cooked from the heart, just how I like it. I ordered the half chicken with fried plantains, white rice, and beans. The beans were so tasty and wonderfully authentic! They were chock-full of shredded pork and perfectly seasoned. I would probably be happy eating that with rice for dinner! The chicken was good, in some parts a little dry, but it had good intentions with great seasoning and a perfect match with the plantains (another thing I could eat singularly for dinner). I sampled pork rinds that came with my mom's entree, and that was also amazing--fresh, crispy, and goooood pork fat and flavor. Who doesn't like pork rinds??

I would certainly go back here. The portions are monstrous and your stomach will be happily satiated for a long while, so expect to bring home leftovers. I have eaten Colombian food before in more fancy places, but this restaurant was much more authentic and the experience felt much more truly Colombian. I was overwhelmingly satisfied!

Boizao

4606 W Boy Scout Blvd

Tampa, FL 33607

(813) 286-7100

If you have never been to a Brazilian steakhouse (often known as a Churrascaria), this is an excellent start. First of all, they are fun, lively, and just plain different, compared to standard dining. I love them! If you have been before, Boizao will surely meet your expectations, as it did mine. Basically, they give you a 2-sided dic, one side green, one side red. When you want the meat-servers to come to your table, you turn the disc to the green side. When you need a break, you turn it to the red side. Beautifully cooked meat comes to your table on a large skewer and they cut off the amount of meat you would like.

Here at Boizao, staff was extremely helpful and quick. The meat was served hot, which can be difficult at some churrascarias considering all of the tables they need to visit. It was tender, and extremely juicy. They are masters of their craft. The various meats (chicken, beef, lamb, pork) are served with mashed potatoes and fried bananas. The rest of the meal comes from a freshly and high-quality stocked buffet, filled with various cold meats and cheeses, lettuces, fresh vegetables, rice, beans, and surprisingly, even sushi. You WILL leave the place VERY full and VERY pleased!!! Finally, I somehow had room for dessert and ate the chocolate souffle. It was decadent and they used good chocolate. I could not complain a bit!

The restaurant was quiet in the beginning, but the expansive space began to fill up by 7pm and made the atmosphere more lively. It was my sister and my birthday dinner and they brought us out an extra dessert AND sang for us a version of happy birthday in their native Portuguese. It was so lively and fun and everyone at the restaurant was clapping to the song. One of the best renditions of happy birthday I've ever had sung to me! You will not be disappointed. The beautifully simple decor, kind staff, and excellent food were something to beam about.

Salud

142 Beekman St

New York, NY 10038 (btwn Front & South St)

(212) 566-2220

Stepping into this small restaurant, you're immediately greeted by the sounds of Latin America. Going with this theme, the lattice trim and white paint with contrasting wood floors solidified my out-of-world experience, sort of being in Cuba. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Even better? My food!

Instead of the standard bread on the table, fried Plantains were served in place of, with a spicy bean dip. VERY addicting. The spiciness of the dip hits you almost like a sudden thought and accompanied the plaintains nicely. We ordered from the prixe fix menu which was a great idea since we were in a big group. It turned out to be similar to a tapas bar where many small appetizers are ordered for everyone to share. I chose the Cubanito (Cuban sandwich), Yuca Frita (fried yuca with a garlic-type topping), Piononos (plantains with beef and monterey jack cheese), and Anticuchos (steak with chimichurri).

The Breakdown--

The Cubanito was spectacular- beyond words! It was excellent! I've only recently become obsessed with cuban sanwiches and this one was divine. The unexpected burst of pickle in your mouth is a nice surprise with the saltiness of the meat and cheese. If you've never had fried yuca before, you should try it. It is a root vegetable, just like potatoes. The starchiness of the yuca paired with the salty-sweet garlic was also yummy. It's an exciting twist on french fries. The Piononos were different, but I had to try it when I read it on the menu because I knew the flavors would be great. It was lovely- sweet, salty, and a nice texture combination. Who knew that a plantain would be a nice pairing with beef? Finally, I have recently become a big chimichurri (a parsley- based sauce often accompanying grilled meat) fan, so when I saw Anticuchos on the menu, I had to order it. It definitely was tasty, but unfortunately, I became too full to completely enjoy it. Don't you hate that?

The only complaint I had was the rice pudding I ordered for dessert. It was served with a caramel liquor which made it overly sweet (I tend to enjoy savory dishes over sweet ones).

Now, typically I don't comment on my drinks, but here I drank Sangria which was probably one of the best Sangria's I've tried. It was not too sweet and was choc-full of various fruits. Super refreshing! Also, they kindly served complimentary Mango shots, which were delicious (didn't really have any alcohol, but I did not care! Mango is one of my favorite things!).

My overall impression is that Salud is a bit pricey but definitely worth the trip to try something new aside from your general 'mexican' 'italian' or 'chinese' fare that many people seem to opt for these days.