Andaz

Wow, the ol' self-expression juices have obviously been on hiatus!  School started again, though, so it's time to crank it back up a little, just so the brain doesn't turn into a dull gray soup full of nothing but numbers and formulas...

So last weekend, we took off on an Adventure Eating excursion.  This time, we were accompanied by our favorite Tyler and our favorite Rebecca.  (This always adds a certain zest to an event...)  We decided to hit this new Indian restaurant in downtown Gainesville that I've been eyeing for awhile.  Now, let me start by saying I LOVE Indian food - love the complexity and power of the flavors, not to mention just the overall change of pace in comparison to other genres.  But my experience with Indian food has been limited to strip-mall joints, cheap buffets and the like.  Andaz Restaurant is a little different; more of a fine dining experience.  Suave host, thick, leather-bound menus, swanky bar and chic decor is not what I'm used to when I eat Indian food, to say the least.

(I mean, check out this silverware!)


In addition to the traditional crispy cracker things (I don't know the name of them) and their accompanying tamarind and chutneys that you usually get at the start of your meal in places like this, we started out with Vegetable Pakora and Aloo Tikki Chat as appetizers.  Pakora is basically various vegetables (ours included spinach!), dipped in chickpea batter (Indians apparently dig chickpeas in a big way) and deep-fried.  This was good, but I liked the Aloo Tikki better.  (Chat or chaat is just another broad term for snacks, by the way.)  Aloo Tikki Chat was a sort of potato dumpling, filled with spices and other tasty stuff that I couldn't begin to identify, fried, and then topped with this delicious combo of tomatoes, chickpeas, and a yogurt, mint and tamarind chutney that was just freaky good.  I could have eaten that all night and been happy as a lark.

I love Marc's expression here.  This is Adventure Eating in a nutshell.

Our entrees were terrific - we all got something different, so the Roving Fork got a great workout.  (Have I ever mentioned that no plate is safe when I am at the table?)  Sum total, we had a couple of chicken dishes, a couple of lamb dishes, and a fish curry, plus a really delectable onion and black pepper kulcha (bread).  Every single one of them was delicious, but my hands-down favorite was Marc's lamb dish.  (I wish we could remember the name of it, because I would order it, it was that good.)  Me and Ty opted for some heat, and it was a nice, friendly burn.  (We went with medium - I tremble to think of what the Indian Hot might do, and I like heat.  Just saying.)

Look at the pure, blissful abundance.

Love that crazy girl!

I do believe we ate well...

We were left with loads of leftovers; unfortunately I accidentally dumped mine on Tenneboes' driveway, more's the pity.  I noted with some trepidation that the place was extremely not full; either traffic needs to pick up (please eat there, friends, please!) or I need to hurry back before they close. Because seriously, I want to eat my way through the menu.