Not Just Boston
Given my continual excursions to most if not all of the Boston area’s Indian restaurants during the nineties and early 2000s, it should not be surprising that I would seek out Indian Restaurants nearly anywhere I traveled. OK, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but over the years, I visited several restaurants in other cities. One of the better ones is named Kabob and Curry in Providence located on Thayer street near Brown University. I am not sure if they were connected to the Boston restaurant of the same name but the food was quite good when I had dinner there in the mid-nineties and they are still active as I write this.
Several years later, also in Providence, I visited a more low-key restaurant named Not Just Snacks after witnessing a reunion show by The Others. Their food was quite different from Kabob and Curry, and reminded me more of home cooking than typical restaurant fare. Across the street from the restaurant was a grocery store named Not Just Spices that was closed on the night I visited. While Kabob and Curry seemed geared towards tourists and students, I can imagine families coming to Not Just Snacks for a quick lunch before going across the street to shop. That would be my routine if I lived in that area.
Interestingly, the only sit down Indian restaurant I ate at in New York City turned out to be mediocre. My cousin and I were in Manhattan to see Jeff Beck at the BB King club. Arriving in NY on Sept 10, 2003 around noon, lunch was in order. On the corner of Fulton and Gold streets, we found a restaurant named Tandoor Palace that reminded me very much of Oh Calcutta. Naturally I ordered Vindaloo — still my go-to to assess new restaurants. It was just OK, and the only other thing I clearly remember now is the water had a sort of odd aftertaste. More notable that day was Mr Beck’s scintillating performance and a five minute tour inside Electric Lady studio — which for this fan of Jimi Hendrix was an unexpected treat!
A few years later I was in the Bronx to help pack and move an apartment. One night we took the subway to Manhattan and had dinner at a small takeout restaurant in Greenwich Village named The Kati Roll Company which has since expanded to four locations around New York City and one in Dallas, Tx. This was my introduction to Kati Rolls, a popular street food in Kolkata which consists of your choice of filling rolled in an egg-coated paratha or roti.
After placing my order for a Tandoori Chicken and Shami Kebab Kati Roll, I watched as they were prepared in the open kitchen. I enjoyed both rolls thoroughly! Since this visit occurred during the Great Indian Restaurant Survey, I scored and added comments for each roll in our survey. I rated the chicken a 4.5 (on the scale of 5) but the Shami Kebab was elevated to a 5. I commented: “If the Chicken was spectacular, the Shami Kebab version was out of this world. Shami Kebabs don’t wind up in many restaurants around here, but they did this one justice!” In retrospect, I think Kati rolls are more suited for lunch or as an appetizer since they are not that big, but they certainly hit the spot that night.
While I sort of expected (hoped!) to see Kati Rolls, as a dish, to spread to Boston, surprisingly they have not so far. I think a pizza-shop sized street food restaurant similar to the Kati Roll Company serving Kati Rolls, chaats or other street food for a lunch crowd could be successful. Maybe I missed my calling?