Like the protagonist in the movie High Fidelity, I used to keep a mental list of my favorite restaurants (and records for that matter); a somewhat obsessive practice that persisted for years. As I was walking, or waiting for a bus I would shuffle an ever changing collection of restaurants into first, second and third place, assigning categories to each for good measure. Sadly, all of the restaurants that populated my initial lists no longer exist. Others, on my current lists, were not yet open when I started to keep track and plenty others have come and gone in the interim.

Over time I learned my initial favorable impressions were often deceiving. I could have an amazing meal at a restaurant one night only to be disappointed the next. Or a restaurant that had been consistently good for years suddenly declined for no apparent reason. Off the list! (Well not quite, but…) Sometimes a restaurant might curry favor (pun intended) due to an especially fond memory or simply for its convenience. But the most important criteria for my lists is simple: any place which remains consistently great or inspiring will be considered.

When I began this article several years ago I settled on three categories: the classics; takeout or fast-food; and regional dishes. I later added a fourth for upscale restaurants. While not every restaurant fits neatly into one of these categories, they made sense to me as I began collating the lists. Anyhow, even without the categories my favorite places would still be the same.

the classics - 1980s and 1990s

When I first started to visit Indian restaurants in the eighties, there were a large number of relatively inexpensive restaurants in the Greater Boston area plus a few good ones in outlying locales such as Waltham. Most served some variety of the repertoire often with subtle differences in the spelling or translation of a recipe’s name.

At first, I considered each small iteration of a name as a unique recipe and the best versions created new and exotic imprints in my willingly impressionable mind. There seemed no end to the variety, though as I would eventually learn, many of the dishes were more similar than I was willing to admit. Still I chased the hottest vindaloo forever, and ate a shahi korma that was sheer perfection — only once.

At its height a few blocks of Central Square Cambridge were home to six Indian restaurants all offering substantially the same menu. You might be thinking, “if the menus were so similar, how could one of these restaurants stand above the rest?” A fair question, yet for a few reasons Oh Calcutta rose above the crowd and was one of the first to make it to my list.

In a foreshadowing of the upscale trend of the early 2000s, a few restaurant’s tried to elevate the dining experience for their clientele. Such was the case with Mother India, which started in a small location before moving to a much fancier one a few blocks down Moody street. Other restaurants such as India Restaurant in Somerville consistently offered exceptional food for a reasonable price as they had been doing for decades.

a takeaway in the us?

Over the years several Indian fast-food or takeout restaurants appeared across the Greater Boston area. These “takeaways” were typically located near colleges, in food-courts or even occasionally on small out-of-the-way side-streets. Most offered a limited, inexpensive version of the repertoire with the curries toned down for the American palate. Their appeal was good food at a low price with bonus points added for convenience. Some had a connection to another established restaurant, but most did not last long.

At first glance, these places seemed ideal for a quick lunch that was not a burrito or pizza. However, reality often intervened. With few exceptions, I was not impressed with the food in most of the places I tried, and repeat visits were far and few between. Having said that, the few exceptions did turn out to be first-class gems!

One of the first takeaways I remember was named ahh! Indian Express located on Hammond street in Waltham. Open for only a few years in the late 1980s, their listing in the Boston Globe’s Town & Country Dining section stated “For $3.00 a person you can have a treat.”¹ I ate there a few times and while the price was certainly right, I only remember their mint chutney. It would still be a few years before I found worthy contenders.

In the early 2000s, as I found myself at the Abbey Lounge more often, I became acquainted with Punjabi Dhaba which was much more than “just” a takeout; it was something of an experience! A few years later, even closer to home, I discovered JMP’s succulent curries in a food court filled with several other Asian takeouts.

Late one night I read an article about a local tiffin service run by a small catering company. While I couldn’t commit to ordering lunch three times a week from their tiffin service, I promptly made my way to Guru the Caterer’s tiny storefront in north Somerville. And I am glad I did! (N.B. stay tuned for more in depth discussions of Guru the Caterer and the following restaurants.)

regional favorites - 1990s

Beginning in the 1990s, some local restaurants began testing the waters with a few previously overlooked regional dishes which was a welcome addition for more adventurous diners.

The south Indian breakfast staples dosas and sambhar were the first to appear. Idlis, vadas and dishes like xacuti followed. Initially, I did not remember many of these dishes from my cookbooks. However, after trying something like Sali Boti, I would look again and inevitably find the recipe in one of the books, or online.

My introduction to dosas, Sali Boti, Chicken Xacuti and more was at Rangoli in Allston. They were the first area restaurant to embrace and champion regional dishes, especially from the south. Other restaurants experimented with one or two regional dishes often as chef’s specials, but typically very few made it to their menus.

Unfortunately Rangoli’s location eventually became home to an Afghan restaurant (a good one though) and it would be some time before I discovered a suitable successor.

Eventually two restaurants with expanded menus caught my eye. Their focus on regional dishes and unique approaches to standards like Palak Paneer made them stand out in a rather crowded field. Both had modified the standard recipes offered by many restaurants, and created some mouthwatering masterpieces in their place.

Kabab and Tandoor, while not strictly tied to a region blew me away on my first visit and continued to impress me with their Hyderabadi-inspired dishes for many years. For me, no place in Boston has matched their Chicken 65! Their outstanding buffet and location (below Waltham India Market) quickly made them my favorite Indian restaurant.

A few years later, I read a review about a vegetarian restaurant named Dosa Temple (now Dosa-N-Curry) in Somerville which became another fast favorite. There I had the opportunity to try many south Indian dishes for the first time (including several varieties of dosas). For several years their buffets were incredible affairs with plenty of never-seen-in-Boston dishes for me to try.

bringing the past to the present

By 2000, newer restaurants began to upscale their approach. Not only the food, but the decor and ambiance as well. Replacing the Bollywood classics or ragas forever looping in the background was a mix of Asian Underground inspired artists; current Indian pop songs; or occasionally even Bhangra. A greater number of regional dishes began to populate the menu alongside “updated” variations of the repertoire.

The Kebab Factory is located across the street from the former Kirkland Cafe (a small club where I occasionally performed and saw other bands). I remember they opened in the mid 1990s, but uncharacteristically it was several years before I paid them a visit. Their upscale approach begins with their logo above their front door and continues with their uplifting treatment of little-known regional. I’ve eaten dishes there that I never had anywhere else and I always walked away satisfied.

and what impresses me today?

I would be remiss if I didn’t note that while it might appear that I denigrate the repertoire at times — dishes I used to thoroughly enjoy — it is only in comparison to the more adventurous world-view of many newer restaurants. Like classic rock stations playing “Kashmir” for the thousandth time, I have had some of those dishes a few too many times. While I still thoroughly enjoy a good korma or curry, these days I tend to favor the restaurant that will challenge me with something new or different; reminding me of all the dishes I have never tried. Every so often I still find one.

Interestingly this list now feels a bit dated to me. For many reasons, over the past few years I have not been eating at restaurants with the same velocity I once did. There seem to be fewer restaurants and they are more expensive. While I still check out new restaurants from time to time, in a startling reversal, I now find myself comparing them to my cooking.

Footnotes

1. Display Ad #15, Boston Globe October 10, 1987, 21 [↖︎]