Had lunch plans yesterday to go down to Coastal Kitchen for a nice big BLT, but they were jammed and wouldn’t let us roll our stroller with the sleeping boss-man in. No strollers allowed. That was the unspoken message during a crowded lunch rush.
Disappointing.
But rather than awaken the little guy and spend the meal passing him back and forth trying to distract him with rice crackers while our food got cold, we decided to jet.
After some back and forth that went like this—
A: How about..
D: No, they don’t allow minors.
A: How about…
D: No, I don’t want Thai.
A: How about…
D: No, they don’t have a lot of seating.
—Akira recognized that if a Big Lunch was what I wanted, I should go get a Big Lunch on my own. And a Big Lunch was indeed what I wanted, since I’d forgotten to eat breakfast as well as dinner the night before.
A: God, you must be hungry!
D: Yeah, I’m pretty hungry.
That’s me, healthy DK.
So we split up.
In pursuit of the perfect Big Lunch
I have to say, this was a fabulous move.
Not only did I end up getting Indian lunch buffet (exactly perfect when you’re craving a lot of lunch), but I had the most amazing, incredible pakoras east of Calcutta.
Mirch Masala pakoras
That’s where I went. Sure they could do with a bit more pizazz, like fancy lights and pretty napkins. But I like this place because it’s familiar. You could go to any restaurant that does Indian food and have the same experience: prints of Indian ladies framed on the walls, pink napkins poking out of wine glasses on your table, the ever-present take-away menu prominently placed by the register. From London to Dubai, this template’s what I’ve seen.
I should mention this was my parents’ favorite spot when they came to town. Not Cafe Flora. Not Vios. Not even Monsoon. They know what they like, and they go for it.
I have to admit, I like that personality trait.
So, if you are ever up for a lot of Indian food at a not-so-bad $7.95, and you happen to like pakoras, and they happen to be putting out some fresh ones right when you walk in, Mirch Masala on Broadway is a good place to go.
They had really nice service. But one thing bugged me. The music. Punjabi bhangra, while making me feel somewhat nostalgic for all things Home and Family, was a little brassy over butter chicken and basmati. The gulab jamuns were not so exciting, either.
But you know what? All that food really hit the spot for me, and I went home totally completely delighted and sated.
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