Indian Theme-iversary

c8w wrote:

BrendanR wrote:[Outside of my typical lunch range is Tacos Arandas. Also in Des Plaines, it's on Oakton a bit west of River Rd. I haven't explored the complete menu but perhaps it's worth a try.
Please report your findings! I'd love to find some more lunch options.

Wasnt sure whether this was the thread to write into, or maybe the
Glenview one... but the official address is Des Plaines, so here it
shall go

This isnt quite close to Oakton and River Road.. but still in Des Plaines,
near the intersection of Ballard and Potter. For all the flak the burbs
take (especially in the Glenview thread, where I was first going to
put this post ... the area is teeming with ethnic choices that would
put several areas of the city of shame. Near this intersection, for
example, within 50 yards there were at least a couple of Mexican
tacquerias (havent tried em, just got one menu), 2 Mexican grocery
stores, a couple Chinese places, and a couple of Indian places.Almost
all of them relatively new.

The one I'll mention is the one place Ive actually tried so far That
would be the *very* new "Tandoori Restaurant", at 9344 West Ballard.
(At first I wondered if this place, that my friend wanted to try, was
actually the Tandoor in Park Ridge that has been mentioned elsewhere,
and I wasnt too keen to try it.. but it turned out to be completely
different. There is no permanent sign up yet, BTW, just a cloth
one, so you have to look hard to find the place).

The "Tandoori Restaurant" is a Pakistani place, in the tradition of
Usmaniya and/or Sabri Nehari on Devon. (In fact, there is a plaque
with an article extolling Sabri Nehari.. but this is the Sabri Nehari
in *Dallas, Texas*, from whence has apparently come their chef
The menu is very Usmaniya/Sabri-ish - no more than a half dozen
veggie dishes (the usual "daal", "daal palak", "aloo palak" etc). The
meat of the menu is, obviously, in the meat - Kadai (gosht and
chicken), Qorma (gosth and chicken), kababs (sheekh and chapli),
chicken (boti, tandoori, tikka, frontier, makhani), Haleem, Nehari,
Paya, Kheema, Biryanis etc.

Tried the Kadai Chicken - on the day, a nicely solid version. Tried
the Sheekh Kabab - flavourful, spicy, nice kick to it, not dumbed
down at all.. but maybe just a touch dry (we had taken the food
to go, however). Tried the goat biryani.. to me Usmaniya and
Sabri are the gold standard; this goat biryani was a little different
from them in style, but a very very good biryani anyway. IMHO Id
still rather get the Usmaniya biryani, but this would be a very fine
substitute even if I was on Devon (and not far away in Des
Plaines). Decently spicy, very flavourful, the goat not as plentiful
(or as perfectly succulent) as Usmaniya - but again, very good indeed.
And a decent-looking little spot, just opened, fairly obviously
family-owned, with some nice pictures of city-streets in Pakistan up
on the walls.

Tandoori Restaurant (9344 West Ballard, 847-824-6550) is open
10-10 M-Thu, 10-11 Fri.. and if youre in the area and craving
good meat-centric Pakistani food, it would be a fine option.
Heck, I think I might actually go on a weekend morning.. on Saturday
and Sunday they open at 8am, and will apparently be serving
the ubiquitous Halwa-Puri-Breakfast (usually available at
Tahoora, King Sweets, and Shan on Devon, but, at least at
Tahoora, only availble after hellish parking followed by standing
in line for 30 minutes or more).

Oh, and the prices are *very* reasonable - only one veggie dish
- Palak Paneer - exceeds 4.99 - and that only by 50 cents! No
meat dish exceeds 6.99, most coming in at 5.99 (only the
Whole Tandoori Chicken comes in at 12.99). The prices are
actually *cheaper* than Usmaniya or Sabri Nehari (which was
very surprising to me).

In the same strip mall there is a little Mexican grocery store (which
was closed, so I could not venture in), as well as Los Sombreros
Taqueria (which I only picked up a menu from.. looked decent
enough, they have the usual Al Pastor, Chicken etc, but also
Carnitas, and Tripe and Tongue Tacos), plus Chilaquiles, Shrimp
Cocetel etc.

About 50 yards away, in the strip mall at the very intersection of
Ballard and Potter, is another restaurant called "Chilli.. something".
Unfortunately I couldnt stop here - I wanted to, to at least pick up a
menu (will do so next time). This might be a very interesting spot.. it is,
from what I hear, an Indian restaurant, but one that is owned by
either Kerala or Andhra folk! Given that, and also given the
name, Iam curious to look at the menu - was told second-hand
that they did actually have a few dishes from those regions of
India. If they do, it would make them one of the only such
restaurants in the entire Chicagoland area that do.. and actually
Iam somewhat hopeful because the largest number of Kerala
Christians from India apparently reside (and attend church)
nearby in the Niles/Morton Grove area.

Anyway. This is the Ballard/Potter area.. not *that* close to
Oakton/Elmhurst etc, and not quite as far as Fredhots in
Glenview, but somewhere in between. Potter/Ballard may not
be as familiar streets to some people - but if you know Cid's
Ma Mon Luk on Golf Road in Niles (which has been mentioned
often on this board), the Tandoori Restaurant, for example, is
all of 1.1 miles away from it! This is a spot which is nominally
Des Plaines.. but which is pretty much right near the border of
Niles and Glenview as well.


c8w

Pie Lady wrote:Pie Dude's and my anniversary is coming up soon, and we decided to have a theme date: a Bollywood movie and dinner at an Indian restaurant. Anybody have any idears? Something nice, but not too pricey. I'm guessing the movie will either be at the new Golf Glen (if it opens in time), Barrington, or Des Plaines, so something around those areas or Devon Ave. would be best.

Thanks!

MBK wrote:for a movie, i recommend Muvico in Rosemont

Athena wrote:If you're doing a movie after remember - they are LONG! And there's usually an intermission for snacks - check with the theater what's availabile & leave room ;D