Gray and Grizzled Food Fan

1) Chutneys and sauces: Cardoz proves that Indian cuisine, like Mexican, has as many great sauces in its repertoire as French.

2) Nonalcoholic drinks: Wonderfully fresh house-made citrus sodas make pregnant ladies feel festive. Husbands are likely to swipe more than their share of sips. Pomegranate gimlet is delightful for post-partum partaking.

3) Clear division between upstairs and downstairs: The spaces know what they are, and customers get what they want. Bread Bar feels more straightforwardly Indian, from the warm family style service, to the casual and varied attire of customers (tweed to Timberwolves jerseys). Upstairs feels far more French, but playfully so. If Parisian chefs ever mined North African food with the commitment and grace that Cardoz brings to Indian, they might produce a similar winner.

4) Wine list: Best wine list in the city for complementing assertively spiced haute cuisine, and its casual counterpart. Selection of whites has never disappointed in Bread Bar meals, especially surprising rarities like Argentine Torrontes. Reds are fun when dining upstairs, though long staircase dissuades me from overindulging.

5) Grapefruit spoons for kolfi: Charming and cheerfully proffered solution to eating a sometimes rock-hard ice cream like confection. For my money, Kolfi is tastier when warmer and softer, but if authenticity must be served, this is the way to do it. These days, I only bring out my grapefruit spoons once a year when the Albritton order arrives. If I can figure out the recipe for the chocolate dipped chocolate kolfi, I’ll have a second excuse!

Wish list: 

A composed cheese plate with Town’s elegance and Tabla’s flavor palette.