#41 Bindi

Overview: The inventive Indian cuisine conjures a palpable excitement that makes first-timers wonder what took them so long, and makes repeat customers feel totally in-the-know.

Recommendations: One bite of Bindi’s spongy-soft stuffed bread (try the spinach) and you’ll swear off the tandoor oven forever. The $20 Thali Tuesday prix fixe gives groups a shareable platter of food.

http://bindibyob.com/bindi/

Beth's thoughts:  Thali Tuesday.  I like me some alliteration.  And for $20, this sounded like the perfect day to visit Bindi.

But what is Thali?

According to Wikipedia, a thali is a selection of different dishes, usually served in small bowls on a round tray.  The selection of dishes varies from region to region, but typical dishes include rice, dhal (which is made from split peas or lentils or beans), vegetables, roti (flatbread), curd or yogurt, chutney or a pickle dish.

Looking at the menu prior to our visit, I already knew I would choose the fish Thali option. 

Before our Thali, we received our complimentary Papad, which is the Indian equivalent of bread and butter.

Next, we ordered an appetizer to split.  David and I decided on the Lamb Sliders.  The patties were a little too well-done for me, but the flavor compensated.  I just wish there were more...

Next, we received our main course.

Notice that, thus far, this entry has been more informational than opinion-drive.  Well here it is.  Here is the great reveal.....

My dear readers (otherwise known as Mom) I have failed you!

In an effort to maintain my girlish figure, I have drastically reduced my caloric intake, not only on 50 Food Dates eating days, but in general.  That noted, I have also reduced my "empty calorie" consumption, also known as alcoholic beverages.  Prior to eating this meal, I met up with David for happy hour at a local drinking establishment and had two glasses of wine.  Typically, this would be no cause for alarm; however, these days two glasses of wine makes me quite tipsy indeed.  I wish I could better describe my experience at Bindi, but with booze in my belly and a fuzzy head, I'm afraid the flavors were dulled......and forgotten.

To surmise my meal: tasted like Indian food.  Very fresh Indian food.

David's Thoughts: "WTF-Indian Food???"...

This was my initial response to Bindi's presence on our culinary road map. Don't get me wrong; I like Indian food. Specifically, I like Indian food that costs $9.95, and there is a buffet, and I probably have to travel to the outskirts of a college campus to find it, but it is always delicious when I get there. So that was my initial thought: Why am I paying more than $10 for Indian food, when the poor-man's version is already so good?

Lets set the stage: Its about 5:15 on a Tuesday afternoon, and I'm casually walking from my office toward the Gayborhood, when suddenly the heavens open. Deluge. Downpour. The kind of rain that forces you to walk under every awning, because the splashback from the rain not hitting you is enough to drench your pants. (Yes, curious readers- I used the phrase "drench your pants." Make a joke. Get it out of your system. Moving on...)

Beth was driving, and the rain had literally trapped her, umbrella-less, in her car. Moment of chivalry: I fought through the waters to Beth's car, paid for her parking, then escorted her to our destination. Beth and I aren't a couple, but if we were... I'd be gettin' some.

... that's probably not true.

Ahem. Back to the food. Right... so we started our evening at Vintage, where we sprinted to the alcoholic "finish-line" of Happy Hour, drinking 2 large glasses apiece in about 20 minutes. This allowed for a fun game I like to call "Arrive at the restaurant sober, then get progressively more intoxicated while you're there, even though you aren't drinking anything alcoholic." This is a fun game, readers- particularly if you're a "slightly too self-conscious" lightweight like myself.

Then we had some food. First: bread. Bread is a nice start. Then we ordered the Lamb Sliders, which Beth mentioned previously. They were tasty, but our photos are too kind; the burgers are two, maybe three bites apiece. For $10. So I ate burger for approximately $2.00 a bite. F-you, Bindi. That's just wrong.

Thali Tuesday was, to my surprise, quite tasty. I have no idea what I ate, though. There was a spinach thing. And a potato thing. And some green stuff. And a spicy thing. And some yogurt sauce. And I got the one with meat instead of the one with fish. Which, in short, means that I had a delicious combination of 7 or 8 diverse and delectable foods, all for $20. Well, plus the cost of the sliders, which I'll never have again. Final verdict: I would recommend Bindi as a culinary adventure on an early Tuesday afternoon, with an adventurous friend or a casual date. But really, truly, anything else is going to leave you with an empty wallet and a broken spirit.