Perhaps it’s because the wife’s away, but for the past couple days I have been feeling a little under the weather. So yesterday when my friend, Nick, told me we should try this little hole in the wall Indian place he loved, I eagerly obliged. The place is situated in Glendale, an unexplored area for Carina and myself. From the moment I saw the place, I knew something special was going on there. The people in the front AND back of the house were all Indian. I presume they were all family from the interaction I saw amongst them. In fact, the “mom” was the bus-girl and the “dad” was the waiter. The kitchen, an open space concealed only by a rag, probably had more surface area than the dining room did. The boldness of India was present. I was eager to see what kind of meal awaited me.
We got there at 8, (last seating is at 9:30-not good for the night owls like myself) and from the moment we stood foot in the door to the moment we left, we were treated like part of the tribe. I absolutely adored the “mom” of the group, who seemed so genuine and who made physical contact while she spoke to me. The patrons were like a salad of all walks of life. From suits to lesbian dates to middle-aged locals, the place was packed. The dining room hosts no more than maybe 12 small tables. And by small I mean, you have to fight to get out of your seat if you’re in the opposing side of the walkway.
We sat, we talked, and we had a great time. We chatted over the completion of the ug business plan and his travels. Turns out I’ve known the man for a year and he’s failed to mention any of these life experiences to me. Fill a sister in will ya’. He’s a lawyer so he loves to argue with me and sadly, I fall trap. However, he won’t admit to his love for arguing. At one point during the night, I responded to his denial by saying, “you don’t get this ‘lawyer thing’ do you?” Man, we give each other way too much grief for being fleeting friends that met in Dublin one year ago and only seldom meet up, but incessantly text message:)
We ordered three moderately sized entrées (one veggie and two chicken), basmati rice (which came with the meal), garlic naan bread, and two chai teas. The chicken dishes were spicy, well seasoned, and modestly garnished. Although we didn’t dislike the veggie balls, which I was looking most forward to, they were the most impotent of the trio. The rice was perfectly cooked, but I suppose it’s hard to mess up rice if you have a high tech appliance like a rice cooker. This place looked like it had no such luxuries. Our chicken dish was even garnished with a cute, little paper umbrella. To top off the great food, was the satisfaction of knowing that not a single dish was priced at over 10 or so bucks.
Down-side: No alcohol. But a plus side, if you’re say… getting out of a 6 o’clock AA meeting and don’t want any temptations. I wasn’t getting out of one, but I did enjoy my chai.
Overall: I can’t get enough. At one point during the day, I found myself talking to my co-worker about it and proceeded to get a little drool-ey. Absolutely, one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. I can’t wait to share this little treasure with the wife. A definite thumbs-up! Good call, Nick.
3303 N Verdugo Rd
Glendale, CA 91208
****Sorry about photo quality. iPhone needs a better camera.
2 Comments
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Josie! India Flavor was terrific!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The have a buffet lunch. It is very good.
The blog is great–the food excellent and the vicarious adventures can’t be beat. Thanks for the fun
Susan
[…] of working to get eyes to our site and had an Indian feast to celebrate. It was my first time at India’s Flavor but Josie had talked so much about it that I was sure I was going to be in for a real treat. The […]