Not Delighted

Went to Indian Delight, at 55th and Detroit, Saturday night and the experience fell far short of delightful.  Food, service, and atmosphere all left much to be desired. We showed up at 8:30 and the place was virtually empty with only one other table occupied. There was no one to greet us or seat us, and we waited an uncomfortably long time before a server appeared with menus.  Although the restaurant was the opposite of busy, extremely slow service was a hallmark of the meal every step of the way.  I began to wonder if the guy who was carrying dishes out of the kitchen was also the one cooking them. The pace- it took two hours to get from ordering to paying the bill, and not because we wanted to take our time- gave us ample opportunity to take in the surroundings. The impression was kind of depressing-the walls were beige and mostly bare, the heat insufficient to take the chill off the room, and the silence deafening. Oddly, the table cloth AND the paper placemats were under glass.

There were some interesting appetizers under the heading Bombay Special that I haven’t seen elsewhere. We had some little round hollow puff s of pasty filled with potatoes and onions (tasty but icy cold- not sure if this is how they are meant to be eaten); and samosa chat that was described on the menu as vegetable samosa topped with chick peas and onions, but which turned out to be bits of crumbled samosa mixed with the beans. The lamb biryani was short on meat and had a bitter aftertaste. The chicken korma was okay, nothing special, and basket of assorted naan, which arrived when we were almost done, was a bit greasy. 

I know people have said they’ve had delicous food here. And I’m always willing to accept a less than lovely setting in exchange for fine eating.  But This place has some serious work to do before I’d return or recommend it.  Given the lack of patrons on a Saturday night, I fear the restaurant may not be in business long enough to correct the problems and grow into a destination fro those who love Indian food.

Anyone been here? What do you think?

Angie’s Back

Just got the following message from the neighborhood merchant’s association about another incarnation of Angie’s, this time on Shaker Square. The soul food restaurant has a long local history and was in the first edition of Cleveland Ethnic Eats .

The owners of Angie’s Soul Cafe, a popular local restaurant with several locations in Cleveland, have launched a new venture at Shaker Square – Zanzibar Soul Fusion. Zanzibar features upscale, contemporary Southern cooking with the same freshness and quality of ingredients that Angie’s has become known for over the years. The now-legendary Angie first concocted her recipes for Clevelanders in the Carnegie Hotel in the late 70′s. Yet in truth, it began earlier than that – with the down home cooking she’d learned while growing up in Santuck (Union), South Carolina. During the intervening years, Angie opened up several restaurant before retiring from the business in 2008. She continues to cook, yet has handed the reigns to second and third generation members of her family, under whose leadership the business continues to evolve and grow. Zanzibar Soul Fusion officially opened several weeks ago  next to the Shaker Square Cinemas.

I can’t wait to check it out and post here about what I find. If anybody gets there before me, please share your impressions with the rest of us.