Cheat Eats Day

[Steve Plotnicki]

Needing to cleanse my body from a week of stuffing myself at Gramercy Tavern, Annisa and Lespinasse (more about those meals later,) not to mention a bunch of rather large meals cooked at home, I stuck to the straight and narrow and met up with Liza for lunch at the reknowned Dimple. Not having been there before (nor having met Liza before either,) it was going to be an afternoon of new experiences.

Dimple turned out to be a simple place (I couldn't resist.) It's a long thin restaurant with chafing dishes in the window where you can help yourself to a buffet lunch, then a counter on the left of the room with assorted Bhaja (Suvir did I get that right?) which are various fritters and doughy things made from mostly chickpea flour, along with a steam table holding various vegetable dishes. We sat down and they handed us the menu which must have had 100 choices. I quickly sized up the situation as one where I could put myself in the very friendly owner's hands and let him choose for us, or feel like a putz because we decided to go it ourselves and we ordered all of the wrong things, and none of the right things. At least I knew enough to order a mango lassi.

We started with an assortment of fritters etc. The highlights for me were a deep fried ball shaped chickpea coated mixture of lentils which tasted as though it might have been mixed with nuts and cloves. And a ribbon like dough made from chickpeas and lentils that had the consistancy of chow fun and was rolled into a spiral. For our main dishes we had a Cheese and Spinach Dosa that was stuffed with Potato Masala and a Mixed Vegetable Uttapan. The dosa was tender and comforting. I'm used to my dosas having a bit of crunch but this was different. Now that I have the lay of the land I will be back as it clearly offers the best lunch in that area.

Then for dinner I was headed to City Hall because we were alerted that they had an extremely hard to get bottle of wine on their list. Problem was that the person whose job it was to secure the bottle dropped the ball and the dinner was cancelled at the last minute. What to do at 7:00pm on a Tuesday night with no place to go? Easy, I jumped in the car and headed out to Shea to see the Mets continue to play like crap. Afterward as I was driving back to the city, I decided that Crackerjacks weren't sufficient as a dinner so I decided to stop at the Kabab Cafe to see what impact having his picture published in Time Out had on Ali.

Leave it to Queens because I expected the place to be mobbed but it was mostly empty. One table with two people who were obviously musicians (she sounds like a combination of Enya and ......) and Ali was sitting at a table smoking his hookah with a single woman who left shortly after I got there.

I has some terrifically creamy humus and baba ganoush that was dresssed with sumac,and studded with slices of tomatoes, endive, orange, apple and cucumbers. Then I had the soft shell crabs made especially for me without any wheat flour in the batter. Ali dredged them in turmeric, garlic and sea salt and sauteed them as crisp as a non-battered soft shell can get. Served with his signature potatoes, eggplant etc., I have to say it was the best dish I ever ate there. And a recipe I will surely pinch from Ali to make at home. One thing I will say for Kabab Cafe is that at $40 for a dinner like that including tip, it isn't cheap compared to other places in Queens. But it's obviously much cheaper than what you can get in Manhattan, especially considering the quality you get for the money.

[tommy]

i'm more curious about liza than humus.  

[Liza]

As much as I admired the chafing dishes in the window, the highlight was meeting Steve and finding out that we are not the same person.

I also enjoyed the Bhel Puri, puffed crisps with potatoes, beans, pulses and mint water. Lovely combination of crunchy and cooling. I liked the rolled item that I think was the Patra (yes, I'm cheating with a copy of the menu) -"rolled arbe leaves with spices" - does that sound like it, Steve?

Sorry to hear about the dropped balls at City Hall and at Shea!

[Steve Plotnicki]

"i'm more curious about liza than humus"

Tommy - You know, she's a girl. She has all those girl things about her. There really isn't anything else to say.

Liza - The Patra sounds right. I think I need a big order of those next time. Have a good time on Sunday  

[Liza]

Jeez, no mention of my babe factor?

[tommy]

Tommy - You know, she's a girl. She has all those girl things about her. There really isn't anything else to say.

you must pick up a lot of chicks with smooth lines like that.  yikes!  

[thereuare]

you must pick up a lot of chicks with smooth lines like that.  yikes!  

Tommy, he was able to meet Liza before you.

[Liza]

Actually, I met Tommy first. And for the record, I'm a little bit more than just a collection of girlish qualities!

But back to the discussion of bhel puri and sev puri.

[tommy]

Tommy, he was able to meet Liza before you.

well, sort of.  i've actually met liza.  it's just that i don't remember much...and that's *NOT* because she was unmemorable, but rather because i was drinking, as it was a pub crawl.  plus, she ignored me so i really didn't get a chance to chat.  

[tommy]

have i made myself clear!?  hehe.  

washed my hands this morning and can't do a thing with 'em.

[Sandra Levine]

I quickly sized up the situation as one where I could put myself in the very friendly owner's hands and let him choose for us, or feel like a putz because we decided to go it ourselves and we ordered all of the wrong things, and none of the right things

Or, you could have looked at this thread on the India board:

Chaat and Chat

[Suvir Saran]

Steve,

Bhaja, Bhajia, Pakoras are appropriate words.

The Dosas tend not to be very good at Dimple.

Maybe next time you can try the street food (Chaat) dishes and get yourself a meal you may not find in too many Indian restaurants.

The Paatra (Arbi Leaf) dish is nice.  Arbi leaves are leaves of the Colocasia Plant.  A sister plant of the Elephant Ear.  We eat the leaves and the tuber in India.

I love Bhel Puri and Sev Puri.  In fact I have had Bhel for lunch the last two days.  I have a houseguest that just wants to eat my homemade food.  And Bhel in the morning.  Go figure.

And if you look at the Dimple link that Sandra gave, you may find more information.  

I am glad you enjoyed Dimple.  It is simple, almost tacky, but worth the effort.  The women behind the counter love to serve and do a great job.  In fact they love to help, maybe next time, you can employ their feedback as well.  I am amazed at how accurate their recommendations usually are.

[Jinmyo]

Nice write-up, Steve. I look forward to your forthcoming notes.

Liza, thy babe factors are beyond reckoning and thus the lack of adequate commentary shall most likely remain until a powerful enough algorithm is constructed. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? In NYC? Are you kidding? Thou art more lovely and more temperate." Then the program freezes. The eGullet techs are working like gnomes even now.

[Liza]

In NYC there are people on every corner with jars, supposedly collecting money for the homeless. They exhort us, to "help feed the homeless". But I always hear is as "Help seed the gnomeless". Davy informs me that the group of 'volunteers' who collect money near Union Square, then meet in the bathroom of a local deli, haggling over the money and crack. Ah well...

Suvir, I'm expressly interested in the Bhel Puri, as is your houseguest. What a marvelous combination of textures and temperatures! Are there any other restaurants in NYC that serve these concoctions?

[Wilfrid]

she ignored me so i really didn't get a chance to chat.  

We all tried to ignore you.  Except Macrosan, who threw a chicken leg at you.

C'mon Liza, what about Steve?  I presume he was a guy, with all those guy things going on?  

[Liza]

Wilfrid, shouldn't this be on a different thread? Aren't we do for a Plotnicki one?

He's a guy, with those guy things, one presumes, going on, yes. He's a handsome chap, who looks at you when he talks. A smart order-er, who sometimes eats with his fingers, and he laughs easily. Plus, he watches "VIP". Therefore, I was completely charmed.

[Wilfrid]

And no beard, right?  I am thinking of growing one before I meet Steve - just to give him something to complain about.  

[Suvir Saran]

Liza many Indian restaurants now have Bhel Puri on their menus.

Even some on East 6th Street.  I know Guru does.

Pongal has Bhel Puri, Tamarind has Bhel.  I am sure there are others.

Mirchi has great Bhel, and in an attractive room.

[cabrales]

Liza -- What is "VIP"?

[Steve Plotnicki]

Cabrales - VIP is a syndicated TV show with an excellent wardrobe person.

Wilfrid - Beards are okay in person, just not on the site.