Samosas

India Rasoi Akbar Restaurant 823 N. Charles St., Baltimore -- 410-539-0944 Hours --Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; dinner: 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday Restaurant's estimate --5-10 minutes Ready in --11 minutes The pair of samosas in this order, $4.45, were relatively small and didn't impress us. The dough was decent - slightly salty and fried brown - but the stuffing could...

Khalid Chaudry won't give up the recipes behind the food at his new Mount Vernon restaurant, Alladin Kabob. When pressed about the magic behind the meat samosas, or the sprinkle of red powder on a lemon sitting atop a small salad, the restaurant's owner demurred. "Those are our spices," he said. "It's our secret. " Whatever those secret spice combinations are, they work. Alladin Kabob's menu stretches across the Middle East and through India, with a few American dishes thrown into the mix. Regardless of point of origin, Chaudry's food is expertly seasoned.

Khalid Chaudry won't give up the recipes behind the food at his new Mount Vernon restaurant, Alladin Kabob. When pressed about the magic behind the meat samosas, or the sprinkle of red powder on a lemon sitting atop a small salad, the restaurant's owner demurred. "Those are our spices," he said. "It's our secret. " Whatever those secret spice combinations are, they work. Alladin Kabob's menu stretches across the Middle East and through India, with a few American dishes thrown into the mix. Regardless of point of origin, Chaudry's food is expertly seasoned.

Tucked inside Kitchen of India's leatherette menu is a page of five appetizers and six entrees titled "New Additions." I wouldn't be surprised if this page with the same items, give or take an appetizer, has been inserted like this since Kitchen of India opened two years ago. (The Indian-Nepalese restaurant Mount Everest used to have this location before it relocated to Nottingham.) If so, then that's pretty smart marketing. We tried, and liked, a few things off of the New Additions page, but I don't think we would have if they had been listed under "Chef Specialties."

The yeti has been sighted - and on York Road, no less. The Nepali version of the abominable snowman is now lending his name to a new, unassuming but promising carryout restaurant just south of Northern Parkway. Yeti has been open a couple of months, replacing a Mediterranean restaurant. Its menu bridges the gap between your basic American carryout fare - pizzas, subs and sandwiches - and Indian cuisine. (The owners of Yeti are Nepali, but they characterize that portion of their menu as Indian.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, it was easy to momentarily mistake Kabobbi in Fells Point for one of those great shacks at the beach where fried clams and milkshakes can be had. You walk up to a window and order your meal. A few tables and chairs are arranged under a shelter. You watch the guys slap your order on the grill. But instead of boardwalk fries, Kabobbi offers a menu of Indian/Pakistani specialties. And instead of the beach, there is Thames Street, at the heart of a part of Baltimore enjoying a burst of revitalization.

Like many people in Baltimore, I have become a big fan of Mount Vernon's Helmand Restaurant, which serves delicious Afghan food at good prices. So, I was pleased to hear about Maiwand Kabob, a much smaller Afghan restaurant in Columbia. Maiwand, in the Harper's Choice Village Center, does some things nicely, but it's no Helmand. While it has a few Formica-topped tables inside and two outside facing the huge village center parking lot, Maiwand Kabob seems to cater largely to carry-outers.

In its name, Akbar honors Jellaladin Mohammed Akbar, who is said to have been the greatest and wisest of the Mogul emperors of India. In 1556, eight years before Shakespeare's birth, he succeeded to the Mogul throne. By the age of 52, he ruled more of India than anyone before him. It was the Moguls who introduced a Turko-Persian cuisine to India that, according to cookbook writer Julie Sahni, "was the food of the aristocrats."Akbar the restaurant, in practice, and in two locations, is more amiable than regal.

Be forewarned. Mehfil looks like a cross between a sub shop and a laundromat. One glance and we thought, never mind. After we went in, though, and fell in love on the spot with the owner, Kamini Bhatti, and her family, we stayed to enjoy a delightful evening.Mehfil's calling cards read "Indian & American Cuisine -- 'Moghulai Touch of India' -- Serving Vegetarian and Non Veg. Meals." "Indian and American cuisine" could mean Americanized Indian food, but doesn't. Weekdays Mehfil opens at 6 a.m., and serves omelets, pancakes, toast, bacon, sausage and fries.

I have to admit, Bombay Garden did not make a great first impression. The balloons and streamers near the ceiling did not seem to go with the Indian artwork on the walls and the soft Indian music we heard. And the empty chafing dishes from the lunchtime buffet were still out. But we warmed to the place once we started eating. And we even grew to like the atmosphere, which was casual enough for families, yet romantic enough for a date. The 4-month-old Indian restaurant is owned by Balwinder Singh Chana, who owned and operated Mughal Garden on North Charles Street until recently and was chef at the renowned Akbar before that.

India Rasoi Akbar Restaurant 823 N. Charles St., Baltimore -- 410-539-0944 Hours --Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; dinner: 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday Restaurant's estimate --5-10 minutes Ready in --11 minutes The pair of samosas in this order, $4.45, were relatively small and didn't impress us. The dough was decent - slightly salty and fried brown - but the stuffing could...

We've all heard tales of Hollywood types who come to town and throw around some major 'tude. Though we'd love to dish about those unforgettable incidents here and there, we won't name names. So let's talk about someone who belies that celebrity stereotype. A thoroughly down-to-earth nice guy, Henry Winkler, was in town last weekend as the honoree at Heartfest 2005, a benefit for the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Preventive Cardiology Center. Before the Martin's West doors opened, the Fonz made a point of going around to each of the food stations manned by more than 25 area restaurateurs and caterers.

The yeti has been sighted - and on York Road, no less. The Nepali version of the abominable snowman is now lending his name to a new, unassuming but promising carryout restaurant just south of Northern Parkway. Yeti has been open a couple of months, replacing a Mediterranean restaurant. Its menu bridges the gap between your basic American carryout fare - pizzas, subs and sandwiches - and Indian cuisine. (The owners of Yeti are Nepali, but they characterize that portion of their menu as Indian.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, it was easy to momentarily mistake Kabobbi in Fells Point for one of those great shacks at the beach where fried clams and milkshakes can be had. You walk up to a window and order your meal. A few tables and chairs are arranged under a shelter. You watch the guys slap your order on the grill. But instead of boardwalk fries, Kabobbi offers a menu of Indian/Pakistani specialties. And instead of the beach, there is Thames Street, at the heart of a part of Baltimore enjoying a burst of revitalization.

If you've always wanted to try cooking a vegetarian meal but were unsure where to start, Everyday Greens (Simon & Schuster, 2003, $40) is for you. Many of the recipes are so tasty that you will forget you are not eating meat. The cookbook is written by Annie Somerville, chef at Greens, a prominent restaurant in San Francisco that doesn't like to call itself vegetarian. She includes 205 recipes from her restaurant as well as cooking tips on everything from how to toast nuts to why a salad spinner is essential.

I have to admit, Bombay Garden did not make a great first impression. The balloons and streamers near the ceiling did not seem to go with the Indian artwork on the walls and the soft Indian music we heard. And the empty chafing dishes from the lunchtime buffet were still out. But we warmed to the place once we started eating. And we even grew to like the atmosphere, which was casual enough for families, yet romantic enough for a date. The 4-month-old Indian restaurant is owned by Balwinder Singh Chana, who owned and operated Mughal Garden on North Charles Street until recently and was chef at the renowned Akbar before that.

If you've always wanted to try cooking a vegetarian meal but were unsure where to start, Everyday Greens (Simon & Schuster, 2003, $40) is for you. Many of the recipes are so tasty that you will forget you are not eating meat. The cookbook is written by Annie Somerville, chef at Greens, a prominent restaurant in San Francisco that doesn't like to call itself vegetarian. She includes 205 recipes from her restaurant as well as cooking tips on everything from how to toast nuts to why a salad spinner is essential.

FROM the outside, India Palace doesn't look much like "Baltimore's Taj Mahal of Indian restaurants" (as its carryout menu claims it is). In fact, were it not for the sandwich board placed on the sidewalk near the Long Reach Village Center's Safeway, one might not even know that there's a restaurant here at all, tucked away overlooking an interior courtyard. Step inside, however, and India Palace assumes a more regal air. Chandeliers and sparkling glass sconces cast a warm glow over the pink walls and white linen tablecloths.

Like many people in Baltimore, I have become a big fan of Mount Vernon's Helmand Restaurant, which serves delicious Afghan food at good prices. So, I was pleased to hear about Maiwand Kabob, a much smaller Afghan restaurant in Columbia. Maiwand, in the Harper's Choice Village Center, does some things nicely, but it's no Helmand. While it has a few Formica-topped tables inside and two outside facing the huge village center parking lot, Maiwand Kabob seems to cater largely to carry-outers.

FROM the outside, India Palace doesn't look much like "Baltimore's Taj Mahal of Indian restaurants" (as its carryout menu claims it is). In fact, were it not for the sandwich board placed on the sidewalk near the Long Reach Village Center's Safeway, one might not even know that there's a restaurant here at all, tucked away overlooking an interior courtyard. Step inside, however, and India Palace assumes a more regal air. Chandeliers and sparkling glass sconces cast a warm glow over the pink walls and white linen tablecloths.