Stuff to eat. Mostly around St. Louis.

Spencer 5/14/15 Spencer 5/14/15

Priyaa

You could poke my eyes out and deafen me, then wheel me into almost any Indian restaurant in town and I could order without seeing the menu or letting anyone read it to me. One chicken korma! One saag paneer! Tikka masala, please. It seems like they're all your typical North Indian restaurant serving the same dishes with nearly the same quality and taste levels.

That's not to say the food is bad - it isn't - it's just that there is no range in quality or choices. India is huge. Go on Wikipedia and you'll see 37 types of regional Indian cuisines listed. Give me some Goan seafood dishes with their Portuguese influence. It's just like Japanese restaurants in the US: there's more to Japan's cuisine than ramen and sushi.

After eating lunch at the forgettable Chihuahua's Mexican at 270 and Dorsett, I noticed Priyaa Indian at the corner of the strip mall and got to Googling. South Indian dishes! Two days later, I was there.

I love South Indian food; there was a hawker stand I went to weekly in Singapore that served up an enormous dosa with rainbow of sides for something like $6. South Indian food is typically spicier and contains more tamarind and coconut to replace the dairy often seen in the north (paneer, cream), which is a-ok with me.

As I tout my love of the South, I order a Punjab (North Indian) entree: the Chole Bhatura. Our waitress told us it was one of her favorites and not something seen at most other restaurants in town, so we went with it. This was one delicious, spicy bowl of chickpea curry. It looks like your typical American chili, but the flavors - cinnamon, fennel, cardamom, turmeric - let you know you're not in Kansas anymore.

The dish is served with three giant bhatura, a puffed fried bread.

I let me stomach dictate my photos of the rava masala dosa. I knew they weren't great shots, but the smell was so tempting, I couldn't resist. I had to start eating.

For the unaware, a dosa is basically a gigantic crepe that is filled with a thick vegetable curry (if it has masala in the name), then folded or rolled. The rava (semolina flour) masala dosa's batter contains onions, peppers, and all sorts of spices, making every bite a flavor-filled one. It's crispy, it's comically large, and I devoured it. I went in with low expectations, but after tasting how spot on the dosa was, I wanted to try every type they make.

We had expected all of the entrees to come at the same time, but the tandoori chicken came 10-15 minutes after everything else. By that time, we'd gone through the entire dosa (see below) and most of the chickpea curry - there wasn't much room left for chicken. And, as if a dosa and the bhatura bread weren't enough, the chicken came with naan (see below again). Suffering from Celiac? Don't come here.

The chicken was standard: charred and juicy. It was good, but not an item that I'd return to Priyaa for specifically.

I wish Priyaa had more South Indian dishes on their menu, but I understand that they probably aren't their money makers - yet. If you enjoy Indian spices and want to try something different, head over and get some dosas to share. Or, better yet, get one dosa and one of their Thali, something like a sampler platter.

What's your favorite Indian restaurant in St. Louis?

Priyaa Indian Cuisine

1910 McKelvey Rd

Maryland Heights, MO 63043

314-542-6148

Spencer 4/16/15 Spencer 4/16/15

Salume Beddu

Update: Salume Beddu has moved into Parker's Table and no longer runs Saturday specials.

Refresh.

That's what I'm doing most Saturday mornings around 10:30 am. Sitting on Facebook, waiting for Salume Beddu to post their three Saturday specials.

I know I post about them a lot, but I like sharing what I'm eating, especially if it's delicious. Don't think of every post as a brand new review like you might see in the St. Louis Post Dispatch or Riverfront Times. Like you, I have my favorite spots that I eat at often, and it's for a good reason.

The cured plate of the day was a Smoked Spanish Paprika rubbed Berkshire Fiocchetto from Newman Farm, a sweet and tender cut with a hint of smoke. Not as buttery as other cures, but its wonderfully mellow flavor makes up for it. It was served with Red Fox ciabatta, spread with a thin layer of house-made Dulce de Membrillo, a sweetened quince paste. It's tough to see, but the back corner has Jacobs & Brichford's Everton cheese, a grassy Alpine-style cheese from Indiana, speckled with fresh pineapple verbena. Deliciously sweet bruleed pears and a lemon thyme granita finished it off.

Months ago, someone commented that when Beddu made polenta, I better get my ass over there and eat it. I listened to you, person who recommended it but whose name I can't find. Delicate pulled braised pork shank and the unctuous gravy parted the sea of creamy polenta, made with Cottonwood River cheddar. Oil poached green chickpeas and some chili flakes completed the dish. It lived up to the hype, especially on the cold winter's morning I went. I doubt this shows up too often on their spring & summer menu, but if it ever does, you should go get some.

Even for me, this was just too much for a Saturday lunch. This goes down as the first dish I haven't been able to finish at Beddu.

I had brought a Beddu newcomer, as well, so I made her get the bacon, harissa, and squash sandwich. Her life was changed that day.

Next Saturday, you need to get in your car and drive to a cafe near Beddu, like Pint Size, Comet Coffee, or La Patisserie Chouquette. Get something tasty to eat, whip out your smart phone, and start refreshing Facebook. You'll see Beddu's specials. Resistance is futile.

Salume Beddu

3467 Hampton Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63139

(314) 353-3100