In a hurry for curry? Drop by Indian grocery
If you were unhappy when Indian Grill closed a few months ago, lament no more. The popular buffet restaurant was reincarnated in midNovember as Indian Food and Grocery at the same location, 6501 Wyoming NE. Most of the floor space has been converted to a market with a limitedmenu cafe and takeout.
Still at the helm of the business are brothers Baldev and Rajinder Singh, plus several members of their families.
While the cafe business is brisk from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day for hot entrees like chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo and channa masala — all served with rice and naan — the owners said they wanted to make getting Indian-style groceries an easier task for the folks in the adjacent neighborhoods.
“It’s a nice taste of home,” said owner Baldev Singh, adding that many of his clients grew up in India and moved to Albuquerque to study or are professionals who relocated here for work. They are thrilled with the grocery option in order make their own home-cooked meals, he said. The number of people of Indian descent moving to Albuquerque is growing and Singh, a chef who has owned restaurants in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, hopes the familiar flavors at his business will make it easier for people in their new home.
With the new store, he’s catering to the many different tastes of the diverse Indian community. Customers can purchase ready-toeat curry meals, juices flavored with mango and coconut or grocery staples like rice, flours, lentils, chickpeas, pickles and chutneys. He said the grocery has also proven popular with non-Indian patrons, who are eager to whip up some of their own favorite South Asia dishes.
Learning to cook food from India can be a daunting task, and the term “Indian food” is rather misused, said Singh, who is from the Punjab region. The country is huge and, like Italy and France, has regional specialties. Each region has its specific dishes that originate from history, location, culture and tradition.
Some of the most important ingredients are the spice mixes that are unique to each dish. And the store has a whole aisle devoted to them.
Kitchen utensils and health and beauty products such as hennas and soaps, are also for sale.
The grocery is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The business is closed Mondays.
Make mine Mediterranean
You don’t need to do much digging to unearth some of the city’s new culinary finds.
According to social media postings, Bayti Mediterranean Delicacies is a new and nice addition to the midtown food scene.
“Best Mediterranean food ever! You can’t go wrong here,” enthused one tipster, who singled out Bayti’s baba ghanouj, hummus and tabbouleh as personal faves.
Tucked away in a small commercial strip at 5017 Menaul NE, the space was formerly occupied by ZS & T’s, which served up New Mexican cuisine.
“Bayti is a group of Lebanese entrepreneurs who are bringing fresh and healthy Mediterranean cuisine to New Mexico,” the owners say on their website. They are eager to serve the eatin crowd, those wanting food to go and those who are looking to have an event catered.
The restaurant’s menu includes main dishes, sandwiches, salads, sides and desserts, such as the intriguing rose pudding.
Back in the kitchen again
The National Hispanic Cultural Center has a new restaurant again — and the name is a familiar one. The eatery will be run as La Fonda del Bosque, the same name used until 2011.
Focusing on New Mexican comfort foods, La Fonda is now open 9-11:30 a.m. for pastries and coffee and 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch, Tuesday through Saturday in the center’s History and Literary Arts Building at 1701 4th SW in Albuquerque.
The restaurant is owned and operated by Stefani Mangrum, who has been cooking professionally for almost 40 years and has a history of running restaurants, including a successful run at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History. She also has worked in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
La Fonda del Bosque also will be open for special events. In December, it will extend its hours to accommodate those going to see “The Nutcracker Ballet in the Land of Enchantment,” Dec. 15-17, by opening for dinner Friday and Saturday and lunch Sunday.