PONDICHERI
The gist: Chef-owner Anita Jaisinghani never stops adding to the moving parts that keep her all-day contemporary Indian cafe spinning like a kaleidoscope.
The hook: There are always discoveries to be made in this vivid, soaring industrial space — whether at breakfast service, teatime in the upstairs Bakery Lab or cocktail hour at the snug bar. The expanded patio, which has migrated into the courtyard driveway, is as much a pandemic boon as the expanded to-go options. (Curry by the quart? Dinner for two with a bottle of wine? Yes, please.) Up a staircase lie a mesmerizing pastry case, sandwich and salad shelves, a fresh-pressed-juice and chai bar, condiments, spices and mixes for cooking at home. Jaisinghani’s restless curiosity doesn’t quit, and respect for good local ingredients, with attention to vegetarian and vegan requirements, is a hallmark of her cuisine. At 10 years old, Pondicheri seems as fresh and vital as ever, and uniquely geared for the moment.
What to order: Eggs with uppma, a savory grits hash; coconut pancakes; Vishnu vegetarian thali; Madras chicken wings; Sindhi dal with ginger and tomato; kalonji lamb chops. Unique cocktails and well-suited wines, too.
Outdoor option: Cafe tables with market umbrellas and potted shrubbery line the sidewalks and a marked-off section of the courtyard drive in the River Oaks development.
2800 Kirby, 713-522-2022; pondicheri.com