“American Idol” contestant Lauren Alaina Suddeth rolled into town this month for an interestingly composed homecoming parade. Returning from a trip out of the country the day before her arrival, I couldn’t figure out why parts of Walnut Street and Frazier Avenue were closed, or why flags hung all down Market Street, or even why a tow truck was ominously observing the Walgreens pharmacy parking lot on the Northshore.
When I found out Suddeth was the celebrity that the crowds were flocking to Coolidge Park for, I gamely walked the few blocks to the Walnut Street Bridge and waited an hour or so to see her hummer style limo back up to the bridge, roll down the windows teasingly for 15 minutes, and then let Suddeth out to board her vehicle for the parade across the bridge.
As she disappeared down the length of the bridge over the Tennessee River, with fans following her red mustang, I thought that this might be the first time a vehicle of this sort has been allowed to drive across the pedestrian bridge in many years. I say “allowed” because I know we all have stories of a friend, family member, or acquaintance making their way downtown for the first time and inadvertently trying to turn onto and drive down the pedestrian bridge. I actually have connections to two of these different stories.
It’s no wonder they’ve installed poles down the length of the bridge. While waiting for Suddeth’s arrival, lunchtime came and went, and I was on the search for something tasty and different. I passed by Sekisui on Market Street and noticed that the space below them would soon be the new home of Sitar Indian Cuisine.
Sitar’s opening downtown will make them the first Indian restaurant downtown and one of the very few buffet dining locations downtown. I’m sure they’re going to have great success with the tasty selection I once enjoyed at their former location off of Lee Highway. Seeing Sitar’s banner advertisement on Market Street put me in the mood for Indian food, so I drove to Lee Highway where, at the corner of Shallowford, another Indian buffet called The Curry Pot stands.
The Curry Pot is next to the only known Indian Bazaar in town. The Indian Bazaar has all kind of supplies to make your own Indian dishes at home and offers pre-made meals for those who love the Indian cuisine but also like convenience. It’s worth a look inside to see the variety of different foods that this culture presents. Next door, The Curry Pot offers entrees for under $10 and buffet style dining every day of the week. My brother had never had Indian food, and I offered my limited knowledge of “what’s good” in Indian cuisine during our meal there.
The thing to remember with Indian cuisine is that you have to try a little of everything no matter how it looks. In American cuisine, you can usually look at an item and tell if it is going to agree with your palate, but this is not the case with Indian food. It’s usually all green or brown and soupy, but richly seasoned and extremely savory. I know many friends who haven’t tried Indian cuisine because they think the curry seasoning in Indian dishes is going to be too spicy. Yet, during my dining at The Curry Pot, I only found one dish and one chutney sauce too spicy, and even then it tasted good.
The Curry Pot, like many other Indian buffets, offers Naan bread to sop up and aid in eating most of their dishes. This pita type of bread is buttery and a staple to any Indian meal. Another safe dish for beginners is the chicken tika masala. The Curry Pot had an ample amount of this succulent dish that is comprised of chicken and chunks of tofu in a savory orange sauce. Over rice or Naan bread, this dish is wonderful. Another dish the Curry Pot has is tandoori chicken, red colored on the outside but with fresh white meat on the inside.
The rest of the buffet dishes at The Curry Pot were vegetarian, with chickpeas and lentils being used in many of them. They had several different chutney sauces of which the cucumber and carrot was my favorite. They even offered a sweet fruit and yogurt mixed dessert. They didn’t have any palak paneer (my favorite dish) on the buffet when I visited, but I recommend everyone try this dish of spinach and goat cheese.
There you have it: a beginner’s guide to enjoying Indian cuisine. The Curry Pot and other local Indian buffets are a great opportunity to try new cuisine and experience the taste of another culture.
Email Erica Tuggle at reporter@hamiltoncountyherald.com.