Sunday, December 28, 2014

Maple Indian Cuisine

It's been a while since my hubby and I have had a first together, but we did yesterday, it's something that we have talked about for a while, but just haven't gotten to try until last night! We were advised by a friend of his that whether we like it or not, we will never forget it. We finally tried Indian food for the first time, why? What were you thinking? Anyway! His friend was correct, the smells, flavors, and taste were certainly distinct and unforgettable, the aroma captivated me the moment that we walked in the door of Maple Indian Cuisine in downtown Goshen (the same building that was Noodle Heads and Il Forno, before that). Our meal started with a complimentary basket of papadum, a thin cracker made of rice flour and other seasonings, served with a green chili and tamarind chili for dipping. Both dipping sauces were delicious, but I loved the slight sweetness of the tamarind.

Neither of us were terribly hungry so we decided to share a few things, to get a good taste of what they had. The first thing that came out was the tandoori prawn, and it was sizzling hot as it is made in a traditional coal oven. Think Indian fajitas as the shrimp were paired with onions and peppers on a hot skillet. I can't even begin to describe the flavors to you as they were that unique, but this shrimp was very tasty, probably a little overpriced, but they were kind enough to give us free basmati rice when we asked for it.
Halfway through our tandoori prawn the chicken pakora appetizer came out, truthfully I didn't care what order they came to the table in because the food came out so quickly. The chicken pakora was seasoned and breaded with gram flour then fried, it looks like fried chicken, but has such a unique, delicious flavor and was incredibly moist. This dish was also paired with the green and tamarind chilis, and was especially delicious with the sweetness of the tamarind chili. Excuse the half eaten plate, it was so delicious I almost forgot the picture!
The last baskets to hit the table were filled with roti and garlic naan. I was expecting roti like they serve at Flat Top Grill, but this did not have that chewy texture, it was more similar to a pita with a pretty plain flavor, but I imagine would be delicious with a saucy dish to sop up all the extra sauce. The garlic naan, was a delicious bread covered in fresh pressed garlic, which is one of my favorite things in the world.
This is also a great place to try if you are vegetarian as they have an extensive list of meat free dishes and appetizers. So if you are looking for something different, like we were, love Indian food, or just want to expand your palate head to downtown Goshen for a very distinct dining experience at Maple Indian Cuisine.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

DaVinci's

We're part of a new church plant here in Elkhart (Encounter Church, we meet at 4pm on Sundays at the corner of CR 106 and Jeanwood Drive and would love to be your people and help you have a fresh encounter with God!), and we ladies there decided that we needed a night out sans kids and hubbies. One of the ladies suggested an Italian restaurant close to the church, DaVinci's on Cassopolis/SR 19 near the intersection of CR 6, and we decided that sharing pizzas would be a budget friendly way to go out together! Most of the ladies started dinner with delicious looking salads and house made Italian dressing and we all shared baskets of delicious, warm, crusty bread that had been covered in butter and basil. After some discussion we decided on a pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms and another pizza that was half Hawaiian, half meaty.
Two things that you should know about me are 1) I love pizza and 2) I'm a pizza snob, I'm not one who enjoys eating just any old pizza, so DaVinci's did not disappoint. I really loved their pizza, the meat and cheese were high quality and delicious, the crust was so tasty and chewy with that undeniable scratch made taste. Not only was this pizza delicious hot, but I am eating a slice of it cold as we speak at it is just as good! Now my goal is to convince my hubby to try and love it, because with this could be my new pizza place! Along with killer pizza, DaVinci's also has wonderful customer service, our waitress Mary was so sweet and attentive, and everyone was so friendly. So next time you are finding yourself wanting Olive Garden or Fazzoli's head to nearby DaVinci's for good quality food and accommodating customer service.