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.

Rolling Scones Part II

The name "Rolling Scones," can be a bit deceiving, it can evoke images of delicious pastries, which they DO serve, but that isn't all they do. On the first and third Saturdays of every month Rolling Scones in the basement of The Old Bag Factory in Goshen serves up a Puerto Rican feast, on top of their regular delicious menu full of tempting breakfast options, soups, sandwiches, and salads. We started our meal with a shrimp ceviche, which was as beautiful as it was tasty...chock full of shrimp, lime juice, and typical salsa veggies! And if you aren't familiar with ceviche it is raw seafood that is marinated in citrus juice and served with tortilla chips for dipping.

My hubby and I decided to partake of the Puerto Rican feast which included pork and chicken (you can choose one or the other, but we wanted both), organic greens and dressing, rice and beans, and a slice of bread. The pork and chicken were unbelievably moist, generally in a restaurant meat has a tendency to be dry, but that is not the case here, and the flavor was delicious, very natural and perfectly seasoned. The dressing on the salad may actually be one of my favorite dressings, it is a light vinaigrette type, and is perfect next to the hardiness of the rice and beans, which were full of sweet potatoes, green olives, and ham; and my hubby who isn't a fan of any of those things really liked this side dish.

My mother in law ordered the "Pita Carnita" and really liked it, she was also surprised at how moist the Puerto Rican chicken in her pita was, it was complimented with Swiss cheese, fresh avocado (a staple for my hubby's California family), green olives, dill pickles, and mayo.

Whether you are looking for delicious scones to take to the office, soup and a sandwich for lunch, or a traditional Puerto Rican meal, Rolling Scones is a must try!

Rachel's Bread

When it comes to bread I tend to be a snob, many people think it is just a vehicle for a sandwich, but I tend to think that bread can be the star, and if you find a loaf that is good enough, you can eat it by itself and have a culinary experience, and that is exactly what you will get at Rachel's Bread in the farmer's market on The Millrace in Goshen. After work the other morning, several of us nurses decided to have breakfast together, Rachel's was the spot we chose and the moment we walked in and took a sniff, we knew it was going to be good! I was overwhelmed by the number of delicious pastries and other breakfast choices being offered and struggled for several minutes before I landed on the decision of an almond croissant with a cup of fruit. Some of the other competitors were danish, chocolate cream rolls, and baked oatmeal with dried cherries, plus they have frittata that my colleagues said were delicious. My almond croissant was sublime, it was flaky, light, and buttery and surprised me with a center full of creamy, chunky almond filling; The croissant was so good, in fact, that I decided to take the chocolate variety home, and my oh my, was this ever a delicious croissant, semisweet chocolate surrounded by the flaky layers of pastry, it can't be beat!

Because so many of the pastries looked so delicious and my decision was so hard, I brought my hubby home a pecan cinnamon roll because I know he has a great love for them, and I had secret hopes that I would get a taste, too.  It took him a day to eat it so he was pleasantly surprised to find that it was still soft, the pecans and top of the roll were perfectly caramelized, and the entire roll was spectacular.

I also brought home a wood fired baguette, now I have had good bread in my life, but this loaf is tops and may have ruined me for any other baguette. The outside was crusty and had this slightly smokey taste from the wood firing and the inside was perfectly chewy; The whole loaf had this slightly salty taste and was just perfect. Honestly though, I cannot capture this loaf of bread in any sort of words, and if you are anywhere near the bread lover I am, you need to make it a point to head to Rachel's and buy a baguette. The bread, rolls, and pastries at Rachel's Bread are the best you will find anywhere, because they are made with simple, real ingredients, are allowed to rise naturally and are free of preservatives. So whether you are looking for something new for Saturday morning breakfast, want to spice up your lunch hour, or just crave some good bread, stop in to Rachel's, from one bread lover to another, you won't be sorry you did!

Rolling Scones

Every once in a while I do something stupid, something that sabotages any control over my blood sugar, and throws a wrench in my weight loss goals, this something stupid actually turned out to be some wonderful and that something wonderful is the scones at Rolling Scones in the lower level of The Old Bag Factory on Chicago Avenue in Goshen. I am a sucker for a good pastry, which admittedly can be tough to find in the states, but Rolling Scones has hit the nail right on the head with their delicious crumbly scones chock full of real and delicious ingredients.

I bought a box of nine scones to share with my colleagues, as work has just been downright overwhelming lately, but I selfishly hid the only cinnamon scone in my car to eat for breakfast on my drive home in the morning. After a few hours of running nonstop I decided a quick scone break was well overdue, so I sunk my teeth into a tasty morsel chock full of dark and while chocolate and I was in pastry heaven, I truthfully felt I had just met the greatest scone of my life...and then I met the berry white. Now so I don't sound like a complete pig, when I got in the car to drive home my cinnamon scone was frozen, so I had no choice, but to eat one of the leftovers that the gals from work didn't eat, and when my tongue met those tart raspberries in that sweet, crumbly pastry it was love at first bite. When I woke up in the afternoon with an empty stomach you better believe I ate that cinnamon scone...well half of it anyway, and while it didn't top the berry white it is still at the top of my favorite scones list.

Now maybe scones aren't your thing, maybe you prefer omelets made with free range eggs, or smoothies made without syrup, just real ingredients, or authentic Puerto Rican food or perhaps you have a special diet, and need a gluten free treat or a vegan lunch, Rolling Scones definitely has something to offer everyone, and they are doing it with real, quality ingredients, because if you are going to eat all of those extra calories, they might as well be good quality calories, right?

The Golden Monkey Cafe

On the south side of Goshen there is an Asian restaurant that has something different to offer than all of the others around town; The Golden Monkey on Lincolnway is serving up Vietnamese food and proving that not all Asian food is the same. I started out with ordering a water ( I try not to drink my carbs or calories!), but The Golden Monkey has a large variety of bubble teas and bubble tea smoothies to offer. We had an appetizer of egg rolls, we still aren't sure how these tasty morsels ended up at our table, because we didn't order them, or at least not intentionally, but I like to chalk it up to divine intervention. These egg rolls were Delicious, they were smaller than a traditional egg roll, but packed a lot of flavor, the wrapper was thinner than I have ever had which made them incredibly crispy, and the filling was not overstuffed with cabbage, but had a nice balance of carrots, pork, and rice noodles as well. These egg rolls immediately shot to the top of my list and are my new favorites!

As I looked over the menu, the sweet and sour chicken was yelling my name, but I decided that since this was my first time in a Vietnamese restaurant and eating Vietnamese cuisine, I should go with something I hadn't tried before. I chose the Vietnamese sub, that had a wonderful picture of marinated pork with pickled carrots, cucumbers, and mangoes, all topped with cilantro, but was sadly informed that they were out of pickles, a shame, but I wanted to try the sub just the same. My sandwich came out with two different kinds of meat, one of which I knew was pork, the other I wasn't sure about, and mayo, which I have NEVER in my life eaten before and was hesitant about; but I ate it anyway. The sandwich was good, but the sauce on the pork was very sweet and could have used the pickles to cut through it. While I was in the bathroom my husband asked our waitress what the second kind of meat was on my sandwich, and it was bologna, fried bologna, something else I have NEVER eaten in my life, so this sandwich was a new experience for me in many, many ways, and it was a good one! I will warn, though, that this sandwich has an unreal amount of garlic, as in I am still tasting it and my mom could smell it on me when we picked up our little man three hours later. And yes, those are more egg rolls on my plate, I got them instead of fries!

I was a little disappointed that my husband ordered a burger, the Unique Burger to be exact, but it had cheese and jalapenos and that is all he needed to know. He said the burger was good, but a little spicy, which means something coming from him. He got french fries on the side of his sandwich which he was delighted to find were hand cut and seasoned with something more than regular salt (I'm thinking Lawry's). With hot tea, egg rolls, two sandwich combos (one with fries and one with egg rolls), and a tip our bill was still under $25, so definitely affordable. If you have some family members who are hesitant to try Vietnamese food, or anything new, you will be delighted to find that The Golden Monkey has many American options and also serves breakfast. My hubby also found out from our waitress that they are working towards changing into more of an Asian fusion restaurant, so there are definitely exciting things to come from this already delicious restaurant.

Constant Spring

As a general rule we are not bar people, neither of us cares for alcohol, so we don't really see the point, unless of course that bar serves all locally grown and purchased produce, cheese, meat, and desserts; then the bar isn't just a bar, it's a link to the community and a means of supporting it. While, I did feel a little funny going into a bar and just getting a water, I have heard enough good things about the food that I was excited to be there! The menu had MANY great choices that I mulled over; a Pad Thai Salad, Pesto Burger, Fish Sandwich, but what I ultimately decided on were a pound of naked chicken wings for $7.00 with Tangy Carolina BBQ Sauce on the side for dipping; you can also have them tossed in Frank's Red Hot sauce, or get any of their sauces for dipping. I am not a huge lover of wings, however, when our local Buffalo Wild Wings closed down for renovations, it about drove me crazy to hear everyone so upset about not having anyplace to go for wings, and to hear their elation at it's reopening, so I decided that I wanted, make that needed, to find good local places for wings, and so my search began at Constant Spring. The first thing that you will think when you see these wings is that they are small, but what that means to me is that these chickens have not been pumped full of growth hormones, since they are from a local supplier with a great reputation (Miller Country Poultry) you can rest assured that you are getting wholesome chicken. Even though the wings are small, you are paying by the pound not the wing, so you are definitely getting your moneys worth, I had 12 wings in my one pound order. The wings weren't breaded or battered, but had an awesome crispy skin and the meat was moist and juicy; and as for the "Tangy Carolina Sauce" it was delicious and lived up to it's name, I was pleased to find that it wasn't spicy, but also wasn't sweet, it definitely was a nice, tangy sauce. Every Wednesday, Constant Spring offers an "Oval Plate Special," for $12.00, which features ethnic and international food, and this week the special was Ethiopian food which my husband didn't even have to think for a second about ordering. His meal included an Ethiopian beef stew over a flat bread called injera, alongside a root vegetable curry, what a unique meal to get to experience in such a small town! So next time you have a hankering for wings, or you want to take your bar experience to the next level, or you just want some delicious food head to Constant Spring on Main Street in downtown Goshen; where a bar isn't just a bar, it is a means of stimulating your local economy.


 

Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse

Everyone loves a good Japanese Teppanyaki meal, cooked on a flat top grill, surrounded by strangers, flying utensils, and fires; but if you are anything like me, you have seen the show enough times that, dare I say, it has lost it's thrill, not to mention the inflated meal prices just don't seem worth it anymore. No worries, Goshen has your solution, Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse off of State Road 15 in the old Gordy's Sub Pub. As you walk into the restaurant you will see the sushi chef busy rolling fresh ingredients into edible art and another chef flipping meat, veggies, and rice on the flat top grill (okay, so I may have fibbed, you CAN get dinner and a show, just not right at your table.), and will find yourself surrounded by Japanese decor, that is,thankfully, not tacky and over the top. We started our meal with the standard soup and salad with ginger dressing, and oh how I love that ginger salad dressing, can you buy that somewhere? Not far behind our soup and salad were our sushi rolls; I love a good tempura shrimp roll and this did not disappoint, and for those of you who are convinced you will never eat sushi, you can't tell me that tempura battered shrimp paired with avocado wrapped in rice doesn't make your mouth water even a tiny bit. If you are still thinking, "great, there's no raw fish, but there is still seaweed," well, to you I say, if you get sushi and can taste the seaweed, stop eating it, because the nori (seaweed paper) is probably past it's prime. My husband couldn't decide between two of the rolls, so when he asked the waiter which he preferred, the waiter promptly touted one of the rolls as his favorite, and so Michael enjoyed the Christmas roll; nori and rice stuffed with tempura shrimp, crab stick, and avocado wrapped in spicy salmon (yes, it was raw!), covered in eel sauce and spicy mayo. For the price you pay, you really won't find sushi this good and of this quality in the area. Before we even finished our sushi, our meal was on the table; we opted for the Teppanyaki dinner for two which came out in a small boat (no, really, it was a boat), filled with a bed of sauteed zucchini, onions, mushrooms, and broccoli, and huge portions of shrimp, steak, and chicken. The shrimp was cooked well, seasoned well, and delicious dipped in the yum yum sauce, the chicken had a teriyaki glaze which stood on it's own, and the steak was cooked perfectly. We each got a bowl of rice, that was nowhere near the giant portion one usually gets at a Japanese steak house, but truthfully, it was a normal serving of rice, was so good, and just enough; my hubby overheard that the secret to this delicious rice is Saki.  Wasabi Steakhouse offered delicious sushi and a great Japanese dinner that cost us, literally 52% of what we would have paid for the exact same meal at another well loved Japanese bistro in Granger. I know that someday, when our son is older, we will have to introduce him to the entertainment that is Teppanyaki cooking, but for now we will save our money while enjoying food that is just as good, if not better. Oh, did I mention that our waiter was fantastic? Well, he was, and when you visit Wasabi, you should ask for Sean!


 

Pizzeria Venturi

I have put off reviewing Pizzeria Venturi on Lincoln Avenue in downtown Goshen until we have dinner there again, but after having some of their "street food" at First Fridays last night, I have to talk about them! On the first Friday of every month you can find a tent outside of their restaurant or on the courthouse lawn where they sell street food; for several months it was falafel, but the last couple months they have been serving Italian sausage sandwiches that are out of this world! The sausage is imported, the pocket bread is fresh made that day, and the tomato sauce is their own recipe, not only is it delicious, but it is the perfect food to carry around while you are checking out the shops and displays during First Fridays! I will warn that that the sausage has a kick to it, but if I can handle the spice, really anyone can (I'm a HUGE wimp!). Maybe sandwiches and street fare aren't your thing or maybe you liked the sandwiches and just need more Venturi in your life (and stomach), then get inside Pizzeria Venturi's intimate, cozy dining room and enjoy a certified  Napoletana (Neapolotan), as well as their delicious appetizers, salads, and desserts. I recommend that you start your dinner out with The garlic herb flatbread with Italian herbs; it is their delicious chewy crust drizzled with olive oil and topped with slivers of garlic and Italian herbs. The first time I ate at Venturi, I felt so overwhelmed by the Italian wordage on the menu that I played it safe and ordered the pepperoni pizza, which truthfully was delicious, but as I looked across the table at my mom's Margherita topped with tomatoes, basil, and handmade mozzarella (on the menu you will see this called fior de latte) she could see the longing in my eyes, so we cut our pizzas in half and shared. Now, I mentioned the pizza is certified Napoletana (Neapolitan), this means the restaurant has standards set for the type of ingredients they use and the style they cook there pizza, which is in a wood fired oven at 900+ degrees; your pizza will come out hot, and the crust will have this unique taste and chewy texture that is unlike any other, of course it might also be a little charred, but trust me, that will not ruin the pizza! With time and a few more visits, the menu became less foreign, and I became more adventurous, ordering different pizzas and loving every one. I was dying to try their pesto, but only saw it on a pizza with ricotta cheese, which I'm not a huge fan of, but they were more than happy to sub the fior de latte for me, this pizza by far is my favorite, as good as their red sauce is, their pesto knocks it out of the park. Occasionally I will add prosciutto (Italian dry cured ham) to my pesto and mozzarella pizza and all I can say is wow! One of my taste adventures was the Pizzicato, which is topped with soppresata (Italian dry salami), garlic, pancetta (salt cured pork belly<Italian bacon>), tomato sauce, and Grana Padano, the toppings were delicious, but Grana Padano is a hard cheese and I am not personally a fan. The pizza doesn't stop at dinner, they also have dessert pizza that will forever change your idea of dessert pizza. Imagine Venturi's chewy crust, topped with warm, gooey nutella, and fresh strawberries; now I have eaten a lot of nutella in my day, the Europeans have had the stuff decades before it became a craze here in the US, and Venturi's nutella berry pizza is by far my favorite way to eat this chocolaty treat. So if you are like me, and tired of eating pizza from a chain, get to Pizzeria Venturi where you can have a totally unique pizza experience complete with quality toppings, handmade cheese, house made sauces, and a delicious crust from fresh dough. My parents claim they have only had pizza like this in Italy, do you really want to miss out on that?


 

Honey's Frozen Yogurt

Are you looking to take your ice cream experience to the next level? Then Honey's Frozen Yogurt is the place for you! Located in Linway Plaza in Goshen, Honey's is the perfect spot to get dessert after you have enjoyed dinner at one of the nearby restaurants, or makes a great pre-movie treat! You begin your ice cream adventure, by deciding if you want a "bottom" in your cup baked within walking distance at the Dutch Maid Bakery, this can mean cake, brownie, or whoopie pie. Next fill your cup with delicious frozen yogurt, choose from unique flavors such as Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Bun, Old Fashioned Peanut Butter, Sea Salt Caramel Pretzel, Dreamy Dark Chocolate, Pomegranate Energy; don't be afraid to mix a couple flavors like I did with the California Tart and Mango Sorbet. Finally your journey will take you to the glorious topping bar; you get a sense of whimsy as you turn the knobs on the old fashioned gum ball machines and are delivered morsels of candy and cereal to top off your icy treat, but if you're not in the mood for sweets step over to the buffet of fruit for a fresh summer treat, I piled on the strawberries and blackberries...okay, okay, I may have added a few cheesecake bites as well! The beauty of the self serve frozen yogurt bar is that you control your cost, your cool creation will be weighed at the check out, and you pay $0.45 an ounce. If frozen yogurt isn't your thing, maybe tea is, Honey's has 22 varieties of loose leaf tea for your sipping pleasure. Now,If the tasty yogurt, myriad of toppings, and fine tea aren't enough to lure you in, the late hours are sure to do the trick; when the rest of the county has shut down at 9:00pm Honey's will still be open for three more hours offering you tasty treats and a charming little room with couches and cafe tables to catch up with friends or add a sweet ending to date night.