AJ's Cafe

AJ's Cafe is a fast-casual spot Downtown that offers soup, salads and sandwiches. It is located in the spot that formerly held C-Town Market and Deli.

The owner, Ajay Kumar, owned the Taj Mahal on campus. It was sold to relatives and reopened as Mughal Darbar. While Kumar didn't bring the menu with him from his old restaurant, he definitely brought the Indian flavor profile to a number of the dishes at AJ's.

There are many vegetarian and vegan dishes on the menu. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday for breakfast and lunch, and Saturday for lunch.

Soups include an outstanding vegan lentil and spinach, as well as broccoli cheese. There is a vegetarian green salad and a vegan lentil salad. There are a variety of baked goods in the morning as well as a vegan breakfast wrap.

The spiced chickpea wrap hints at dal makhani, and the tamarind chutney adds another layer of sweet Indian flavor. It makes a filling lunch with a side dish.

Prices at AJ's are reasonable, and service is quick. It is another strong option for the Downtown dining landscape.

Mughal Darbar

Mughal Darbar occupies the old location of Taj Mahal, one of the city's original Indian restaurants on High Street in the middle of campus. One member of the family took over from the other, and the new operation offers the full bar, buffet and Indian fare that made its predecessor famous.

The menu focuses on Mughalai cusine, a North Indian regional fare rooted in the 350+ year rule of the Mughal emperors. It is related to Persian food, and like any other Indian menu, it has plenty of options for vegetarians. Vegans can also have dishes made without dairy upon request. There is a vegetarian combo platter as well as a lunch buffet for those who can't choose only one item.

The restaurant kept the multiple room format from Taj Mahal. The decor is subtle and welcoming.

At a recent visit, there was a Gujarati street food addition to the buffet because of a holiday. The bhel puri, a puffed rice dish made with onion, potato, tamarind and mint chutneys, should be consumed by the bucketful.

The other classics, chana masala and saag paneer in particular, are full of fresh ingredients and a rich spice level. The samosa has a nice thick exterior that allows the potato and pea filling to support a variety of Indian condiments.

The veggie kebabs and oven-roasted paneer entrees look great. There are many common Indian dishes on the menu, but some of the items like kadhai paneer, a hot onion sauce bathing cubed cheese, and dum aloo, cheese and nut stuffed potatoes in creamy sauce, are not found on many menus around town. There are breads from many flavors of naan to fluffier paratha and crispy roti.

Market District Foodie Truck

The Market District Foodie Truck was my first experience with a mobile food vendor with big-time corporate backing. The menu is Asian influenced, and they operate most days during the week.

The menu at Foodie Truck has stayed consistently the same. Their most common location is the Giant Eagle Market District in Upper Arlington, but the truck can be found around central Ohio.

The vegetarian items on the menu are Indian and Chinese. The truck also makes dishes from Vietnam and Singapore.

The samosa is stuffed with potatoes, peas and onions. The shell was perfectly crisp, but the samosa's flavor might benefit from mint chutney rather than the mango chutney that was served with it.

The vegetable jalfrezi is prepared with carrots, peas, green peppers and cauliflower in a tomato sauce with garam masala and ginger. It is served with naan, Basmati rice and mango chutney. The dish does not taste particularly authentic. The curry flavor needed additional cooking, and the tomato was flat and unappealing.

The truck has potential, but the menu could use a revamp. It's hard to recommend the place when there are so many excellent Indian restaurants in central Ohio.

Radhuni Indian Cuisine

Radhuni Indian Cuisine is the sibling of Downtown Columbus' heralded Indian Oven. The younger brother lacks the formality of Indian Oven, but delivers just as much character as its pricier sibling.

As with most Indian restaurants, Radhuni features many options for vegetarians. The buffet is a good value with pakoras and naan accompanying three vegetarian entrees.

The navratan korma is explosively flavorful, with cashew adding a savory note to the bright tomato base. Potatoes, peas and onions add texture to this Indian classic.

The cabbage and potato curry was fresh and crunchy. While its flavor was clean, the dish was somewhat bland.

The palak aloo (spinach and potatoes) was creamy and mild. It had a rich flavor with turmeric and garlic combining with ginger to create gustatory harmony.

The naan was also excellent. The veggie pakoras and tandoori bread made great tools to enjoy fantastic condiments like the coriander chutney and raita.

The fruit custard is made with mango and orange cubes. In addition to being delicious, it is also an excellent fire extinguisher for spicy food.

Curry and Hurry

Curry and Hurry is the latest Indian restaurant to open in the space that housed Curry and Kabab on the north end of campus just south of Clintonville. The focus is North Indian takeout that comes out rapidly for diners in a hurry, befitting the name Curry and Hurry.

There are plenty of vegetarian items on the menu at Curry and Hurry, as one would expect at an Indian restaurant. There is no dining room, so orders must be eaten off site.

The menu at Curry and Hurry is strikingly similar to the aforementioned Curry and Kabab. The web site also lists a vegetarian menu which I didn't see.

The weakest characteristic of the items I tried at Curry and Hurry was that the fried items were a little on the greasy side. This was the most obvious flaw, and this was offset for the most part by quick service and flavorful preparations of Indian classics.

The paneer pakoras, thickly breaded fingers of Indian cheese, were a tasty expression of this mild staple. The cilantro chutney added a fresh bite to the pakoras, which were so hot that they were almost molten (although like halloumi, paneer will not melt).

The samosas were large, stuffed with spicy peas, potatoes, onions and spices. It also paired nicely with the cilantro chutney.

The navratan korma was delightful. Korma is a classic North Indian/Pakistani cream curry, and the translation of navratan is nine gems, which refers to the fact that the dish typically is prepared with nine different vegetables, fruits and/or nuts. The tomato and cream curry has great garlic, ginger, cumin and chili flavor that coats the beans, broccoli, onion, potato and peas.

The naan was passable though not great. The plain naan was a good tool to pick up sauces and chutneys. The garlic naan was aggressive and would have benefitted from a more judicious use of garlic.

Overall, Curry and Hurry was acceptable. There are far better Indian restaurants in Central Ohio. However, if you're in the neighborhood, the menu provides plenty of options for vegetarians.

Curry & Hurry

Cumin Indian Restaurant

Nobody was sadder than I when Bayleaf India Bistro closed. I used to eat at Bayleaf often when I lived in the vicinity of the restaurant, but even after moving away from Westerville, I stopped there often when I was in the area.

Cumin Indian Restaurant opened in its place. It is owned by the same people who own Cuisine of India.

Although Indian restaurants offer vegetarian options, Cumin goes out of its way to feature a variety of meatless appetizers and entrees. The buffet was 60-75% vegetarian.

Prices at Cumin are more expensive than your average Indian eatery, but the atmosphere and preparation are also a cut above the competition. The interior of Cumin is very similar to Bayleaf, although Cumin has a liquor license. The left side of the restaurant is a small bar.

The dal soup had great flavor. The yellow lentils were cooked to a tender consistency, and the broth had sweet undertone that allowed the delicate pepper and onion notes to shine through.

The chana masala was saucy and somewhat light on chickpeas. It was decent but not spectacular.

The vegetable Manchurian was excellent. Cauliflower was fried and coated in a sticky, spicy brown Indochinese sauce. It was the spiciest vegetarian item on the buffet.

The potato and eggplant dish had strong garlic and anise flavor. The potatoes were soft and soaked up the seasoning. The eggplant was a little chewy, most likely from spending too long on the buffet warmers.

The palak paneer was solidly prepared. Along with the chana masala, it was unspectacular.

There are a great deal more exciting options on the dinner menu. Cumin could be appreciated by a person who never eats the same thing twice as well as somebody who needs to order the same thing every time. The menu at Cumin is also different enough from Cuisine of India to give Polaris Indian food fans plenty of variety visiting both restaurants.

The buffet comes with naan. The mint and tamarind chutneys struck me as industrial preparations rather than handcrafted condiments.

Cumin

Reethika Indian Restaurant

Reethika Indian Restaurant is a new eatery located along the Sawmill/161 commercial corridor. It shares a plaza with Kihachi and Lee Garden.

As Reethika is an Indian restaurant, vegetarian options are numerous. The buffet, in particular, consisted of a majority of vegetarian dishes.

Choices on the buffet included a creamy mixed vegetable curry, a potato curry, spinach pakoras, a fried cabbage dish, malai kofta and aloo palak. The buffet cost $8.99 and was served with naan as well as a full array of vegetable, chutney and yogurt accompaniments.

The cabbage dish was delicately spicy with hints of anise, cumin and hot pepper. It was crunchy and flavorful.

The veggie curry was prepared with potatoes, lentils, green beans and onions. The soft potatoes soaked up the curry and carefully release the complex base.

The texture of the malai kofta (essentially vegetarian meatballs) was soft and crumbly. The sauce was slightly sweet and provides a nice foil to the fried veggie balls.

The spinach pakoras were delightful. They were prepared with a thick yet deceptively light batter that brings out the best flavor of the green. The citrus, mint and cilantro in the fresh mint chutney adds a nice touch to this well made dish.

The plain naan was average. On a future visit, it might be worth upgrading with a garlic naan or something with a little more character.

The rice pudding was piping hot and absolutely delightful. The subtle spices were rounded out by flecks of peanuts that added a great crunch.

The staff at Reethika was great at identifying vegetarian dishes and discussing how each dish was prepared. Everything had great flavor. This place is well worth checking out.

Reethika Indian Restaurant

L&L Indian Restaurant

L&L Indian Restaurant is a new Indian establishment on the Far West side of the city. Despite its humble appearance, L&L is a hidden gem for vegetarians and Indian food fanatics on Columbus' left side.

The owner of L&L has spent a long time working in other Indian restaurants in Columbus, such as Indian Oven and Curry & Kebab. The business is mostly focused on take-out as there is only seating for about 10.

Vegetarian options at L&L include palak paneer, aloo gobi, aloo matar, chana masala, veggie biryani and palak aloo. While there is naan, the starters are a little limited (no pakoras or samosas). The average entree price is about $8.

The palak paneer was delightful. Spinach is sauteed with onions, garlic and mild spices. It is augmented with creamy cubes of paneer cheese, a common Indian vegetarian protein source. With the side of basmati rice, the dish is delicious and satisfying.

The naan is also good. It is flecked with hints of black pepper that add an interesting note to a bread that's just as good by itself as it is scooping up whatever leftover chutneys or curries are floating around your table.

Overall, while L&L might not be Columbus' best Indian restaurant, it's still fairly priced and tasty. It definitely offers a safe bet for vegetarians on the West side outside of I-270.

L&L Indian Restaurant

Venky's Spice House

Venky's Spice House is an Indian restaurant tucked in a drug store strip mall in Hilliard. Interestingly, the restaurant has a large Mediterranean market next door, making it a one-plaza stop for shoppers looking to buy pakoras and hummus.

The Spice House has tons of options for vegetarians. Some fare can be prepared vegan upon request.

There is a Southern Indian influence at Venky's Spice House. The cuisine is representative of the city of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. The area traces its roots to Persia, which is the root of its Islamic heritage. It also explains the Middle Eastern market/Indian restaurant juxtaposition in this plaza.

The lunch deal is exceptional. For $5.99 (or $6.99 if you order the top-shelf options), diners get a main course, a rice dish, an appetizer, a daal, a side curry dish, a dessert and a basket of naan.

The paneer tikka masala was prepared with a slow rolling heat that subsided slowly. Despite its nomenclature issues (tikka means chicken, but the dish is poultry-free) the entree is delicious. The strips of pepper and zucchini in the dish add layers of flavor to the dish. The soft cubes of paneer cheese soak up every bit of flavor from the sauce.

The curried cabbage was a delicious side. Tiny peppers made the dish slightly spicy, but ultimately, the dish was successful because it provided great textural and flavor contrast.

The green lentils (dal or daal translates as lentil dish) were also great. The side was earthy with subtle citrus notes. It was a fantastic dip along with leftover masala gravy for the naan.

The dish was also served with a saffron rice, vegetable pakoras and a mango yogurt pudding. It is served on a modernized thali that had partitions rather than separate bowls.

While the cuisine at Venky's is rooted in Southern Indian traditions, many of the choices on the menu are also somewhat Northern Indian in their origins. This probably is related to the city that inspires the food being slightly south of the middle of the country. It also makes the restaurant a winner for fans of varied Indian cuisines. Although the place doesn't have classic Southern offerings like dosas, the Persian cuisine influences and the thali serving dish firmly place Venky's Spice House in the Southern Indian tradition.

There are a number of non-traditional dishes at Venky's Spice House. Although there are pakoras and samosas, they also make dishes like the chili baby corn, stuffed breaded chili peppers and a roasted eggplant entree. When combined with Taj Palace, I am considering Hilliard Columbus' best Indian food suburban district now that Bayleaf has closed in the Polaris area.

Venky's Spice House

Tadka

Tadka is a stylish Indian bistro located in the Sawmill/161 area. It is a small chain with four locations, and it is affiliated with another Atlanta export in Columbus, Inchin's Bamboo Garden.

Like most Indian establishments, Tadka offers a bounty of vegetarian menu options. The menu also offers to prepare vegan items on request.

In order to sample the widest variety of food, I tried the lunch buffet. For $10, I got eight vegetarian items and as much plain or buttered naan as a person could eat.

The taste at Tadka is expressed artfully, and the fresh vegetables and sauces are evident in the flavor profile. Service is well-paced and competent (it has been criticized by local media outlets).

The seasonal potato curry on the buffet was divine. It was mildly spicy, and the flavor of corn sweetened the dish up enough to make it sing in perfect harmony.

The daal tadka (a black lentil version of dal makhani) also was well balanced. The lentils provided a firm base for the delicately spicy and creamy curry base, which was flecked with white onion and garlic.

The muttar paneer was a blend of cubed Indian cheese, peas and tomatoes. Paneer is a great protein base for Indian dishes, and it shines brightly in Tadka's muttar paneer.

The sauteed mushrooms were a great savory side. The earthy flavor makes the mushrooms shine.

The fried potatoes were the forgettable part of the buffet. They were baked to the consistency of a new leather shoe, and no amount of mint or tamarind chutney could save the dish from inevitable failure. Both chutneys, while evidently house-made, were unable to save the fried potatoes. The mint chutney tasted fresh, and the tamarind chutney gave great rich, sweet accents to everything they touched.

The buffet is served with rice, chutney, yogurt, a tossed salad, all-you-can-eat naan served at the table and rice pudding. The price is reasonable considering the quality of the dishes. Prices on the dinner menu are more expensive, although not prohibitively so.

Some of the dinner menu items look great. There are a number of traditional Indian dishes in the Northern tradition, and a few Southern dishes as well. The signature dish at Tadka is the biryani.

The closest comparison I can make to another Indian restaurant in Columbus is to compare Tadka to Bayleaf India Bistro in Polaris. The food at both is better than its more inexpensive brethren, and the modern decor at Tadka further elevates the experience. While I give a slight edge to Bayleaf in overall quality, I'll definitely be back to try the dinner menu at Tadka soon. Variety is always a great benefit, and as far as I'm concerned, the more fantastic Indian eateries, the merrier.

Tadka

Bollywood Bistro

Bollywood Bistro is the latest addition to the ethnic dining scene on the Northwest side. It is a small restaurant that offers tons of options for vegans and vegetarians alike.

Bollywood Bistro is focused on quality, yet the prices are very reasonable. The lunch buffet clocks in at less than $9, and comes with naan.

The dal makhani was delicious. It was made with a darker lentil than is typical of this dish, and it imparted a faint smokiness to the flavor profile.

The mushroom mutter was also fantastic. The mushrooms were cooked to a tender consistency, and they made a great foil to the peas and the spicy curry base.

The saag paneer was made with soft cubes of cheese and spinach. It was mild and had a great depth of flavor.

The pakoras were also great. There were both vegetable pakoras made of a variety of veggies combined into a patty, as well as onion-ring-like onion pakoras. The chick pea batter was thick and crunchy, making both pakoras succeed.

The korma was a creamy combination of paneer, nuts, and spices, including turmeric and cumin. It was rich and savory, with subtle cashew notes bursting through between hints of onion and butter.

The potato dish (aloo methi, I think) was a spicy. It was made with cubed potato, fenugreek and garlic. The crispy potatoes add a nice touch to the preparation.

The sambhar was probably the most disappointing item I tried. The vegetables included potato and okra, which looked great to me. The flavor, however, was one dimensional and not exciting.

I was also not impressed by the chutneys. The mint chutney had a fairly processed character and a ghostly color, almost like it was made from concentrate or purchased in bulk. While the most everything I sampled was carefully prepared and executed, the chutney seemed like an afterthought.

The walls of the restaurant are adorned with Bombay cinema posters. The service was very attentive.

Overall, Bollywood Bistro has potential. The new venture from one of the owners of Sher-E-Punjab is worth checking out.

Bollywood Bistro

Aab India Restaurant

Aab India is the new Indian restaurant located amongst the endless sea of fine dining in Grandview. Aab's fare is flavorful and presents plenty of options for vegetarian diners.

Aab India Restaurant is owned by the same family that owns Ambar India, Cincinnati's favorite Indian establishment. The menu consists of a variety of choices from Northern and Southern India.

The interior of Aab is tastefully decorated. The tables are topped with a white table cloth, which ends up covered in chutney and other sauces when a barbarian like me is eating. The decor is mostly brown and beige interspersed with primary colors. The staff is capable although the service is somewhat uneven. Hopefully they will work out the kinks as time passes.

The chutneys at Aab are extremely flavorful. The mint chutney was chunky and fresh. The tamarind chutney had a bracing acidity. The onion chutney had an interesting pickled flavor.

I sampled the vegetarian appetizer platter. The paneer pakora was great. Paneer cheese is given a thick coating of batter that adds a crunchy element to an already tasty ingredient. The vegetable pakoras were crispy and satisfying. The aloo tikki (breaded mashed potatoes) is also delightful. The samosa, which was made with mashed potatoes rather than whole pieces of potato, was good but served slightly cooler than it should have been. Although the appetizers were delicious, additional care could have been taken to make sure that the items were evenly cooked and served at a uniform temperature.

Aab offers a wide range of breads, from naan to paratha. They are flecked with everything from onions to garlic to paneer. The paneer naan was mild and delicious, with a perfect texture.

I got the aloo vindaloo as a main course. Potatoes were cubed and prepared in the classic Southern Indian spicy sauce. The potatoes were cooked to a tender consistency, and they soaked up the notes of red chiles, cardamom and tumeric. The vindaloo was excellent.

The bar at Aab features a full selection of beer, wine and cocktails. Aab also offers lunch and dinner portions of meals. The dinner menu is much larger than the lunch menu.

Overall, Aab shows a lot of promise. With the exception of a few miscues in service, the experience at Aab is definitely good for vegetarians.

Aab India

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal is Columbus' oldest Indian restaurant. Located on North High Street in the heart of campus, Taj Mahal prepares a ton of things that are safe for vegetarians (as you would expect from an Indian restaurant).

The menu at Taj Mahal has about 15 vegetarian entree choices as well as four appetizers. I sampled the lunch buffet, which had four vegetarian entrees as well as vegetable pakoras and naan.

The vegetable pakoras had a crunchy breading that snapped with each bite. The veggies were a mix of cauliflower, carrots and spinach. It paired well with a puddle of mint chutney.

The dal makhni was also very tasty. The Indian specialty is spicy and had a hint of garlic flavor. Another vegetarian option from the buffet was the malai kofta. Malai kofta is deep fried potato and cheese balls in a cream sauce. It is a rich, savory delight.

The roasted eggplant curry was a little hit or miss. While the veggies were mostly crisp and flavorful, the eggplant had an overly chewy consistency that was unpleasant. The dish might benefit from not sitting on a hot plate at the buffet for extended periods after cooking.

There is also a full salad bar and rice pudding available as part of the buffet. It costs $9.50.

There is plenty of seating at Taj Mahal. There is a full bar. Taj Mahal closes for a few hours between lunch and dinner.

Overall, Taj Mahal is a decent option for vegetarian diners. Personally, I prefer the quality of the food at Bayleaf, Indian Oven and Taj Palace to that of Taj Mahal. However, Taj Mahal still makes decent enough food to make it passable.

Taj Mahal

Taj Palace

Taj Palace is a delicious Indian restaurant hidden in the hinterlands between Hilliard and Upper Arlington. Like most Indian eateries, Taj Palace is heavy on vegetarian options, providing plenty of choices for those looking to reduce or avoid meat consumption without sacrificing flavor.

The menu features vegetarian starters like samosas, vegetable pakoras and vegetarian kebobs. There are also 18 vegetarian entrees on the menu as well as a few scattered biryani dishes and a vegetarian combo platter. There are also many bread choices.

The menu runs the gamut through North and South Indian cuisine. Also of note for vegetarians is Tuesday night's vegetarian buffet, featuring 25 different hippie-approved items for a grand total of $11.99.

A la carte diners start off with papadums and chutneys. The mint chutney is exceptionally flavorful, possessing a bright, clean finish that brings out the taste of the flatbread.

The chutney also pairs well with the samosas (but in reality, a better question would be what doesn't pair well with samosas?). The order of three samosas was very filling, and easily could be split between two people.

My entree was paneer kadai. Paneer, a mild, cubed Indian cheese, is prepared with curried tomatoes, green peppers and onions. The dish is mildly seasoned, and it provides a great introduction to paneer, a staple of the Indian vegetarian diet.

The breads were also great. The bread basket comes with naan, onion kulcha and aloo paratha, a potato- and pea-stuffed bread.

Prices at Taj Palace are slightly higher than average for an Indian restaurant. When the quality of the fare is considered, Taj Palace is very much worth the price of admission.

Taj Palace

Bombay Sitar

Bombay Sitar is an Indian restaurant in the Belden Village area located in the same space that used to be occupied by Aladdin's. It was a shame to see Aladdin's go, but putting an Indian restaurant in its place should keep the complaining vegetarians at bay.

The buffet is more than half vegetarian. There are also a number of vegetarian items on the menu. There is naan on the buffet. This alone makes the buffet a winner in my book as your typical Indian buffet does not include the delectable bread.

The mushroom matar was excellent. It contained tender mushrooms, peas and onions in a spicy sauce. The vegetable curry was a multi-hued delight, almost as good to look at as it was to eat. The buffet also had basmati rice, mango lassi, a salad bar and a full assortment of chutneys.

I'll have to stop back in and order from the menu. The buffet was well worth the price of admission, so I should expect the same from the dinner menu.

Bombay Sitar

Chutnys

I got a chance to try the lunch buffet at the oddly-spelled Chutnys on Campus View near 270 and 23. The korma was absolutely amazing. I'm definitely going to have to try the full menu on for size at a future date.

The buffet had three vegetarian entrees (cauliflower korma, a veggie curry and a mild, nutty green bean dish). It came with papadums and dosas, and naan could also be ordered. There was a large chutney bar. There also were spinach pakoras (which I would consider a starter) as well as two soups (sambhar, the South Indian specialty, and lentil soup).

The interior is nicely appointed. The front sign is a banner, and the street signage refers to the space's previous tenant. The proprietor of Chutnys formerly ran Maharajas and recently returned from India. The menu I saw posted on the window seemed very vegetarian friendly. I'll definitely be back.

Saffron Patch

The Saffron Patch is an absolutely phenomenal Indian restaurant nestled in a commercial plaza in the Valley in the Rubber City. The decor is as festive as the distinctively spiced food, creating a top-notch dining experience.

I don't spend a ton of time in Northeast Ohio. I visit family and friends in the Akron/Canton area a few times per year. Columbus is my main stomping ground. As a result, I have to keep places like the Saffron Patch (and the Mustard Seed Market and VegeTerranean) on my radar so I'm not eating Quizno's and Panera Bread for my vegetarian lunch.

There really isn't a weak link in the dining experience at Saffron Patch. The decor is stylish, with Indian paintings and sculptures carefully placed in the dining room around the well appointed tables. The service is also attentive and prompt, both for dine-in and take-out options.

Saffron Patch typically offers a number of traditional Indian dishes along with a number of daily specials. My starter was the chilly paneer, which are fried spicy peppers stuffed with cubed cheese and a mixture of vegetables. It is served with a side of mango chutney which adds a savory sweetness to the rich spices of the peppers. It was delicious.

My entree was the paneer makani. It used paneer, the same cubed cheese, served in a mild Indian tomato sauce with hints of garlic, onions, ginger and turmeric. Makani is a traditional Indian dish, but the paneer version was a daily special.

The breads are also delicious. They are obviously made fresh. The best deal is the naan basket. It gives you four choices of bread. We tried butter, onion, garlic and hot pepper naan. The spicy naan was an experience. It had a stealthy spice that left my eyes watering and my mouth smiling.

The drink selection is also well made. There is a full roster of Indian, British and domestic beer (+1 for Boddington's cans) as well as a small wine menu and a great array of cocktails. The cranberry apple martini was far more subtle than the typical sour apple martini (which often has all the subtlety of Hulk Hogan). It was garnished with small pieces of apple.

The Saffron Patch is tucked away in the valley, but it's well worth locating. It has a sister location in Shaker Heights. I haven't been to the other location, but if it's half as good as the Akron spot, it is a home run for vegetarians.

Saffron Patch

Indian Oven

My fallback vegetarian cuisine is always Indian. Sure, many other cuisines offer tons of options for veggies, but India will always remain first in my heart. Indian Oven, near Downtown Columbus, is another in a long line of Indian restaurants to maintain my longstanding love affair with food from the Indian subcontinent.

Indian Oven features sleek modern decor contrasted by classic Indian cooking. Most of the menu consists of Indian dishes that are found in most other restaurants (e.g. samosas, naan, matar paneer, chana masala, et al.), as well as a few specialties that are slightly less run-of-the-mill.

There are both lunch and dinner menus. The samosas came with a dollop of mint chutney. They were crispy, moderately spiced and delicious. They were very good. Samosas are always good, but at Indian Oven they are a step better.

The naan was fair to middling. The texture was pleasant, but the flavor was hardly delicious, even alongside the other fine items. The caveat is that I took the naan to go. It may not travel well. The bread was adequate, but hardly spectacular.

My entree was the shahi paneer. It was cheese cubes in a tomato and onion sauce with nuts and assorted spices. I ordered it hot, but the dish is mild, so it came out rich and faintly spicy. The nut vegetable sauce was delicious, and I'm a sucker for paneer, so this was definitely a winner.

There is an assortment of vegetarian items that are all marked in a specific part of the menu, as well as a number of other items in other sections that are also vegetarian. This is a great vegetarian option Downtown whether you are eating dine-in or take-out.

Indian Oven

The best laid plans

I made a short trip to the Akron/Canton area with plans for top-notch vegetarian dining. Of course, I naturally got tied up with things and my plans were scrapped. I will utilize this opportunity to explain some good options for veggies in this neck of the woods (options which, under better circumstances, I would have planned for).

Lunch was supposed to be at V-Li's, a great Thai restaurant in the tiny hamlet of Canal Fulton. V-Li is named after V-Li Van Sickel. I know her from my childhood when I studied martial arts with her kids, who are about my age. Her food explodes with flavor, and the menu features tons of vegetarian options.

Of course I showed up 10 minutes after they closed for lunch (around 2:30). I had to settle for the vegetarian options from Casa Perez. The food was average, so I drowned my sorrows in a pitcher of margaritas.

I also missed the Saffron Patch in Akron, which I consider one of Ohio's top Indian restaurants. The quality is outstanding from the appetizers and breads to the entrees, which can be both familiar and richly exotic in nature. Like other Indian establishments, Saffron Patch is very vegetarian-friendly.

I did a terrible job eating in the 330 area code. Maybe next time I can eat somewhere better, like the aforementioned places. I might even give other quality vegetarian restaurants in the area (like Mustard Seed, VegiTerranean, Aladdin's, Bombay Sitar, Corky's Cafe, Gregory's Family Restaurant, Mulligan's Pub, and Sahara Grille) a try. Use this as a guide and avoid mediocre vegetarian eating in Stark and Summit counties.

Stark County

Inchin's Bamboo Garden

Inchin's Bamboo Garden inhabits the realm of P.F. Chang's with a decidedly Indian subcontinental influence. The Atlanta-based chain offers freshly prepared Chinese dishes that are prepared in with richer, spicier Indian undercurrents.

The restaurant is larger than it appears from the outside. The walls display vaguely Asian art work with bright primary colors as a backdrop.

The menu has a large variety of vegetarian options, from soups to salads to appetizers and main courses. Bamboo Garden is also halal for my Muslim brethren.

I started with chili mustard paneer. Paneer is a mild, cubed Indian cheese, and it was made with a mixture of Chinese hot mustard and a spicy red chili sauce on a bed of cabbage topped with scallions and other assorted veggies. It was a great combination of subtle spice and rich mustard with the veggies adding an extra dimension to the flavor.

My main course was Szechwaun tofu. It consisted of fried cubes of tofu made with a spicy, earthy Szechwaun sauce alongside red onions, peas, green and red peppers and mushrooms. The sauce was more flavorful than your typical cookie cutter Chinese joint, and it was spicy, just as they advertised on the menu.

The wine list was well chosen for an Asian restaurant. It isn't spectacular, but there are a few gems available by the glass and bottle. They also feature beer and mixed drinks. I tried the Lychee Pamatini, which was nicely garnished with Lychee fruit but not nearly as delicious as I imagined in my head.

The service was a little inattentive. The server could have made more trips to the table and took an extended time to get the bill out. Having only dined here once, however, I can hardly say this issue is true at all times. Service could have been better, and it definitely could have been worse. I'll give them my Get Out of Jail Free card on this one and hope it improves in the future.

Bamboo Garden