Cruising for an Indian Buffet

I really wish I had the fortitude to post every day like Alexa et al... I'll have to work on that.

Jeff and I are heading to Washington DC in about a week. We're going to be tourists and then hit up Columbus for a St. Patty's Day party his parents throw every year. Sometime before we go, I'm actually going to get furniture! I'm thinking of throwing a little foodie party when I have places for people to sit. I've lived in Cleveland for six months and I have no living room furnishings.

Onto the food...

I've had some fantastic Indian food in Cleveland at Cafe Tandoor, and have found numerous Lebanese restaurants that are also pretty amazing. While Cafe Tandoor is quite nice, I have been missing a little Indian buffet in Columbus called Taj Mahal. You could go on the weekends and eat some pretty damn amazing Indian food for$7.99.

Until now.

Oh. My. God. Becky...
*clears throat*
No, seriously. I had found a small ad for a place in Lakewood called India Garden. They advertised a lunch buffet for $8.99, so I mentioned it to Jeff. We love visiting Lakewood restaurants (Angelo's Pizza, Melt...) and thought we'd give it a try. When I sat down with a plate of naan, a samosa, and some amazing chicken curry - I looked at Jeff and said "I think we've found our Cleveland Taj". Do not pass up this little restaurant. We waited for about 5-10 minutes to get a table because they were packed. There was a wait for a short time after that because people just kept coming in.

The staff is friendly and very willing to answer any questions about the food. Jeff and I loved this place and are planning to head back very soon.

They include Mango Lassi (a yogurt drink) with the buffet, too. The kheer is the best that I've had (outside of my own, which is crazy...I know).

Snowpocalypse is upon us!

Since I moved to Cleveland, we've had a few snow storms. I would comment to a neighbor about the severity of the storm and would often be met with a laugh and a comment like "HA! This is nothing! Welcome to Cleveland!"

This is bad, isn't it? Does it get much worse?

There was something awfully terrifying about being on the Healthline this morning. The sound of the wheels spinning as we tried to depart from a bus stop was something even my earbuds and an Okkervil River song couldn't drown out. I spoke to several friends in Columbus who have told me that they've had some ice, and that a lot of businesses are closed today. As adults, we don't get many snow days, do we? And if we do, they're usually in the form of a self-inflicted "mental health" day.

A friend of mine taught me how to text people. Before moving to Cleveland, I didn't have a lot of use for text, and didn't even know what the hell T9 Word was. This is a fascinating innovation, but it can also "drunk text" for you when you're perfectly sober. When I got on the bus this afternoon to go home, I texted a friend and said:

"Wow, the cup is scary. I hate to get home."

He responded, "It's okay. Don't let the cups get you down!" probably thinking I was being Dadaist or that I had gone insane from an overdose of snow. What I had meant to say was that the bus was scary, and that I have to get home. Do not worry, dear readers - I assure you that my drinking glasses do not intend me any harm.

We're going to see Slumdog Millionaire and eat at Cafe Tandoor this Friday. I like to torment Jeff sometimes by looking at him in shock and saying; "Wow! You're taking ME on a date??!" to which I get an equally silly look (picture the Mentos thumbs up expression) and a laugh. I'll get pictures and post a review when we return.

Hey... What are you doing on Saturday? Nothing? Well, I suggest that you go to see this young lady at the Beachland Tavern:

This is my wonderfully talented cousin, Chelsea Williams.

She's on her first tour, and has a couple of shows before she comes to Cleveland this weekend. I'm really hoping for a good turnout, for her sake. People need to hear how awesome she really is (and I'm not just saying this because I babysat her when she was little!)!

All bets are off for Sunday, I guess. I'm sorry, but I'm just not much of one to go all silly for football. Jeff will be glued to the TV and I may be persuaded to come out to watch the commercials, but that's about it.

I may ask if he'd prefer to hang out here so I can make some football-y snacks. Little Italy needs a butcher shop so I don't need to hoof it to Alesci's in this muck. I'd like to make a nice sub sandwich - it's really been a while since I ate one of those.