Copper (Charlotte, North Carolina,USA)

My friends know that I have a soft spot for Indian food.  While visiting Drew Chin, we ventured out to Copper - the most upscale Indian restaurant I've visited.  And the food was not only upscale, very tasty.  Not only was the meal solid, the conversation matched!

Blue Mango (Raleigh, North Carolina, USA)

Blue Mango!  Chic!  Colorful lights all around this spot makes for a a vibrant atmosphere.  I had the amazing pleasure to dine with Pete and Lindsay - very close friends (featured int the pic).  The food was just ok.  Very expensive - the price certainly did not match the taste.  It was quite nice for the owner and chef to check-in and introduce himself.  I would certainly go again, but not before venturing out to the other Indian restaurants in and around Raleigh.

 

Saravanaa Bhavan (West Windsor, New Jersey, USA)

Saravanaa Bhavan, a vegetarian indian chain restaurant is probably one of the most authentic Indian spots I've been to in the USA.  Most of the other restaurants are located outside of The States.

I went in originally thinking this was a different Indian restaurant - one I frequented post-college when visiting my folks.  After years away, things change - including old Indian haunts.  Dining in Saravaaa Bhavan was a pleasure and the Dosa (potato filled crepe) was remarkable - not to mention one of the longest I've had to pleasure to devour.

Delhi 6 Spice Rave (East Windsor, New Jersey, USA)

While visiting my folks in New Jersey, we met at Delhi 6 Space Rave.  There is tremendous Indian food in New Jersey and Delhi 6 can be added to the list.  Great fresh and great as left-overs.  Although the food was quote tasty, my favorite part was drinking out of what seemed to be a metal chalice!  Very cool.

Tantric & The Maharaja (Boston & Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA)

On a recent trip to Boston, I ventured back to Tantric and, for the first time experienced The Majara, a second-floor restaurant in the heart of Cambridge.  Both of them her visited during their lunch-time buffet and many, many plates were had.

I've already posted about (and shared my appreciation for what was my neighborhood Indian join - Tantric - see the first post of The Great Tikka Tour) so I'll add a few sentences about The Maharaja.  No doubt, some of the best mint chutney I've had!  I also appreciate their fearlessness in providing garlic naan in a buffet.  Every other buffet I've enjoyed only serves regular, plain naan.  Unfortunately, their tikka masala was very loose.  The sauce was far from rich.  It certainly left me wanting more...

Chandni (New York, New York, USA)

While visiting a great friend of mine in NYC from my college years, Mike Radparavar - cofounder of Holstee (www.holstee.com) we ventured off to Chandni.  I loved that our lunch meals were provided on silver pizza pans - a fantastic and creative way to serve a bunch of food. We had our fair share of samosas, naan, salad, and of course, chicken tikka masala for me.  (And as a conscious citizen Mike brought his own to-go container rather than utilize their throw-away containers...)

Flavor of India (Santa Barbara, California, USA)

While on a trip to Santa Barbara, CA for a PhD event, I visited Flavor of India for their lunch-time buffet.  The food was good, not great, but it was absolutely gorgeous sitting outside in the sweet California sunshine.