Your Call - Tarka

A few weeks back when I wrote about a less than stellar dinner at Taj Mahal, a commenter suggested we head out to Tarka to satisfy our curry craving. Relying upon the recommendation of this Decayed Gentlewoman, The Folk Singer and I ventured out to this purveyor of Indian & Pakistani cuisine on Williams Boulevard.

My prior experience with Pakistani cuisine was nonexistent, and because we set out on this adventure specifically seeking out samosas and the like, we did not sample much of the Pakistani offerings on the menu. But if you trust the opinion of Ian McNulty (as we usually do), then perhaps you are better off thinking outside the tandoori box.

Instead, we stuck to what we knew best and ordered several our favorite Indian dishes. The meal starts with two complimentary chutneys: tamarind and a mint version which surprisingly had quite a bit of heat. Naan had a nice firm crust on the outside, but the samosas missed the mark with an unfortunately doughy pastry. We asked for raita with our appetizers, but the waitress said that they were out. Hmmm, OK. We improvised with a dish of plain yogurt augmented by the spicy mint chutney, which created a suitable stand in.

Our entrees were rather disappointing as well. Palak (a/k/a Saag) Paneer had a wonderfully light texture, but the chef must have forgotten to salt the spinach while cooking. The opposite was the case with the Lamb Boti, whose tandoori cooked morsels were dry and tasted like they had been covered in garlic salt. The Folk Singer's Chicken Makhni had a tomato-butter cream sauce which had broken into a bland base covered in a sheen of ghee. In short, where we expected flavorful sauces and spices, they just were not there.

So, not a good first impression made by Tarka. We will certainly give it another shot, probably on the weekend when the Pakistani beef specials are available. If I am ever in the area during lunch, I'll probably stop in at the buffet in order to sample a wider spectrum of the menu.

But for now at least, the search continues...

Your Call - Mayas

Located across the street from Aidan Gill and Juan's Flying Burrito, Maya's takes Latin cuisine and fuses it with other cultures. They even have a clever name for it: Latin Fusion. For example, shrimp coated in tempura and Jamaican Tostones share space on the appetizer list. The overall decor of the place reminds one of eating in treasure chest, the walls lined with Latin American art and the ornate pressed tin tile ceiling.

Last Thursday, Lindsay and I headed over to Maya's to grab lunch. Bonus, Maya's runs a three course, lunch special for $12.99. Double bonus, we parked on Magazine Street, did not feed the meter, and did not get caught.

Soup or Salad? How about one of each. Had the garde manger used some restraint in the dressing of this salad it would have been quite good. The chicken tortilla soup however married yellow curry and chicken stock into a hearty soup. Oftentimes, tortilla soup arrives awash in acidic lime juice which overloads the flavors of the soup. Not here, but some more spice would have gone a long way.

For our entrees we settled on the ropa vieja and the chicken tropical. The former came out as a large nest of stringy brisket awash in a vibrant red sauce with rice underneath. Nothing special about the ropa vieja, nothing bad either. It was well-made, the meat tender, the sauce had a lot of flavors going on, but maybe ropa vieja is not for me.

Maya's chicken tropical stacks earthy black beans, rice, a grilled chicken breast, and a chunky, spicy mango salsa with expert results. Each bite brings forth a different sensation and licking the bowl is not out of the question. The chicken breast, likely the least interesting thing in the dish, would have benefited from less cooking and a brine.

The tres leche at Maya's is delicious. Just soggy enough to make it creamy with a wonderful pastry cream (or perhaps Cool Whip) topping, it makes going back to work seem futile. The banana ice cream is less-good and a little icy. Just get the tres leches, trust me on this.

Next time the lunch doldrums hits you and you can't stomach another sandwich from ______. give Maya's a try.

Maya's - Par.

Your Call - Salsas por el Lago

There are three types of people who know about Salsas por el Lago:

1. Regulars at the volleyball courts at Coconut Beach
2. Members of Southern Yacht Club
3. High school students who hang out at The Point

Located in a building which long ago housed a Ground Pati (and a bunch of other stuff since then), Salsas serves the "authentic" Mexican cuisine which has taken the city by storm over the past few years. To say that Salsas has flown under the radar since its inception is an understatement - the first three times I went, the only patrons were myself and the same 80 year old man in a trucker hat who sat at the end of the bar and talked (in English) to the television (broadcasting in Spanish). Hopefully the hour long wait on Cinco de Mayo is a sign of an upswing in business.

The food is simple, cheap, and good. Sure, the chips come straight from a bag, but cutting corners such as those can be forgiven at these prices. Start with “The Dip” - a smooth puree of avocado and sour cream with flecks of black pepper and heat from jalapeno. Tacos ($2 each) are double wrapped in corn tortillas and dressed with onions and cilantro. Smaller in size than most others, 5 make a filling meal. Choice of meats are the usual suspects:

• Chicharron – soft, porky, goodness
• Beef Fajita – crispy chunks
• Lengua – a bit too chewy in my opinion
• Desebrada – shredded beef similar to pot roast
• Chicken - never had it
• Barbacoa – succulent and rich shreds of beef cheeks; the best by far.

The red salsa has a strong vinegar component; green salsa is in a true verde style (not thick like Taqueria D.F.). Burritos, enchiladas, and tortas fill out the rest of the menu, no item on which crosses the $10 threshold.

While the food at Salsas will not blow you away, the location and value should place this newcomer on more people's radar. Open 7 days per week for dine-in or pickup, Salsas is a great place for those looking for a quick bite at an affordable price. Welcome to the neighborhood.

Your Call - The Avenue Pub/J'anita's

Editor's Note: Your Call is running today due to yesterday's May's Sink Article. We apologize if you spend the rest of the day thinking today is Wednesday.

The Avenue Pub is the city's best dispenser of beer. The selection of beers from local, regional, national, and international brewers of pilsners, porters, ales, and lagers would mesmerize even the biggest beer geek. Situated in a an unfolding, ramshackle building on St. Charles, the bar boasts two levels, a balcony, and an interior that can best be described as Frat house chic. Quite simply, this bar kicks ass if you like beer.

Inside of The Avenue Pub, J'Anita's slings upscale bar food to a willing and ready crowd. While some of the food served as shining examples, other options served only to befuddle. For instance, the much-talked about St. Chuck Duck sandwich could only be developed or liked by a stoner with the munchies. Cabernet braised duck meat, blue cheese, cheddar cheese, balsamic reduction, currant tapenade, apple, the kitchen sink, and nuclear launch codes rested uncomfortably between two slices of sourdough. Admittedly the first bite is interesting, the second more so, but by the third your palate is exhausted by the assaulting cacophony of competing flavors. The cool potato salad, however, had many redeemable qualities.

A good idea would be to shift the some of the attention from the St. Chuck Duck to the burger. Absent from this bar staple was any discernible flavor or juiciness. While this burger may be wonderful after three glasses of Stone Rumination I.P.A., after only one, it fell way short of what a burger can be.

All the missteps aside, the kitchen crew at J'Anita's turns out nearly perfect examples of bar food staples. And let's be honest, if you are drinking beer, you would be hard pressed not to order cheese fries anyway. Although the cheese fries could use more toppings to justify their price tag, they are a shining bacon covered city of sturdy potatoes and flowing rivers of melted cheddar. Or get your hands on their impeccable guacamole. In fact, J'Anita's guac is the best in the city. Creamy, tangy, and just a touch of heat make this the perfect foil for cold beer.

Which at the end of the day, is why you came here. Come for the beer, but stay for the appetizers.

The Avenue Pub - Eagle
J'Anita's - Par

Your Call - Churros Cafe

This week's Your Call comes from my co-worker who constantly raves about the Cuban sandwich at Churros Cafe in Metairie. Located just a few blocks off Vets near Clearview, Churros is not exactly on my radar. But a trip to John's Tuxedos around the block gave me two opportunities to try it out - once for the pickup and once for the return.

All of the pressed sandwiches at Churros start with New Orleans style French bread, which compresses into a thin, dense layer surrounded by a crunchy (but not greasy) crust. The Cuban is filled with slices of ham, roasted pork, and swiss, then dressed with mustard and pickles. Two kinds of pork - What's not to love?

Because all of the pressed sandwiches are under $7, I decided to sample the "Special Spanish sausage" version as well. (I can't remember the Spanish name and lost my paper copy of the menu, but I am 99% certain that it was not chorizo). This version was less impressive, with the amount of Swiss cheese overwhelming the sausage by a ratio of at least 7 to 1.

On my return visit, I branched out beyond the pressed sandwiches. I started with a thin, crispy crusted empanada filled with ground beef. I was touted on the Wednesday special of ropa vieja. The shredded beef was slow cooked in a tomato sauce and served with white rice, black bean soup, and a salad of iceberg and a few slices of tomato with Italian dressing. Though the beef and beans were delicious, the $10 plate left me still hungry, as the serving of ropa vieja was barely 3oz.

Though the ambiance screamed suburban USA, the majority of the patrons were speaking Spanish. Furthering the notion that Churros is a little piece of Havana in Metairie, the central table has a sign which says “Reserved for Cuban Mafia.” While the food was good overall, my patronage is limited by location. I doubt I will return to Churros unless I need to rent another $130 tuxedo. (Don't even get me started on that racket.) But if/when I am in the area, it will be tough to decide between the Cuban or ropa vieja sandwich.

Churros Cafe - Par

Your Call: Pizza Delicious

In college, whenever we drove from tiny Lexington to big city Charlottesville, we always tried to make a stop at Crozet Pizza. The legend went like this. The old hippie who ran it got his start cooking pizzas at Grateful Dead/Jefferson Airplane/Janis Joplin shows. One day his VW van got stuck in Crozet, Virginia, and so he decided to sell pizzas until he could fix his van. He has been there ever since.

His pizzas were very good. But in order to make sure you got one, you would have to call a day ahead and ask him to reserve you 2 or 3 doughs for your crew. Needless to say, we often forgot that step. However, when we remembered, the hassle was well worth it. Great crust, exquisite sauce, and careful use of toppings were hallmarks of a Crozet pizza.

Last week a reader emailed and asked us why we hadn't checked out Pizza Delicious yet. He then went on to explain the almost mythical ordering process of Pizza Delicious, which goes like this. Pizza Delicious is only open on Sunday nights. They are not a restaurant. They will deliver if you live in the Bywater. Otherwise, you pick it up.

On Saturday afternoon they release via the www, how many doughs they will have and what pizzas they are offering for Sunday. You call after 5 p.m., place your order, they give you a time, and an address. You show up. Your order is waiting.

Underneath all of this is the heightened excitement of dealing with what may or may not be an IRS, kosher organization. Because I hate taxes, I already loved this concept. And the pizza delivers. Thin, chewy crust (although it could have used another 2 minutes or so to get blistery), a spicy, fresh sauce, dollops of creamy mozzarella, and torn basil marked the Margherita as a winner. Also, scattered across the pie, freshly grated parm provided crunch and salt.

Now, the downside is this. We trucked this bad boy all the way from the Bywater to Broadmoor and by the time we got home, the pizza had lost some punch. But the garlic knots on the ride home did help with the pain. So next time (or for you, the first time), just eat it on the roof of your car.

Pizza Delicious - a fitting name.

Your Call

We do a lot of self-scouting at the International Offices of Blackened Out Media, L.L.C., and one thing we have noticed is that we tend to talk about some of the same places over and over again. We aim to be an informative and entertaining source for everything which New Orleans offers to eat and drink, and the last thing we want to become is a predictable form of communication. There is a lot of great food out there in this region, but some of it just isn't on our radar.

And that is where you come in. With over 1000 independently owned restaurants in the area and only 2 of us on the Blackened Out payroll (er, Tax Evasion/Ponzi scheme), we are relying on you to inform of us of all the great places that we are missing out in. Be it a po-boy joint you love, a sushi bar you crave, a neighborhood grocery store, or just a bar with a great jukebox. Leave a comment below (you can remain Anon if you like), shoot us an email, or touch us via Twitter.

Please make sure to include your favorite dishes on the menu as well as any tips on dining at your recommendation. Nothing is off limits, wines, restaurants, cooking techniques, bars, products, etc... We will try to make it to every recommendation that is made, and every Wednesday we will write about where we have been based on your suggestions.

And Donnie Boy, we don't need to go to, nor does anyone want to read about, P&G.

Help us, help you. It is your call.