[ food + drink ]
PHOTO BY ROB BARTLETT
CURB ENTHUSIASM Kathi Rolls on Curry Ford Road makes great street eats, suitable for in-car snacking or reheating BY FAIYAZ KARA
Y
ou can’t help but worry for all the will be offered in the post-COVID-19 era. I independent, chef-run and mom- sure as hell hope so, particularly the driveand-pop restaurants out there. The up curbside service. I gotta tell ya, I’m a times are not being kind to them, but even pretty big fan of the curbside service. Pretty, while staring the very real possibility of pretty, pretty big fan. Kathi Rolls on Curry Ford Road initiclosure in the face, these businesses show a resilience and creativity that’s nothing short ated me into this brave new world of dining (and odd new world of of inspiring. Necessity restaurant reviewing). is the mother of invenThis is the first of what tion, sure, but these past KATHI ROLLS I hope aren’t very many few weeks, it seems 4205 Curry Ford Road such parking-lot dining like desperation’s been 407-866-0007 appraisals but, well, see the bad dad of innovakathirollsorlando.com note above re: desperation. Almost overnight, $ tion. That said, it’s hard we’ve seen plucky busito be objective, let alone nesses turn into drive-in restaurants, makeshift grocery stores, food critical, at a time when an entire industry on delivery companies, bulk food operators, the verge of imploding needs our support, online merchants and farmers markets. not our judgment. The honest truth is that Kathi Rolls not Makes you wonder if these add-on services
only needs our support, they deserve it. Chef Shantanu Sen’s Indian street fare is every bit as worthy of eating in a one-way parking lot as it is inside the restaurant’s humble digs. Speaking of, Kathi Rolls occupies the old Forever Naan space which, in hindsight, was probably a poor choice of name. The paratha, not the naan, happens to be my favorite bread anyway – a little crisp, a little doughy, a little flaky and always layered in circular fashion. Sen, who hails from Kolkata, India, doesn’t make these flatbreads in-house – not yet – but, after recently bringing on two cooks to help him out, I’m told that day is coming. And while fresh-made parathas will certainly make his kathi rolls even better, Sen uses a premade product of a decent enough quality to properly envelop everything from eggs ($6.99) to chicken tikka ($8.99) to palak paneer ($9.49). On this particular day, which happened to be the first day they offered curbside pickup, I lifted a special malai kebab kathi roll ($9.99) to my mouth thankful that A) its aromas of chicken flavored with cheese, cashew nuts and Sen’s secret blend of spices were able to neutralize the sterile scents of sanitizer on my hand, and B) the roll was manageable enough to devour sans spillage while seated in my car. Not to mention the morsels were so wonderfully soft. And, BTW, don’t be an ignorant boob by referring to kathi rolls as “Indian burritos,” “Indian tacos” or “Indian wraps.” They’re kathi (pronounced “kat-tee”) rolls. Say it a few times if you must. By now, the two bags of food laying in the passenger seat had turned my car into a masala sauna, so after a slurp of the lychee lassi ($5.99), I tore open one of the bags and shoved the lamb kebab hot dog ($7.99) into my mouth. Absolutely glorious. And fiery. When I got home about 15 minutes later, I ate the side of chatka fries ($1.99) – the crinkle sort, only dusted with a chili seasoning. I guess I was still hungry. A pair of plump, and not so thick-crusted, samosas ($3.99) reheated quite nicely a few hours later, as did the basmati bowl with a stunning assemblage of tandoori veggies ($7.99) – green beans, cauliflower, carrots, peas and potatoes. A garnish of pickled onions, cilantro, green chilies and chaat masala powder was akin to gilding a lily, but I’m not complaining. Sen clearly knows what he’s doing. I was a bit skeptical of his “naan pizzas” but I have to say, his palak paneer pizza ($8.99) with spinach and cheese was gratifying, even the following day. It does make a bit of a mess, however, requiring a thorough wash-up afterwards. Then again, I’m sure you’re all doing that anyway. Right?
the diningin diaries BY FAIYAZ KARA
The Great American Takeout, a day when folks around the country were encouraged to order takeout, was a roaring success. Literally. At Luke’s Kitchen in Maitland, the line of cars in front of me waiting for their curbside orders was 10 deep. I really don’t think the restaurant expected such an overwhelming turnout which, of course, was awesome. Although by the time I got home with the short rib pot roast, it required a quick reheat. No worries; it gave the cab franc from the Inquisitor (picked up at a 50 percent discount from Luke’s) some time to breathe. And the wine paired perfectly with the succulent braised meat served with mashed potatoes, pearl onions and horseradish. That was March 24. A week later, on March 31, the Great American Takeout 2 took place and I had a hankering for some blackened grouper. So off to Lombardi’s Seafood Cafe I went for a fish basket served with hush puppies, slaw and fries. They don’t offer curbside pickup here, which necessitated my going inside – masked, gloved, fountain penned and maintaining six feet of separation – to get my food. I made it home in seven minutes and the fish, still hot and perfectly cooked, was precisely what I craved. BTW: the cafe closes at 5:30 p.m., marking the first time in years I finished dinner before 6 p.m. The coronavirus has made me such a geezer. (Luke’s Bar & Kitchen, 640 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland, 407-6742400, eatatlukes.com; Lombardi’s Seafood, 1888 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, 407-628-3474, lombardis.com)
fkara@orlandoweekly.com orlandoweekly.com
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APRIL 8-14, 2020 ● ORLANDO WEEKLY
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