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Thursday, April 17, 2008
Upscale Indian Is Coming at Dancing Ganesha
You know what the Twin Cities desperately needs? An exciting Indian restaurant. Aside from a few Hyderabadi restaurants that have opened lately, the Twin Cities–Indian dining scene has seemed really dull lately. You’ve got your northern-everything restaurants, with the chicken tandoori, shrimp jalfrezi, and tamarind chutney out of jars; and then you’ve got your southern-vegetarian restaurants, with lentil everything—and tamarind chutney out of jars. Sure, there’s the tiny, scrappy Kabobs, which actually specializes in Hyderabadi cuisine. For that matter, there’s Hyderabad House in northeast Minneapolis. But deep in my heart, I feel that Indian food is one of the world’s best cuisines, and we’re kind of missing out around here.That all may be on the verge of changing. Why? Because Dancing Ganesha is scheduled to open April 29 in the old Willie’s Wine Bar spot (at the southern end of downtown Minneapolis, not far from Loring Park). The owners and consulting chefs tell me that Dancing Ganesha is going to be the Twin Cities first upscale, contemporary, ingredient-first Indian restaurant. That consulting chef is Twin Cities legend Heather Jansz, who ran St. Paul’s dearly departed Curry Leaf during the 1990s. The owner is Santal Vishwantha, who also owns Nala Pak, the Columbia Heights restaurant that many people believe offers the best southern-vegetarian Indian cuisine in Minnesota (and that many still refer to by its former name, Udupi).
So, what did they tell me? That Dancing Ganesha will have cocktails, a full bar, and a fine-dining Indian chef, a man who has been working in Texas, but previously worked in Singapore. That one Sunday a month, Heather Jansz may do a Sri Lankan night, which would mean that Twin Citians would have access to a real rijsttafel for the first time in, what, a decade? (If you are longing for rijsttafel right this second, you can arrange for Heather to cater one in your home. That’s what she’s been doing all these years: catering—and teaching private-cooking classes in people’s homes. She does some for groups of mothers and school-age kids that sound particularly interesting. Find more information at heatherjansz.com.)
But back to the restaurant. “We’re trying to have a different menu than the Bombay Bistros and New Delhi [restaurants] have,” Santal Vishwantha tells me. “Those people who want to stay in the chicken-tandoori comfort zone will find some familiar items, but for the explorers there will be another set of products.” Well, it’s about time. I’m sick of all this tamarind chutney in a jar.
Of course, forecasted restaurant openings are notoriously variable. Vishwantha tells me the best way to know when the spot is open will be to watch their website: www.dancingganesharestaurant.com.
Dancing Ganesha
1100 Harmon Place, Minneapolis
Posted on Thursday, April 17, 2008 in Permalink
Comments may be edited for length, clarity, or appropriateness.
Reader Comments:
The Curry Leaf - mmmmm, miss that chutney. Hopefully my mourning will be over once this place opens.
Any thoughts on the unprecedented number of hospitality closings we're experiencing here in Minnesota?
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/01/100-bars-and-restaurants-put-out-of.html
Oh, you again.
For those of you not familiar with this guy, he used to sell smoke-eating equipment to bars and now maintains a website that he says documents how the restaurant smoking ban has closed restaurants.
Well, we have corresponded privately before, and you already know that I think your list presents restaurants that closed for any variety of bad business management reasons, restaurants that closed because of the owners' personal matters, restaurants that closed because the owners sold the properties for sweet real estate profits, and other unrelated reasons. Lots of restaurants on your list were replaced by far more successful restaurants (the 510 became La Belle Vie, Soba became Common Roots, Tonic became Stella's, and so on.) Some of the restaurants on your list are not really closed: Peter's Grill, for instance, is right downstairs from where I office, and they're doing fine. A frankly, lot of the other restaurants on your list were ghastly, and deserved to close.
I also know that you think that because I don't agree with you I'm taking kick-backs from some nefarious anti-smoker, anti-American, anti-freedom lobby.
What can I say?
Restaurants close, restaurants open. It's a hard business. It breaks my heart when good restaurants close, like Auriga or Zander Cafe. However, I feel nothing at all when bad restaurants close. Typically a quarter of all new restaurants close in the first year of business, 50% fail within three years, and 70% within ten years. I don't consider a restaurant closing after ten years a failure, either, think of all the lives that were touched, all the careers sustained during the interim. People often change jobs after 10 years, isn't that life, and not failure?
Anyway, bring it on. I'd love to hear who I'm in the pocket of now.
I'd be happy to get any Indian restaurant -- northern, southern, Hyderabadi -- over in Saint Paul.
I think you're in my pocket Dara. Ow! Stop pinching me!
:)
There is an Indian restaurant in Eagan called Sambol (formerly, Taste of India). I drive by it often and it is always busy. It may be worth a drive to check it out. Sorry, I can't vouch for the food as I have not been there myself but by the looks of the parking lot (especially on Friday/Saturday nights) they must be doing something right.
i love indian food chicken curry that's the best........
iT WOULD BE GREAT if you could send me a list of the best indian restaurant in northern, southern maybe i could call them up to do an interview for our Urban online talk show
send the emails to www.ibontv.com thanks keep up the good food
Surabhi in the Oakdale Mall (Lyndale & 98th in Bloomington) is worth a trip, if only for the goat curry. Call ahead to make sure it's open though.
Thanks for the tips! I've been meaning to check out Surabhi forever, but something always comes up. And I have been to Sambol, once; it was distinctly un-wonderful, but I might have just caught them on an off day.
Apropos of nothing, you want to hear one of my favorite Twin Cities Indian experiences? Friends from Northeast got scads of take-out from Bombay 2 Go, on Central, for us to eat under the stars at the Vali-Hi Drive-In, it was a spicy, magical, very only-in-Minnesota moment. If I remember correctly it was so magical that we even stayed for much of the second feature, the regrettable Rush Hour 3...
-Dara
I agree that we need some inventive and contemporary Indian like I had at indiblue in DC. There is a place that has a more modern but casual feel to it tucked away at the back of an indian grocery store called CurryUp in Maple Grove (imagine that!) I belive Mr. Iggers blogged about it not to long ago but I think is is a refreshing change to the local scene.