Income aside, the authors conclude,“We find an association between thepercentage of African-American resi-dents in an area and unexpectedly lowarts participation.”

Museum of Science and Industryvice president Valerie Waller, offering aresponse to the research, said she seesevidence of the lack of diversity nearlyevery time she eyeballs the crowds onthe museum floor. She thinks commu-nication, price, hours, and transporta-tion are factors that could beaddressed, and says it may be morerealistic to focus on turning orangeareas to red, rather than trying tostretch for the blues. The mappingproject also included limited researchon 49 smaller cultural organizations,including some geared to specific eth-nic groups. (Nearly 500 such organiza-tions were invited to participate; all butthe 49, perhaps lacking data, failed torespond.) The researchers found thatmany of these smaller entities are tap-ping audiences that have little overlapwith the participants at the big organi-

ingful in communities that are disen-gaged from the large institutions ordon’t have access to them.

“Historically there’s a lot of powerin who gets to make up maps,” Tuckeradds. “There’s a danger when culturalpolicy makers turn out dramatic mapsthat seem to suggest stark contrastsbetween people’s engagement with cul-ture. It can be misleading. I don’t faultthe mapmakers, but it’s about this formand its power to influence. I’m fasci-nated with the potential of what they’retrying to do, and happy they’re doing it.But what it inspires for me is more ofan interest in the unmappable compo-nents, relevant things happeningacross the city. Are there ways to repre-sent them?”

Area’s offering an alternative in theform of a blank pullout map of Chicagoin its current issue. Readers can fill it inwith locations they think are significant,then submit it for inclusion in an onlinearchive, a planned book, and upcomingexhibitions, including one that opens atPolvo gallery in Pilsen on April 28. v

The Business

“Y ou already know this”—that’swhat National OpinionResearch Center vice presi-

dent Colm O’Muircheartaigh had to sayabout the initial conclusions he wasdrawing from an assortment of eye-popping maps at last week’s presenta-tion of a study about local “cultural par-ticipation” at the Cultural Center.Funded by a $128,000 grant from theJoyce Foundation and conducted by theU. of C.’s Cultural Policy Center, thestudy analyzed information fromChicago’s 12 largest cultural institutionsto find out who’s benefiting from them.The Joyce Foundation wanted to knowwhether attempts to engage diverseaudiences were working, and theresearchers said they needed a baselinebefore they’d be able to figure that out.“Now,” said O’Muircheartaigh, as theaudience squinted at a kaleidoscopicparade of red, orange, yellow, green,and blue shapes in dizzying recombina-tions, “we’ve got numbers for it.”

On their way to making Chicago thefirst major city with a cultural partici-pation map, the researchers collected1.4 million electronic records from thedozen big institutions for 2004. Theinstitutions were chosen according tothe size of their budgets ($8 millionwas the minimum) and ranged fromthe Art Institute to the Joffrey Ballet.The researchers tracked 600,000 par-ticipating households in the 14-countymetropolitan area and sliced and dicedthat information with data from the2000 census. And here’s the mainthing they found out: it’s mostly aboutmoney. The best predictors of partici-pation in the city’s large cultural insti-tutions are education and income level.Wealthy neighborhoods along the lakeon the city’s north side and in the sub-urbs (New Trier Township, along withRiver Forest to the west) turned out tobe the hot spots. Those are also areaswith relatively few African-Americanand Latino residents. The city’s culturalparticipation map and its racial andethnic distribution map turned out tobe inverse images of each other.

In this geography, red is the flag ofhigh activity, blue the opposite.Looking at Cook County, a wide river ofblue sweeps up from the southern sub-

urbs to the northwest and turns leftinto Elk Grove and Schaumburg. (Itlooks like everything but the NorthShore could float away without a blipin attendance at, say, Lyric Opera.) Inthe city the near north and west sides,Lincoln Park, and Hyde Park glowcrimson, while nearly everything else tothe south, west, and northwest isbathed in blue. The authors note thatparticipation rates are low throughoutthe metropolitan area, but “consistent-ly lowest in areas with large percent-ages of African-American or Latinohouseholds.” Since the cost of a midlev-el day pass to the Field Museum, forexample, for a family of four is at least$75 (including parking but not lunch),and the map of African-American andLatino population is nearly a match forthe map of low-income distribution,that’s not surprising. But here’s whereeyebrows in the audience did go up:when researchers compared similarsocioeconomic groups, they found thatAfrican-Americans were less likely toparticipate than whites and Latinos.

zations. For those folks and a lot of oth-ers, the daunting dozen—those pricey,tax-supported, mostly lakefront play-grounds for the affluent and thetourists, with their displays of Girodetand performances of Shakespeare—may just be off the map.

Map QuestDaniel Tucker, editor of the new biannualarts-and-activism tabloid Area, says hefelt conflicted as he watched the map-ping presentation. “I wanted them tocome out and make policy recommen-dations,” he says, “but on the otherhand I was thinking, Don’t say any-thing more, because of the limitationsof their study. We can’t rely on thosekinds of institutions—fine-art muse-ums and symphony orchestras and bal-lets—to make up the map of meaning-ful cultural participation in Chicago.”Even among the smaller organizationsstudied, he says, places like communitycenters, storefront galleries, and cafeswere left out—“places that are mean-

No ShitAccording to a new U. of C. study, the city’s biggest arts organizations are the domain of rich, educated white people.

Area magazine’s Daniel Tucker; “Density of Households Participating in Larger Cultural Institutions”

By Deanna Isaacs

thebusiness@chicagoreader.com

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2 CHICAGO READER | MARCH 24, 2006 | SECTION TWO

CHICAGO READER | MARCH 24, 2006 | SECTION TWO 3

To B or Not to BIndian and Pakistani restaurants whereyour bottle's welcome, or not.

Ambala Sweets2741 W. Devon | 773-764-9000

$INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS |ALCOHOL FREE

With marble floors, mirrored walls, andglass doors with gold handles, Ambala feelslike an upscale department store. Sittingtidily in its front window are stacked squaresof green pistachio barfi, a milk-baseddessert with a fudgelike texture. Other tradi-tional sweets are heaped on the long, grace-fully curving counter inside, under immacu-late plastic domes. The counter workers giveout samples hand over fist, chatting withcustomers in Hindi, Urdu, and English andhappily providing explanations to the unini-tiated. “This is number one. This is very fastselling,” says one, proffering a chunk of hab-shi halwa—a sticky brown treat made withmilk, wheat flour, and cashews. It has theconsistency of an underdone brownie, and,like many Indian desserts, tastes alarminglysweet to the unaccustomed palate. Thestore carries several variants, includinggajar halwa (made with carrots) and anjeerhalwa (with figs). Pera, a doughy orangeconfection, is prepared with dried milk andcardamom, colored with saffron, shapedinto small patties, and sprinkled withchopped pistachios. Some of the sweets areeven more elaborately fashioned: imartilook like crullers dyed orange, while the saf-fron-flavored fritters called jelebi resembleraw pretzels. Suterfeni, fried threads ofsweetened rice flour flavored with saffron, ismeant to be doused with milk and eaten outof a bowl. Nearly all of the desserts are soldby weight, and a large sign on the wall liststhe prices per pound, most of them between$5 and $8. Ambala sells savory treats too,including Ambala Mix, a blend of puffed rice,peanuts, cashews, potato chips, and raisins;a spicier version called ferrari chevda; anddalmoth, a mix of thin dried noodles, brownlentils, and cashews. There are severaltables, with seating for about 30. Anne Ford

Arya Bhavan2508 W. Devon | 773-274-5800

F 8.0 | S 7.7 | A 5.8 | $ (13 REPORTS)INDIAN/PAKISTANI, VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY |LUNCH: SUNDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY; DINNER:SEVEN DAYS | BEER & WINE, BYO

rrr Cheerful pink napkins decorate thetables and colorful Rajasthani crafts (whichare for sale) brighten the walls at AryaBhavan, which means “our home.” But themain room is dominated by a 20-foot buf-

RestaurantsListings are excerpted from the Reader Restaurant Finder, an onlinedatabase of more than 3,000 Chicago-area restaurants. Restaurantsare rated by more than 2,200 Reader Restaurant Raters, who feedus information and comments on their dining experiences. Webratings are updated daily; print listings reflect the most currentinformation available at publication time. Reviews are written by

Reader staff and contributors and (where noted) individual Raters.Though reviewers try to reflect the Restaurant Raters’ input,reviews should be considered one person’s opinion; the collectiveRaters’ opinions are best expressed in the numbers. The completelistings and information on how to become a Reader RestaurantRater are available at www.chicagoreader.com/restaurantfinder.

Afew years ago I witlessly brought a few beers toSalam, a Middle Eastern storefront on NorthKedzie. The host, a man with impeccable man-

ners, politely pretended that city law prevented usfrom drinking there. “Also,” he added casually, “it’sagainst our religion.”

Oh. Right. Long story short: water never tasted so good.

Bringing your own bottle is a practice so estab-lished in Chicago that a place without a liquorlicense is commonly assumed to allow it. But onDevon Avenue, where restaurants are as likely to beMuslim-owned as Hindu, the situation is more com-plicated. Chopal Kabab, for example, doesn’t have alicense because the owner follows Islamic dietaryprecepts forbidding alcohol. Bhabi’s Kitchen doesn’thave a license because it wants customers to bringin alcohol. Sometimes it seems easier just to order amango lassi.

That’s a shame, because given the heat and com-plexity of Indian food the perfect match isn’t alwayssweetened yogurt. To find out what it might be, I tooka party of friends to Udupi Palace, a BYO and vege-tarian Indian restaurant, along with so many bottleswe were booted to a bigger table.

To many palates, Indian food is best with beer—there’s even a specific style for it. In the 18th centu-ry, beer shipped from England to expatriates incolonial India kept going bad en route, so brewers

upped the alcohol content andthe hops, both of which act asa preservative. The result, live-ly and sharply bitter from theextra hops, was christened

IPA, or India pale ale. The style’s now wildly popularwith American craft breweries, which hop their beerfar more than their European counterparts: if theIPA didn’t already exist, American brewers wouldhave invented it.

The only problem is that intense bitterness actual-ly accentuates heat. If curry can’t be too hot for you,IPAs are ideal, fanning the flames even as they refreshin a brisk and rather fierce way. But the AmericanIPAs we tried—from Goose Island and Michigan’sNew Holland Brewing—obliterated the food. An IPAfrom Samuel Smith was a happier pairing: less hoppythan the Americans, showing a restraint that’s typicalof British ales. Its malty sweetness blended well with

the addictive chaat papri,crispy bits of fried doughdrizzled with yogurt andtamarind chutney.

We brought severaltypes of wine that havebeen touted as accompani-ments for Indian food:something sparkling (forits cleansing bubbles andshadow of sugar), some-thing sweet (to tame theheat), and somethingred and fruity (for people who want red wine no matterwhat). Our sparkling, a Champagne-methodBlanc de Blanc fromLawrence Mawby, asuperb northernMichigan winemaker,was alive and yeasty byitself but more mun-dane with the chaatand tandoor-roastedeggplant: like a kinder-

More Beer With Your Sag Paneer?

gartner sent off to school, it went, but not willingly.Gewurztraminer is often paired with Indian foodbecause its “exotic” notes—lychees and mangoes areoften cited—supposedly complement the cuisine.Ours, a 2003 Wurtz-Weinmann Spatlese fromGermany, highlighted the coconut flavor in the avial,a vegetable curry, but laid down on top of the otherdishes and didn’t get up. We weren’t any more suc-cessful with our red, a 2001 blend from southernFrance called Dominis M. It was delicious alone, butafter a bit of spice wines become schizoid: with thecurry, Dominis M’s taste was suddenly very similar to that of a cheap jelly doughnut.

We remained happiest with the Samuel Smith IPAand a wheat beer, Kloster Weizen, a Bavarian-style

weiss from Wisconsin’s Capital Brewery. Creamy andelegant, the weiss made the chaat and the currieseven better, while the carbonation lightened theweight of the food, preparing the palate for still more curry and chaat.

At meal’s end we finally hit upon a match for the American IPAs: dessert. I’ve always found gulabjamun, those fried, syrup-soaked milk balls, cloyingto the point of inedibility, but the sweetness was tempered by the bitter edge of the IPAs. In turn, the gulab jamun made the IPAs taste richer andsmoother. It was suddenly clear we’d discovered the secret history of beer and Indian food: IPAswere actually invented just to make gulab jamunpalatable. —Nicholas Day

Wine and Dine

Chaat papri and dosai at Udupi Palace

Udupi Palace2543 W. Devon 773-338-2152

A. J

ACKS

ON

Samuel Smith India paleale, Lawrence Mawby Blanc de Blanc

4 CHICAGO READER | MARCH 24, 2006 | SECTION TWO

fet, which on the weekends (and weekdaysin summer) is laden with all-vegetariancurries, sweets, appetizers, rice, salad, andcooling raita. Along with traditionalfavorites like chana masala (spicy chick-peas) and mutter paneer (peas and cheese)are original creations by chef Jay Shef, arealtor by day. One of his best is the addic-tive undhia, a complex curry of eggplant,sweet potatoes, and plantains. Appetizersinclude the always popular potato-stuffedsamosas and spicy veggie cutlets. The sat-isfying uthappam, pancakes topped withtomatoes, onions, and cilantro, are madeto order at one end of the buffet and disap-pear quickly. Ordering from the lengthy

menu allows one to try Indian specialtiesranging from a delightful south Indian avial(vegetables cooked with coconut, yogurt,and chiles) to Kashmiri curry and rice.There are 15 types of bread, many of themtandoori-oven baked. Beer and wine areserved, but you can also BYO for a corkagefee of $3 per person. Cara Jepsen

Bhabi’s Kitchen6352 N. Oakley | 773-764-7007

F 7.9 | S 8.0 | A 6.5 | $ (8 REPORTS)INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS |OPEN LATE: TILL 11 EVERY NIGHT | BYO

rrr Once a humble storefront, Bhabi’s

Kitchen has been swanked up to becomeone of the more pleasantly appointedIndo-Pak restaurants around Devon (priceshave risen accordingly). Mr. Syed, theowner, is a genial presence; ask him what’sgood and he’ll passionately regale you witha stream of talk for as long as you’ll listen.

This time around he recommendedhaleem, beef simmered for many hourswith wheat and lentils and sprinkled withfried onions, an intriguing combination offlavors and textures. Butter chicken comesbathed in a mild tomato broth suitable forless adventurous palates. There are a good

number of vegetarian offerings, amongthem biryani (also available in fish or meatrenditions) and sarsoo ka sang, a puree ofbroccoli rabe sparkling with explosive gin-ger chunks. Syed orchestrates meals sothat tastes won’t blur; for instance,bagarey baigan, an eggplant dish, iscooked in a hummuslike sesame sauce alsoused in the fish curry, so we were advisednot to order both together. Two of Bhabi’ssignature dishes, naan with onion, garlic,and green pepper or with pistachio andmixed fruit (almost a dessert), could makea meal all by themselves. Bhabi’s Kitchen isBYO, to keep spirits high and the bill down.David Hammond

Restaurants

Food (F), service (S), and ambience (A) are rated on a scale of 1-10, with 10 representingbest. The dinner-menu price of a typical entree is indicated by dollar signs on thefollowing scale: $=less than $10, $$=$10-$15, $$$=$15-$20, $$$$=$20-$30,$$$$$ =more than $30. Raters also grade the overall dining experience; these scoresare averaged and rs are awarded as follows: rrr=top 10 percent, rrr=top 20percent, rrr=top 30 percent of all rated restaurants in database.

Chopal Kabab and Steak2242 W. Devon | 773-338-4080

$INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS |OPEN LATE: TILL MIDNIGHT EVERY NIGHT | ALCO-HOL FREE

The exceedingly friendly Ali Khawajaappears to have sunk a lot of naan into hisnew restaurant on the sleepy eastern endof Devon Avenue’s Indo-Pak strip. Theroom is crammed with elaborately carvedand painted tables and high-backed chairs,and the walls are bedecked with Pakistanihandicrafts Khawaja traveled the home-land to procure. Khawaja, who owns anoth-er restaurant in Los Angeles, grills zabihahalal meats, and he’s not afraid to seewhat sort of guts you’re made of. Intestinalarmor comes in a bowl of raita and (in anodd nod to an altogether different cuisine)a velvety egg-drop soup, meant to bespiked with abundant bottles of soy andLouisiana hot sauces. The standards—lamb,goat, beef, chicken, and seafood—areaggressively seasoned and marinated,grilled or stewed, then served beside a pileof rice to stanch the flames; critters foundless frequently on Devon include yogurt-marinated quail and veal steaks. There areonly a few concessions to plant eaters—dal,okra, mixed vegetables, and a buttery andluscious pureed rapini. Khawaja named theplace Chopal, which means “gatheringplace,” and it’s hard to discount his enthu-siasm for the venture’s party potentialwhen he sits you down on the large wovenbench in the front window and fires up thefour-foot brass hookah. Mike Sula

Gandhi India2601 W. Devon | 773-761-8714

$INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS |OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11 | FULLBAR

Open since 1981, Gandhi India is one of theolder eateries along Devon, and the wood-paneled interior certainly shows the cornerspot’s age. The menu features standardfare, and while I’ve had some adequatemeals here in the past, a recent visit sug-gests the food has slipped into mediocrity.The white meat in the grilled chicken tikkawas exceptionally dry, and a piece of darkmeat was rubbery; the entire dish wasunderseasoned. While the chunks of meatin the bhuna gosht, a lamb curry, werewonderfully tender, the thick, tasty gravycarried unseemly puddles of oil. Bothentrees were stingier with the meat thanyou’ll find at local competitors. If you’renot picky, Gandhi might do in a pinch, butwhy bother when there are better optionsonly doors away? Peter Margasak

Ghareeb Nawaz2032 W. Devon | 773-761-5300

$INDIAN/PAKISTANI | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER:SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: 24 HOURS EVERY DAY |CASH ONLY | ALCOHOL FREE

Named for a benefactor of the poor,Ghareeb Nawaz has a reputation as anoasis for cheap and freshly made home-style Indo-Pakistani food. One of the fewspots on Devon open for breakfast, it offersinexpensive paratha (griddled wheat flat-bread) filled with egg or aloo (seasonedpotato) and halwa puri, the traditionalPakistani breakfast, three crisp, puffy friedbreads served with lightly sweetened soojihalwa (a semolina pudding) and curriedpotatoes and chickpeas; for $2.50, it beatsthe hell out of McStyrofoam. Biryani here isamong the best in town, and the thali are

an amazing deal: $4.35 gets you a veggiecombo with a choice of bread (chapati,paratha, or naan), a generous portion ofrice, an achar (pickle) of some kind, andservings of four or five dishes such aschana masala, dal, aloo palak, and bhindimasala; meat thali are a scant 50 centsmore. Veggie kebabs are deliciously densedisks of potato, chickpeas, egg, and spices,though the beef shish kebab suffers fromtoo much filler. Samosas, meat- or potato-filled triangles of pure snacking pleasure,are, at 50 cents each, an addiction I’m pre-pared to indulge. You order at the counterhere, and the restaurant’s two brightly litrooms are spartan, but there’s cricket onthe TV in season and a prayer room for thedevout. Gary Wiviott

Hema’s Kitchen6406 N. Oakley | 773-338-1627

F 7.8 | S 5.3 | A 5.1 | $ (24 REPORTS)INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS |BYO

Hema Potla is a cherubic grandmotherfrom Hyderabad, India, who makes herown yogurt, chutneys, marinades, andsauces here daily, roasting and grindingdifferent combinations of spices. Abouttwo dozen aromatic dishes are served,ranging from a very spicy chicken or lambvindaloo (in a sauce of vinegar, coconut,curry leaves, and a lot of red chile powder)to a tamer but no less tasty dal dahkni: yel-low lentils cooked with tomatoes, lemonjuice, and hints of cumin, curry, mustard,and garlic. The spinach and lamb combina-tion sag gosht is quite popular, as are Potla’sbiryani, dishes of basmati rice cooked withvarious spices and a choice of lamb, chick-en, shrimp, or vegetables. After beingouted by WTTW’s Check, Please! Hema’swent from being a quiet, well-regardedsecret to a weekend mob scene, inspiringPotla to open a second restaurant at 2411

N. Clark. The restaurant’s still BYO with nocorkage fee. Paul Schoenwetter, Rater

Hyderabad House2225 W. Devon | 773-381-1230

$$INDIAN/PAKISTANI | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER:SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: 24 HOURS EVERY DAY |RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED | CASH ONLY | BYO

Hyderabad House is a home away fromhome for cabbies who want to shoot pool,watch Bollywood musicals, and grab somegood grub before beating it back to thebeaded seat. Even if you don’t drive forhire you’ll enjoy the subcontinental foodprepared for hard-to-con customers. Hereare some savory creatures, all halal: lushmutton in a thick sauce is frequently seenon the changing menu board, as is chickenlagan in a fluorescent magenta-coloredsauce. Dhai ki kadi, a delicious vegetariandish, is wheat gluten in a blindingly yellowcurry. Along with generous helpings offresh griddled naan you get a lot of ricehere, and that’s a good thing—sops areessential with the tongue-tickling sauces.To drink try Limca, lemon-based Indiancola, or BYO. Sometimes there’s a manoffering paan—a potent mix of fennel, betelleaf, and herbs—which makes a pleasing,stomach-settling wrap to a meal. HHshares a parking lot with an auto repairshop, so you have to weave your wayaround the never-been-pimped beaters toget to the front door; once inside, though,you’ll find good-hearted folks and worthysouth Indian chow. David Hammond

Indian Garden2546 W. Devon | 773-338-2929

F 7.2 | S 6.3 | A 6.7 | $$ (19 REPORTS)INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS |FULL BAR

Raters like this chain location’s extensive

CHICAGO READER | MARCH 24, 2006 | SECTION TWO 5

Find a friend!

The New Reader Classifiedschicagoreader.com | section 4

6 CHICAGO READER | MARCH 24, 2006 | SECTION TWO

menu, cooking, and ambience, which theyfind a notch above the neighborhoodnorm. “I would gladly abandon all otherfoods in my life and subsist solely on thegarlic naan,” says one. Many praise thefood’s freshness and the masterful use ofspices—the kitchen doesn’t shy from heat.There’s a nice selection of drinks, includ-ing Flying Horse and Kingfisher beers, anda $9 lunch buffet offered daily. LauraLevy Shatkin

Jewel of India2401 W. Devon | 773-465-3269

$$INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SUNDAY,MONDAY, WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSEDTUESDAY | BYO

On West Devon, where you can’t go a blockwithout passing half a dozen Indian orPakistani restaurants, it takes a bit ofextra effort to get noticed. Jewel of Indiahas snagged a prime piece of real estate(right on the corner of Devon andWestern) and recently renovated, but it’sreally hoping to make an impression witha unique take on Asian cuisines: Indian-Chinese fusion. Skip the unfused Indianand Chinese stuff—the Chinese dishes arestandard ones like chow mein andSzechuan chicken served without inspira-tion and with too much oil; the Indianfood, while better, doesn’t surpass whatyou’ll find at any neighboring eatery. Butwhen the two cuisines are mixed, Jewel ofIndia shines. The chile chicken stands out,

with fragrant and unusual spices, and theManchurian beef is lightly bathed in an“Indian-Chinese gravy” reminiscent ofboth curry sauce and five-spice powder.Leonard Pierce

Moti Mahal2525 W. Devon | 773-262-2080

$INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS |FULL BAR

It’s one of the older establishments alongthis busy stretch of sari stores and Indiangroceries, and unfortunately little efforthas been made to hide the age; the car-peting is matted, the furniture weathered,and the lighting dim. The food is stan-dard—nothing too different from its neigh-bors and not a lot to get excited about.Service is extremely attentive, since thedining room is rarely full. Laura LevyShatkin

Mysore Woodland2548 W. Devon | 773-338-8160

F 7.3 | S 6.6 | A 6.0 | $$ (10 REPORTS)INDIAN/PAKISTANI, VEGETARIAN/HEALTHY |LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | BYO

At Mysore Woodland, which is named afterwell-known restaurants in India (theMysore Woodland in Westmont is run bythe same family), there are no fewer than14 types of the house specialty, dosa (thinlight rice crepes), including a masala dosa,stuffed with potatoes, onions, and spicy

Restaurants

We believe that a restaurant can be more or less than thesum of its parts, so apart from rating Food, Service, andAmbience, Reader Restaurant Raters are asked to give ascore for the overall dining experience. These overall scoresare averaged and rs are awarded as follows:

rrr top 10 percentrrr top 20 percentrrr top 30 percent

of all rated restaurants in our database

A restaurant can have high scores for Food, Service, andAmbience without receiving an rrr rating; a restaurant mayhave unspectacular ratings yet still possess an unquantifiablesomething that our Raters feel deserves recognition.

What do all those rs mean?

chutney, and a massive paper dosa. Otherspecialties such as pongal, a sweet ricedish, and uppuma (savory cream of wheatwith nuts and vegetables) are right on themoney. But the best deal is the MysoreRoyal Thali, a complete meal served on alarge round stainless steel platter dominat-ed by a pile of aromatic basmati rice, thestaple of south Indian cuisine. The accom-panying army of small dishes includes dal,sambar, vegetable curries, spicy pickledmango or lime, dessert, pappadam, chap-ati, and thick, creamy curd, which is tradi-tionally eaten last. The dinner portioncomes with soup (try the spicy lentil mulli-gatawny) and a trio of deep-fried appetiz-ers. The Woodland’s signature dessert ispaysam, a comforting pudding made ofvermicelli noodles, milk , honey, raisins,and cashews; there are also spicy masalachai and creamy Mysore-style coffee forafter the meal. Service is decent, andBollywood music plays softly in the back-ground. Cara Jepsen

Original Kababish of London2437 W. Devon | 773-973-0225

$INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS |OPEN LATE: TILL MIDNIGHT EVERY NIGHT | ALCO-HOL FREE

This Chicago branch of a popular family-owned UK chain (not to be confused withKababish on Orleans) turns fresh meatsand vegetables into delicious Indian dishes,some done the old subcontinental way andothers London style. They use ground beefthat’s so lean it comes out as fluffy as rice;most dishes are accompanied by a simplesalad with great cucumber dressing.London street signs and maps of the worlddecorate the walls of the little storefront;there are no frills, but the plates are ele-gant, neat, and quite cheap. There’s no BYOhere—alcohol is prohibited for religiousreasons. Ann Sterzinger

Ravi Kabob House2447 W. Devon | 773-381-2400

$INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SUNDAY,MONDAY, WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSEDTUESDAY | OPEN LATE: WEDNESDAY-MONDAY TILL11 | ALCOHOL FREE

In the sea of Indo-Pakistani restaurantsalong Devon, Ravi Kabob House sinksunder the surface without fanfare. Themenu has the usual subcontinental offer-ings—dals, tikka, and tandoori preparationsas well as biryani with vegetables, lamb,chicken, or goat—but execution is lacking.The chapli kebab, a ground beef pattyheavily flecked with coarse, dry corianderseeds, tasted oddly like a veggie burger;vegetable biryani, chile chicken, and a beefkebab were all grossly overseasoned. Dalmasala was both mealy and swimming inghee; the naan (plain, sesame, garlic, orcheese stuffed) were respectable withoutbeing inspirational. Ravi Kabob House doeshave its fans. The best I can say about it,though, is that the mango lassi makes agood palate cleanser. Rob Lopata

Sabri Nehari2511 W. Devon | 773-743-6200

$INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS |OPEN LATE: TILL MIDNIGHT EVERY NIGHT | ALCO-HOL FREE

The Sabri family have hit upon a nice hookfor their Pakistani eatery: they’ve gone

country. Not that there’s anything down-scale about the spacious, walnut-accenteddining room; it’s just that their menu for-goes the kingly pretensions of other DevonAvenue restaurants in favor of solid,unfussy food drawn from the cuisine ofPakistan’s working class—called “frontierstyle,” it blends fresh vegetables and sim-mered meats with copious herbs andspices. For adventurous diners the menulists a “masterfully agitated” pasandakebab and maz nihari (brain stew). Evenfamiliar fare like the samosa packs surpris-es: in place of the pastry’s usual thick,crunchy batter the Sabris use a light,crackly crust that’s almost like phyllodough. Leonard Pierce

Sher-A-Punjab2510 W. Devon | 773-973-4000

F 6.6 | S 6.3 | A 5.0 | $ (6 REPORTS)INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS |BYO

The buffet (lunch is $7, dinner $9) at thisotherwise nondescript Indian restaurantcontinues to bring in the fans. One Ratercomments, “The famous Indian buffet atthis Devon storefront isn’t the prettiest, butthe spread is delicious and the piping hotbread and tandoori chicken broughtstraight to the table are worth the pricealone.” Aside from the well-seasoned, juicytandoori dishes, the karhai gosht (huge,tender chunks of lamb in a thick tomato,garlic, and ginger puree) and the shrimpbiryani are well worth a try. Flatbreads likeparatha and naan come with a variety offillings: garlic, minced lamb, and broccoliand cheese. To wash it all down, masala teais warm and soothing, or you can BYO.Laura Levy Shatkin

Sukhadia’s Snacks & Sweets2559 W. Devon | 773-338-5400

$INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SUNDAY,MONDAY, WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSEDTUESDAY | ALCOHOL FREE

This tiny corner store, the first Chicagofranchise of a family-run chain, is a feastfor the eyes. Two huge display cases arefilled with Indian sweets in all colors andshapes: orange ground-almond cookies,cashew flour and fig paste tubes, anddeep-fried pink rounds of chickpea flour.Homemade cheese balls come soaked insweet syrup (ras gulla) or swimming increamy milk and garnished with saffronand pistachios (ras malai). Beyond thesecases is a counter where Indian fast food isserved—lilva kachori (deep-fried rounds ofgreen peas and chiles), khaman (squarecakes of savory chickpea flour coloredbright yellow), and patra (taro leaves rolledwith ground chickpeas and pungentspices). Dishes are served with poori(deep-fried wheat bread) and two tastysauces: a spicy cilantro-jalapeno one withginger and mint, and one of sweet-and-sour tamarind. A variety of crunchy, saltymixes of spiced nuts, sesame sticks, andother snacks are available by the pound.Ask for the laminated card with picturesand descriptions if you find the selectionoverwhelming. Laura Levy Shatkin

Tiffin2536 W. Devon | 773-338-2143

F 7.7 | S 7.5 | A 7.7 | $$ (29 REPORTS)INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS |FULL BAR

Raters find Tiffin cleaner and more refined

than many of its neighbors on Devon.Service is a little more attentive, and thedining room is spacious and attractive,with wood-paneled walls and windowsonto the kitchen. Tandoori menu selec-tions such as chicken and lamb are tops.The $8 lunch buffet ($10 on weekends)maintains high quality with frequent hotrefills. Says one Rater, “Consistently ter-rific food, excellent service, and even anice wine list round out a great diningexperience.” Laura Levy Shatkin

Usmania2253 W. Devon | 773-262-1900

$INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVENDAYS | OPEN LATE: TILL 11:30 EVERY NIGHT |ALCOHOL FREE

Looking to reinvent Usmania as a placefor Pakistani fine dining, the ownersshuttered the divey former location andrecently reemerged across the street innew digs with exposed brick columns,copper bas-relief, and leather-boundmenus. Apparently the chichi environsappeal to the locals—at a recent lunchthe huge dining room was packed. TheIndo-Pakistani menu features the stan-dard offerings, but the execution far sur-passes standard issue. The meats in thecreamy butter chicken and muttonbiryani were unexpectedly tender andmoist; the bihari kebab, a dish oftenserved at weddings and other celebra-tions, was like a better, bolder version ofgyros; the spicy chana dal was a clearstandout. Breads—we tried the naan andan onion kulcha—were the only disap-pointment. Where were the third-degreechar burns one comes to expect?Kristina Meyer

Viceroy of India2520 W. Devon | 773-743-4100

F 7.5 | S 6.7 | A 6.5 | $$ (11 REPORTS)INDIAN/PAKISTANI | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVENDAYS | FULL BAR

“Prices are more expensive than most onDevon,” says one Rater, “but the textureand flavor of the dishes is worth it.” Withits neon lights and huge crown-shapedsign, this place is easy to find, and Ratersagree it’s also pretty easy to get a seathere. They praise the food (one calls it asgood as Tiffin’s), though they have theirgripes: the small size of the naan por-tions, difficulty communicating about lev-els of spiciness. A carryout counter in thefront serves a slightly different (andcheaper) menu. Laura Levy Shatkin

CHICAGO READER | MARCH 24, 2006 | SECTION TWO 7