Wha? Another post already?

Wine
Anybody ever go to the Wine Vault and Bistro? I signed up for their newsletter months ago and get emails a couple of times a week, promoting their wine flight tastings and dinners – they have an ongoing $45 five course meal with an almost crazy amount of wine pairings – 12, if you can believe it! These usually happen on Saturday, but sometimes they add a Wednesday. I’ve never gone – but it’s on that long list in my head.

Punjabi Tandoor
The California Chowhound board has been buzzing slightly over this place – honestly a post or two almost seemed like advertising – so I thought I would swing by for take out after work. Usually I’ll pick up from Sitar in the food court at Scranton and Mira Mesa near the 805 since it is close to work. But Punjabi is just a quick swing down Camino Ruiz on the way home. I knew it was on Activity Road, but it took a second pass to find it amid the various businesses.

I found it and ordered a couple of $7.49 combo plates – 2 choices of meat curry in each combo with nan (they have it as nan, I thought it was naan?) so I got 4 varieties of chicken: tikka masala, chicken palak, chicken makhni and chicken curry. It also came with some sort of dessert than neither of us cared for. We got more than enough nan – well, we still ate it all, but wow, I was full.

It might not look like much here – just colored glop – but oh man, it was all so delicious with just the right amount of spice for me and so flavorful!

I’ll have to try some of the veggie curries next time – priced around 4 or 5 bucks – or the lamb. When I think of lamb I think of that greasy lamb that comes off that log in Greek places – I wouldn’t imagine it would be quite like that.

Now, I know very little about different ethnic foods but I thought it was great. I see another blog did a big write up last summer – the defunct (hey, we’ll all be there eventually) Lunch on Friday.

All in all, it was a little better deal that Sitar which charges about the same for one type of meat, but then comes with the lentils and cucumber yogurt. I’m a big fan of meat so bring that on! (Completely unrelated – I’ve got to try the Brazilian steakhouse downtown some time – Rei Do Gado – I pointed it out to my brother when he was here.) I imagine this place is packed at lunchtime - just a few tables inside but lots of outside seating.