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The name says it all for Spice Avenue, the
Indian restaurant on State Street in Santa Barbara. Offering an
entrancingly buoyant cuisine with a Bombay chef and the staff
right out of London. The cuisines of North and South India, as well as
Mughlai (Pakastani-style cooking), are a gorgeous blend of
flavors: curries; spices such as cumin, fennel, coriander and
cinnamon; and heats of garlic, onion, ginger and chilies. |
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The lavish buffet is one of the main draws
of the menu. "The buffet gives those who aren't familiar with Indian
food a chance to sample a few things," explains co-owner Sunny Pujji.
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The menu is quite extensive offering
seafood, chicken, lamb and vegetarian selections. Tandoori, an
Indian-style barbecue, is always popular, and for guests who can't
decide, try the Mixed Grill which includes chicken, two kinds of lamb
and shrimp cooked in the clay oven. |
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The two brothers, Sunny and Sandy Pujji
opened Spice Avenue in the spring of 2003, having recently moved from
London where they also owned a restaurant. With over 15 years of
experience, Chef Samrat Bhosle began his career in Bombay and is a
veteran of some of the top Indian restaurants in Los Angeles.
The warmth and friendliness of the staff, which also includes Urmil
(mom) and Nancy (Sunny's wife), makes dining at Spice Avenue a truly
pleasurable experience. |
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Hours: |
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Mon - Fri, Lunch: |
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11:30 AM - 3:00 PM |
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Mon - Fri, Dinner: |
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5:30 PM - 10:00 PM |
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Sat - Sun |
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11:30 AM - 10:00 PM |
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Payment: |
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MasterCard, VISA |
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Buffet: |
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Lunch Buffet, every day, from 11:30 AM -
3:00 PM, $7.95 |
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Dinner Buffet, Wednesdays, from 5:30 PM -
10:00 PM, $12.95 |
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Beer & Wine List: |
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A nice selection of local, California and
international wines, including wines and beer from India. |
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Group Parties: |
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Up to 60
people. Call or
Email for details. |
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Catering: |
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Call us
at 805-965-6004 or
Email for more
information. |
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Take Out |
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Home Delivery |
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by The Dining Car |
Order
online at www.dining-car.com
or call
888-472-1953. |
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Products |
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Packaged
curry paste, vindaloo, a variety of spices, Indian snack foods like
fennel candy. |
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Purchase
in the restaurant. Scroll down for photos. |
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"The airy but warm
space is fragrant with curry and other spices. The decor and colors of the
interior even echo the paprika, cumin and fennel found in the complex
flavors of the food." by Melissa Wilbanks, Santa Barbara News,
Oct 3-9, 2003 |
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"The hot dishes
exceeded my expectations. A lamb curry with a great deal of sauce ... was
subdued and elegant. The basmati rice pilaf is delicious and slightly
perfumed, while the dhal I had was a lentil dish flavored like American
split pea soup. It was unbelievably nice on the naan. Besides this there
have been potato (aloo) dishes and even okra that I have let linger in my
memory as well as on my tongue." by D. J. Palladino, The
Independent, May 8, 2003 |
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"By far the
best restaurant in Santa Barbara to explore Indian flavors is
Spice Avenue. Housed in an inviting, beautifully decorated space. Spices are well balanced and more varied
than those found in most Indian restaurants. The dishes are
mostly prepared in the Northern style, with which Americans are
most familiar, including the Moghul cuisine of the Persian
influenced royal Muslim courts. Moghul cooking features tandoori
dishes: meats and naan, a leavened flatbread, baked in an
extremely hot clay oven. Moghul food is often enriched with
nuts, cream and sauces based on a cooked puree of onions and
tomatoes. Since opening 1-1/2 years ago, Spice Avenue has
garnered a loyal word of mouth following for bounteous buffet
and ala carte menu. The Pujji family who previously owned a
restaurant in London, including mother Urmil, brothers Sunny and
Sandy, and Sunny's wife Navdeep will be delighted to describe
the dishes and help you select an assortment that is
traditionally balanced for your highest bliss." |
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Santa Barbara
Food & Home Magazine, by Miriam Hospodar, Fall 2004 |
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