Pongal

We've given this matter a fair amount of thought and concluded the following: no meal is as perfect as a thali, in which sweeties and savories are served in dainty portions on a silver tray. While the Gujarathi thali at Pongal isn't our favorite, we can't complain about the fresh poori or undhiyu, a creamy curry of potatoes, peas, and yams. The standout, though, was a tiny cup of chilled yogurt mixed with cardomom and almonds known as shrikand. Recently we learned that this region of India encourages diners to eat dessert in the middle of the meal, rather than at the end, which is absolutely fine by us. 

But sometimes only fried food will do. Those days practically demand a masala dosa --- and Pongal's doesn't disappoint. The pancake exterior remained crusty, the potatoes-and-peas inside warming and homey. The lightly spiced, chickpea-batter–covered veggies called bhajjia were good too, especially when dipped in sour-sweet tamarind.