November 15, 2001
INDIAN GRILL
Newport dining without breaking the bank
Visits to Italian, Indian and multi-ethnic restaurants remind our critic of her favorite movies

By MERIDITH FORD
Journal Restaurant Reviewer

For me, the words Newport and restaurants conjure images of grand mansions and lavish antique inns, serving food that a decade ago would have been called ``continental cuisine'' -- well-prepared and classically European-influenced; decidedly expensive.

I went in search of another Newport; one that goes beyond the usual serving of the classics -- one that ventures into a more common realm for a more commonly budgeted diner. And one without a tuxedoed waiter, filet mignon or 300-bottle wine list in sight.

Worth the wait

If Mamma Luisa's brought back memories of A Room With a View, the Indian Grill, just across the street, was more like Waiting for Godot.

The food here is mostly Northern Indian -- masala dishes, tandoori specialties, naan -- and good. We just had to wait a long while -- almost an hour -- to eat it.

Normally, waiting for a table doesn't bother me; here we sat at the bar-that-isn't-a-bar (the restaurant doesn't serve alcohol, but the space still has a bar from previous occupancy) drinking a BYOB bottle of red wine. But when a quote of 20 minutes turns into an hour, I can work myself into a dither.

There's nothing new about the menu items, but almost everything I tried here was well prepared, starting with a platter of appetizers that included tiny, tender lamb chops and seekh kabobs (minced lamb flavored with mildly hot spices). Vegetable samosas -- the tiny pockets of potato-and-pea-filled pastry -- were hot and spicy, even better with the mint and onion chutneys that accompanied them.

It was disappointing not to have papadum brought to the table, as is standard in many Indian restaurants in Rhode Island, but we staved off hunger pangs with the appetizers and a basket of steaming hot naan.

Paneer dishes (paneer is a soft, unripened cheese) are a favorite of mine, and I rarely walk away from an Indian meal without indulging in one. My tablemate had never tried Indian food before, and I couldn't resist forcing my favorite of all -- a saag paneer -- on him. A creamy mixture of spinach and cubes of paneer are swimming in mild spices, served with light, fluffy saffron-laced rice.

Murg malia kabob is a tandoori dish of roasted chicken marinated in cream, almond paste and spices, and although it had a pungent, almost tangy flavor, it was a little too dry. Served with green peppers and onions with rice, the dish is brought steaming to the table like a fajita -- and the buttery aroma it creates wafts through the dining room, whetting appetites along the way.

I never miss dessert at Indian restaurants, mainly because I love gulab jamin -- a dish of small, round doughnut-like sweets steeped in a rose-scented syrup after they have been lightly fried. They burst like little pillows of spicy flavor when popped into your mouth, and are especially delicious with coffee.

Appetizers are $2.95 to $8.95; entrees -- there are a variety of curries and biryani (basmati rice) dishes as well -- are $4.95 to $16.95. Breads and desserts are $1.95 to $2.50.

By the time we finished eating, we hardly cared anymore about the hour-long wait. Instead, it was All's Well that Ends Well.

Indian Grill, 677 Thames St., Newport, 847-7979. Casual. No reservations. No smoking. Not wheelchair accessible. Open Mon-Fri 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch, 5 to 11 p.m. for dinner; Sat-Sun for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. On-street parking. $$.