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Great plates good way to try new restaurants |
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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Thursday, 01 March 2007 |
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 Balu Singh, owner of Taj Mahal in Fort Collins, knows how to serve a great plate.
For starters, it takes experience. From there, it’s about customer service.
“Cooking was always a hobby of mine,” Singh said. “I’m very interested in it.”
The 53-year-old attended culinary school in India. He opened his first restaurant in Punjab, India, where he is from. In 1986 he came to the United States and worked in an Asian restaurant. He went back to India for a while, but in 1989 a friend opened an Indian restaurant in Denver.
His friend inspired him to come back to the United States to better his life. In 1992, he worked for his friend at the restaurant and opened his own in Fort Collins in 1996. He still visits his parents and brother and sister in India every year.
Indian food can sometimes be scary to try for the first time. Singh understands this and helps put his customers at ease.
“You need to bring people the kind of food they will like,” he said.
First, he figures out if the person wants a vegetarian dish or what type of meat is preferred. The staff will make suggestions and sometimes even offer a sample before taking the order.
“Some people think Indian food is really hot,” Singh said.
And while it can be, it can also be made for the more mild palate. Singh uses all of his own recipes and says the Chicken Ticca Masala is his favorite.
“It’s everybody’s favorite,” he said. “Everybody likes it.”
Singh said this the first year he has participated in the Great Plates of Downton but is excited about the new business it will generate.
“New customers will come this way and if they like the food, they will come back,” he said.
Taj Mahal will feature a choice of two dinner entrées for $18.68. Customers can choose from 10 different entrées including chicken curry, Sag Paneer or Vegetable Korma.
Now, that’s a great plate!
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THE TAJ MAHAL
The Taj Mahal is one of many restaurants participating in the second annual Great Plates of Downtown, which runs through March 14.
Restaurants will feature dinner deals for $18.68 in honor of the year Fort Collins was established. Prices don’t include tax or tip.
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GREAT PLATE SPECIALS FOR $18.68
• Beau Jo’s Pizza: Family dinner includes choice of appetizer, any two-pound pizza and a pitcher of beer or soda.
• Bisetti’s Ristorante: Dinner for two includes garlic bread, shared platter of spaghetti, eggplant parmesan and lasagna and Spumoni ice cream for dessert.
• CooperSmith’s Pubside: Choose two of the following entrées— New York Strip steak, chicken parmesan, Highland Cottage Pie, fresh catch of the week, smoky brisket with roasted garlic mashers, or fish and chips.
• CooperSmith’s Poolside: Pizza dinner for four includes choice of wings or nachos, a large pizza of your choice and pitcher of beer or soda.
• Enzio’s Italian Kitchen: Three-course dinner for one with a choice of entrée — sirloin steak pepperonata, chicken Neopolitano, pancetta wrapped pork tenderloin or prosciutto encrusted cod.
• Fish: Three-course dinner for one includes bread and salad, soft shell crab enchiladas with red chili, cilantro jalapeno sour cream, and pico de gallo served with coleslaw and pinto beans, and your choice of sorbet for dessert.
• Jay’s American Bistro: Three-course dinner for one with choice of entrée — smoked pork tenderloin, fruits de mer diablo or chicken breast cordon bleu, salad and a dessert selection.
• Lucky Joe’s Sidewalk Saloon: Choice of two dinner entrées — sirloin pepper steak, Jameson grilled pork chop, grilled chicken or steak mac-n-cheese.
• Mystiq Martini: Martinis and more for two, choice of two martinis and choice of two menu items
• Nico’s Catacombs: Three course dinner for one with choice of entrée— mahi mahi with mango beurre blanc, beef tenderloin tips gorgonzola, shrimp stir fry, pork “porterhouse” or pinenut crusted chicken breast.
• Old Chicago: Family dinner with choice of appetizer (five options available), medium two topping pizza and a little big cookie with ice cream.
• Silver Grill Cafe: Friday, March 2 only — Fat Friday Cajun Boil
• Spoons Soups and Salads: Family meal for four includes two quarts of soup, entrée salad of your choice and six pieces of Focaccia bread.
• Steakout Saloon: Dinner for two includes two build-your-own burgers or chicken sandwiches with unlimited toppings and a pitcher of any beer brewed in Fort Collins.
• Stonehouse Grille: Three-course dinner for one with choice of entrée —12 oz. sirloin, shepherd’s pie, BBQ ribs, chicken or salmon, salad or soup and a dessert.
• Taj Mahal: Choice of two dinner entrées — chicken curry, sag paneer, vegetable korma, dal …and many other options!
• The Crown Pub: Two-course dinner for one includes choice of appetizer: prosciutto wrapped melon, crab cake or smoked duck and basil rolls. Includes choice of entrée: grilled escolar, filet mignon or tequila lime shrimp
• The Melting Pot: Three-course dinner for one includes choice of cheese fondue, choice of gourmet salad, entrée served with shrimp, sirloin, chicken breast, duck, portobello mushrooms, asparagus and pot stickers. Great wine specials.
• The Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant: Three-course dinner for one includes appetizer: queso deluxe; entrée: any Rio Grande fajita; and dessert: Rio Grande flan.
• The Spicy Pickle: Family dinner special includes choice of two signature paninis or signature subs and choice of two kid’s meals or two soups or two salads and two bags of chips and four cookies.
• Trailhead Tavern: Dinner for two includes a pitcher of domestic beer, 1⁄2 order of wings and two Trail burgers
• Zydeco’s: Dinner for two includes cajun snow crab and shrimp boil for two. | Only registered users can write comments.
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