Diversity. It is one of the main characteristics of West Lafayette, Indiana that I truly enjoy. It is said that variety is the spice of life. True enough. The assortment of individuals and cultures within this area has been a source of great happiness for me during my five years here. Between West Lafayette and Lafayette there are a multitude of restaurants. Specifically the “Village” area of campus offers the most wide-range of cuisines to choose from. The really great thing about most of the restaurants in and around Chauncey Hill is that they are all reasonably priced for students. This is not to say however that you should waste your money on food simply because it is cheap, it should always taste good as well. So I tried a couple, some for the first time, others I had visited before and here is how they all faired throughout the week.
Parthenon
Monday I went to Parthenon, 135 Chauncey Ave, and had what I would call one of the worst meals I have eaten in quite some time. I ordered the Souvlaki dinner ($11.50), which included soup or salad, and pita bread. Everything here is cafeteria-style; you have a tray and slide it down as you pick from the items you prefer. The Souvlaki, a marinated pork skewer with green peppers and onions was served with overly cooked rice and topped with a sweet tomato sauce and yogurt. The marinated pork lacked flavor and was more than well-done, making it extremely tough. I chose the Lemon egg soup over the salad. It was full of rice which made the lemon-flavored broth smooth and creamy. Parsley and carrot finished off the soups flavor nicely. It was a huge bowl, and it ended up being plenty for my lunch, which was a good thing, as the Souvlaki was terrible. For desert I had Baklava ($2) and it, like my dinner was less than appetizing. It was dense, hard and lacked the flakiness and superior honey flavor that I prefer. On the flip side, the service was friendly and helpful. The restaurant itself is very clean, bright and cheery with lots of natural light from the many windows surrounding the front of the room. I feel that the dishes, even with their large portions are overpriced in comparison to the foods’ quality.
Bombay
Tuesday I went to Bombay at their new location, 111 S. River Rd. in the State Street Towers. It is a roomy place with lots of windows, but without a view except for that of Hwy 231 and the two televisions airing Indian videos which are mildly entertaining and extremely distracting while dining. We got the lunch buffet priced at $7.95. The buffet items vary from day to day and this day many of the items were based on chicken. The dishes presented were delectably redolent with exotic spices. I tried Aloo Dumm, a dish of potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce with a remarkable depth of flavor. I really enjoyed the Chicken Curry. The boneless chicken breast was cut into cubes and smothered in a tomato based traditional Indian curry sauce. I had it with saffron rice and a spicy yogurt sauce. The Chicken Palak lacked the spiciness that I was expecting. I had anticipated it to be similar to Palak Paneer, only with chicken instead of the Paneer (an Indian cheese). Unfortunately it was not. The service was great. My glass of water was continuously being filled and our plates were immediately removed from the table once we were finished with them. I am not a person who eats at buffets often, but I was quite impressed by the variety of items and the high quality flavors, the cleanliness of the buffet itself and the refilling of entrees once they were running low.
Blue Nile
Wednesday I was in the mood for hummos and pita so I went to Blue Nile. They offer Eastern Mediterranean cuisine in a comfy little setting, tucked around the corner from Subway, 117 Northwestern Ave. This place is casual and a little bit loud, but not annoyingly so. I seated myself and was greeted by my server who at the same time brought a cup of water. I’m not generally a picky person when it comes to my drinking vessel, but this was a metal cup and I don’t know what it is, but to drink anything out of a metal cup, other than a mint julip, just doesn’t work for me. Not to mention that the water was tepid. I know this is an extremely American attribute, but it was a HOT day and I wanted ice cold water. After ordering a yogurt salad and the hummos with pita, I asked for new water with ice and different cup (which never came). The salad arrived at the same time as the hummos. It was a very refreshing and large portion. Crisp chunks of cucumber were mixed in a creamy yogurt sauce with chopped mint. I recommend getting the hummos and pita either as a lunch for one or an appetizer to share between a couple of people. It is served with pita on a large plate drizzled with olive oil and lemon and highlighted with whole chickpeas, spices and chilies. It is extremely delicious. Both entrée and lunch prices are extremely reasonable. My lunch added up to $6.50. Entrees range between $6 and $11. Vegetarians have many items in which to choose from. One thing to remember, if you drive parking is extremely limited.
La Fiesta Burrito
The end of the week I was looking for something spicy and the most logical choice in the area was Mexican food. Located at 136 S. River Rd. La Fiesta Burrito is a clean, simple restaurant with friendly, efficient staff and fantastic food. I had 2 Tacos El Pastor, Mexican style (with cilantro and onions) and rice and refried beans. The tacos, spicy and full of well marinated pork, topped with avocado and sprinkled with a little lime juice were exactly like those I have had in Mexico. The rice was traditional Mexican style and the refried beans were rich, creamy and absolutely delicious. This quaint little place is the most authentic Mexican cuisine that I have encountered in Lafayette or West Lafayette. I would be remiss if I did not emphatically emphasize that you try it for lunch or dinner, you will not be disappointed.
These are just brief overviews of the culturally diverse gastronomy available. Take a trip over the river into Lafayette or maybe over to the northwest side of West Lafayette. There is a whole world of tastes just waiting to be encountered. Take advantage.
Parthenon
Monday I went to Parthenon, 135 Chauncey Ave, and had what I would call one of the worst meals I have eaten in quite some time. I ordered the Souvlaki dinner ($11.50), which included soup or salad, and pita bread. Everything here is cafeteria-style; you have a tray and slide it down as you pick from the items you prefer. The Souvlaki, a marinated pork skewer with green peppers and onions was served with overly cooked rice and topped with a sweet tomato sauce and yogurt. The marinated pork lacked flavor and was more than well-done, making it extremely tough. I chose the Lemon egg soup over the salad. It was full of rice which made the lemon-flavored broth smooth and creamy. Parsley and carrot finished off the soups flavor nicely. It was a huge bowl, and it ended up being plenty for my lunch, which was a good thing, as the Souvlaki was terrible. For desert I had Baklava ($2) and it, like my dinner was less than appetizing. It was dense, hard and lacked the flakiness and superior honey flavor that I prefer. On the flip side, the service was friendly and helpful. The restaurant itself is very clean, bright and cheery with lots of natural light from the many windows surrounding the front of the room. I feel that the dishes, even with their large portions are overpriced in comparison to the foods’ quality.
Bombay
Tuesday I went to Bombay at their new location, 111 S. River Rd. in the State Street Towers. It is a roomy place with lots of windows, but without a view except for that of Hwy 231 and the two televisions airing Indian videos which are mildly entertaining and extremely distracting while dining. We got the lunch buffet priced at $7.95. The buffet items vary from day to day and this day many of the items were based on chicken. The dishes presented were delectably redolent with exotic spices. I tried Aloo Dumm, a dish of potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce with a remarkable depth of flavor. I really enjoyed the Chicken Curry. The boneless chicken breast was cut into cubes and smothered in a tomato based traditional Indian curry sauce. I had it with saffron rice and a spicy yogurt sauce. The Chicken Palak lacked the spiciness that I was expecting. I had anticipated it to be similar to Palak Paneer, only with chicken instead of the Paneer (an Indian cheese). Unfortunately it was not. The service was great. My glass of water was continuously being filled and our plates were immediately removed from the table once we were finished with them. I am not a person who eats at buffets often, but I was quite impressed by the variety of items and the high quality flavors, the cleanliness of the buffet itself and the refilling of entrees once they were running low.
Blue Nile
Wednesday I was in the mood for hummos and pita so I went to Blue Nile. They offer Eastern Mediterranean cuisine in a comfy little setting, tucked around the corner from Subway, 117 Northwestern Ave. This place is casual and a little bit loud, but not annoyingly so. I seated myself and was greeted by my server who at the same time brought a cup of water. I’m not generally a picky person when it comes to my drinking vessel, but this was a metal cup and I don’t know what it is, but to drink anything out of a metal cup, other than a mint julip, just doesn’t work for me. Not to mention that the water was tepid. I know this is an extremely American attribute, but it was a HOT day and I wanted ice cold water. After ordering a yogurt salad and the hummos with pita, I asked for new water with ice and different cup (which never came). The salad arrived at the same time as the hummos. It was a very refreshing and large portion. Crisp chunks of cucumber were mixed in a creamy yogurt sauce with chopped mint. I recommend getting the hummos and pita either as a lunch for one or an appetizer to share between a couple of people. It is served with pita on a large plate drizzled with olive oil and lemon and highlighted with whole chickpeas, spices and chilies. It is extremely delicious. Both entrée and lunch prices are extremely reasonable. My lunch added up to $6.50. Entrees range between $6 and $11. Vegetarians have many items in which to choose from. One thing to remember, if you drive parking is extremely limited.
La Fiesta Burrito
The end of the week I was looking for something spicy and the most logical choice in the area was Mexican food. Located at 136 S. River Rd. La Fiesta Burrito is a clean, simple restaurant with friendly, efficient staff and fantastic food. I had 2 Tacos El Pastor, Mexican style (with cilantro and onions) and rice and refried beans. The tacos, spicy and full of well marinated pork, topped with avocado and sprinkled with a little lime juice were exactly like those I have had in Mexico. The rice was traditional Mexican style and the refried beans were rich, creamy and absolutely delicious. This quaint little place is the most authentic Mexican cuisine that I have encountered in Lafayette or West Lafayette. I would be remiss if I did not emphatically emphasize that you try it for lunch or dinner, you will not be disappointed.
These are just brief overviews of the culturally diverse gastronomy available. Take a trip over the river into Lafayette or maybe over to the northwest side of West Lafayette. There is a whole world of tastes just waiting to be encountered. Take advantage.
