Fast and Cheap at Bawarchi Indian Kitchen (Culver City)

I don't think most people run into this problem but somehow we find ourselves spending $50-70 for two when we go eat Indian food. He likes variety, he says, so we order 4-5 dishes, plus rice and mango lassi. Well, I've found a solution at Bawarchi Indian Kitchen.

For $9, you get your choice of plain or garlic naan or tawa roti (wheat), saffron basmati rice or pilau rice, and three dishes. It also comes with salad and raita/yogurt.

The only drawback for me is that this place is vegan, but for the most part I don't really miss the meat when having an Indian meal (with the occasional tandoori cravings).

The vegetable dishes change daily and are displayed in the buffet containers so you can point and choose. The guy with the turban behind the counter (Chef Sabharwal's son, apparently) will guide you through it all.

With this setup, two people can taste six dishes, two different types of naan or roti and rice!

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June 29: Island Style Cook-Off

Four chefs in LA are competing to create the ultimate Hawaiian style pupu, and you can determine the winner and win a trip to Hawaii!

Between now and June 19, you can visit the following chefs/restaurants, taste their creation, and vote online:

1. Neal Fraser from BLD: Hawaiian Tuna Poke, Wasabi Tobiko, Sambal Crème Fraiche
2. Mark Gold from Eva Restaurant: Roasted Foie Gras with Sushi Rice, Tea Smoked Plum and Grated Yuzu
3. Eric Greenspan from The Foundry on Melrose: Chili Glazed Spam with Saffron Pineapple Risotto and Coconut Crusted Shrimp
4. Brendan Collins from Waterloo and City: Seared Foie Gras, Char Siu Tete de Spam, Caramelized Pineapple Sherbet, and 5 Spice Brioche

One grand prize winner will receive a Hawaii getaway for two including airfare, hotel accommodations, tickets to the inaugural Hawaii Food and Wine Festival from Mauka to Makai: Hawaii’s Sustainable Future" dinner on October 1, and a pair of tickets to the Island Style Cook-Off event finale on June 29.

Even if you don't win, you can still attend the cook-off event, where two finalists will compete for the throne. For just a $20 ticket, you, as an attendant, will get to enjoy umbrella drinks and gourmet pupu while watching the cook-off. Not a bad deal!

Event details: 
Wednesday, June 29. 7- 9 p.m.
Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows
101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica

Di Fara Pizza (Brooklyn, NY)

Domenico DeMarco opened Di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn in 1964 and has been manning the oven ever since, personally crafting your pies to order, sprinkling the basil and drizzling olive oil for that perfect thin crust pizza. He's 74 now and still the only one responsible for your pizzas.

Despite numerous visits to New York over the years, I have yet been to a first rate pizza place. Last year, I finally decided to go to Di Fara, perhaps one of the quintessential New York pizza joints, a 30 minute subway ride from Manhattan. I was joined by Tiny Nancer, who had recently relocated there.

The wait isn't that long to order, but it takes a while for your pizza to be ready, as there's only one man making all of them. It's well worth it, though.

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