The first definition of gourmand, according to the Oxford Universal Dictionary, is “glutton.” Then comes “judge or devotee of good eating.” I plead guilty on both counts, which is also why I am so fond of buffet dining–especially some of the buffets around town where even a nongluttonous gourmet (“connoisseur of eating or drinking”) can walk away satisfied that quality was equal to quantity.
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He introduced his evening buffet about a year ago for an anniversary promotion, and it proved so popular he’s kept it on four nights a week. The dishes are rotated every so often, but you are almost certain to find veal tonnato every time. This is room-temperature slices of roast veal adorned with a savory sauce based on tuna, capers, and mayonnaise–a great dish not found on many menus in these parts. You’ll also find a hefty baked stuffed artichoke as well as cold artichokes vinaigrette. Then there are cold mussels in a tangy green sauce and a mixed seafood salad worth having as a full meal.
The favorite of my favorite companion is the grilled polenta square topped with a big juicy porcini mushroom, but she would eat almost anything topped with a big juicy porcini.
Tuesdays, are, of course, Mardi Gras, with sticky chicken, jambalaya, and fettuccine with crawfish and tasso, the spiced smoked ham, topped with creole mustard sauce.
One of my favorite cuisines is Indian, whose complex, dizzying assortment of flavors drawn from dozens of special herbs and spices creates a culinary idiom matched only by France and China. The best of the city’s Indian restaurants are mostly on Devon Avenue, which is where Standard India started out. (For years it and Gandhi were my absolute favorites on the street.)
There is always a soup; one evening it was an aromatic lentil and veggie, another it was mulligatawny. There are always lettuce and tomato salads. And almost always sag paneer, one of my very favorite Indian dishes, a dazzlingly spiced version of creamed spinach with homemade white cheese. Another act of extraordinary spicing involves a curry of mixed vegetables in a light cream base.
Standard India Restaurant, 917 W. Belmont, offers its buffet seven days a week from noon to 3 PM and from 5 to 10 PM. Call 929-1123.
