The Jewel

6711 Airport Highway, Holland, Ohio 4528

***** - Five Stars (out of 5)

Indian restaurants in the United States tend to fall into one of four main categories. The largest category serves a pan-Indian cuisine that, while not associated with any particular region of India, has become the de facto standard — samosas, chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo, etc. The next largest, and growing, category is the first category’s poor relation — pan-Indian food as fast food. The third category, high-end, creative Indian food, sometimes focusing on a particular region, is also growing, but remains a small segment of the market, primarily focused in a few major urban areas. The fourth is vegetarian.

The Jewel is an exquisite example of the first category. It follows the standard form of an American Indian restaurant, and it does it very, very well. The lamb masala (prepared the same as the chicken tikka masala) is excellent. It omits the large dose of cream that carries most masalas (and makes it a guilty pleasure), but replaces it with a rich, flavorful sauce that is every bit as satisfying. The lamb itself is both tender and flavorful, while the peas maintain a toothsomeness that conveys the freshness of the preparation. The baigan aloo — a vegetarian dish of eggplant and potato — is also fresh and rich, with the soulful taste of roasted eggplant coming through. (The waitress helpfully recommended this dish over the baigan bhartha, a roasted eggplant preparation with a different sauce.)

A highlight of the meal is the Indian breads — order at least one, preferably two. Both the poori and garlic nan are excellent. Samosas, a standard appetizer, vary little from other Indian restaurants, although they are perhaps a bit less doughy than some, and come with a pleasant, though not challenging green sauce. The aloo poori appetizer, however, is quite interesting — a salad of crispy flour chips (a bit like the fried noodles sometimes placed on the table in Chinese restaurants), “ceci beans” (chick peas), and potatoes, with a yogurt-mango dressing that is simultaneously tangy and fruity. (Dinner also includes a fairly ordinary green salad and papadoms.)

Like the food, the decor is Indian restaurant standard, but nicely done, with a few Indian statues scattered throughout. (The outside is thoroughly nondescript, as suggested by the Airport Highway locale.) The chairs are unusual for a restaurant, as they are annoyingly low and on wheels, but they do seem well made and would actually be quite comfortable but for their height.

Service was pleasant and, as noted, helpful. I am aware of complaints concerning slow service, but this was not a problem when we were there (although the restaurant was not crowded).

Finally, there’s the cost. Two appetizers, two main courses, two extra breads, two extra side dishes (raitha (yogurt dip) and mango pickle), and two sodas came to only about $43, plus tip, and left large quantities of leftovers for tomorrow. A frugal couple could easily have an excellent $30 dinner by avoiding some of the accoutrements. Just as Mancy’s Bluewater was downgraded a star for being too expensive for what it is, the Jewel is awarded an extra star for being an excellent value. I’d come back, and give it four stars, even if it cost 50% more — or more — but the Jewel as it is is a true, five-star jewel.

Budapest Restaurant

3314 Monroe Street, Toledo, Ohio

**** - Four Stars (out of 5)

Budapest Restaurant is like a beautiful insect, frozen in amber and preserved for us to enjoy long after its natural lifespan has expired. While I could praise it as an unpretentious masterpiece of comfort food — indeed, it is veritable black hole of pretension, a place where the airs put on by modern restaurants come to die — it is more accurate to describe it as a museum to kind of restaurant, and to a Toledo, that no longer exists. Its decor is that of a simple luncheonette, with a plain floor and fake wood-paneled walls adorned with illustrations of horses interspersed with occasional Christian imagery. Most of the patrons are of an older generation, although the restaurant is child friendly, both in temperament and selection. Service is polite and friendly and, again, just slightly old-fashioned.

Nearly 50 years old after its founding in 1959, Budapest continues to serve simple, well-made Hungarian food at a good price. The food is lightly seasoned and (unlike most restaurants today) lightly salted, but filling and delicious. Both the chicken and veal paprikas come piled high as undifferentiated mounds of meat, flour dumplings, and mashed potatoes, covered with voluminous paprikas gravy. Don’t be put off by the appearance. The meat (whether chicken or veal) is so tender that it will dissolve in your mouth, while the dumplings are perfectly chewy and delicious. Do note, though, that despite the name of the dishes, the seasoning is quite mild, with only a hint of paprika, but you can ask for either powdered or hot paprika to spice it up. If you like spicy food, I highly recommend the bottled hot paprika, which tastes surprisingly like this Vietnamese hot sauce. The stuffed cabbage comes with a similar presentation, with the centerpiece cabbage rolls filled with tender ground meat. Here, the lack of salt may be a bit much, as you will probably find that the cabbage rolls need a dash of salt. The beef goulash is similar to a Western beef stew — and is your best bet for vegetables (carrots) at Budapest (other than the small iceberg salads they bring out with sliced white bread at the beginning of the meal) — but has a rich beefy flavor and the tender meat that is a Budapest signature. And don’t worry, you still get the dumplings, potatoes, and gravy, but now it’s on a side plate.

Whatever you do, don’t omit desert at Budapest. Selections vary by day, but the Hungarian crepes, filled with jam or cheese are absolutely delicious — if you try to share, you may find yourselves fighting over the last bites. (The strudel appeared similarly appealing, but I have not tried it.) The pies are also quite good — they come from Toledo’s Strachn Bakery (as does the white bread) and seem more like homemade than most restaurant pies — but I’d recommend going for Budapest’s own crepes or strudel, unless you have a big enough group to try a little of everything.

Dinner for two, with desert, will probably run under $40 (less if you have one of the coupons available in local papers). Special lunch pricing would allow you to sample Budapest for about half of that.

Budapest Official Website: Are you kidding?

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