Guest Blog: Bloomington Eats

I love food. This is an admission that comes as no surprise to most people who know me, and happily I have fallen in with a crowd who brings cookies with them to bars (genius) and are as excited as I am about trying new cuisines and all the awesomeness that this town has to offer. And happily, my sister's roommate is a Btown native with parents who routinely feed me, because they are nice like that. Since she is a cool kid (Hi Arianna!) she agreed to write a guest blog for me about eating out here. Enjoy. I know I did.

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Few people would know (other than the millions that I've personally told) that Bloomington, Indiana, is rich in culture. Sure, there's the Lotus festival, which is held "once a year" (read as "year-round") and features a full week of folk and traditional music from across the world. And sure, we have the Tibetan Cultural Center that has hosted the Dalai Lama several times. And sure, there's the University that attracts thousands of international students. But I feel the best way to talk about multicultural Bloomington is through food.

Bloomington's international restaurants are top-notch. I'd say I've been to a good 75% of them, especially those on 4^th Street – and if I haven't been to one, I probably know someone who has. Also, most of these restaurants are or were once owned by families who had emigrated directly from their country, some of whom my family and I have gotten to know personally. Of course they're happy for our near-constant patronage, but there are also some fascinating stories behind the restaurants and families that own them.

So here's my list of my favorites. I'll try to keep it all short and not gush too much about any certain ones. They're also in no particular order, as I truly love them all.

Anyetsang's Little Tibet

Tibetan/Thai/Indian food

415 E 4^th Street

Their specialty is Tibetan, but they also serve delicious curries. They're located in what was once a house. (There are apartments above them as well – can you imagine the delicious dreams you’d have???) I’d say the most popular dish is the Mo Mo – meat dumplings served with soy sauce and chili stuff – or the many variations on those. The Tom Ka soup is also a delicious savory-sweet choice. Most dinners come with lentil soup (different every time) and a small salad with the best dressing in the world.The waitresses (mostly college-age females) dress in traditional clothing when working and most are incredibly knowledgeable about the menu, so don't be afraid to ask. There's also a nice patio and garden in the back for when it's warm outside.

The family that owns this Little Tibet (and that cooks in the back) has a son who went to my high school. I see him occasionally, but I don't think he knows who I am, and that's fine. That's about the most exciting anecdote that I can tell you about this restaurant, though it's also delicious. Go there.

Red Sea (now closed) v. Ashenda's Abasha Restaurant

Ethiopian

420 E 4^th Street

First generation Eritrean immigrants owned the Red Sea. My mom got talking to one of the main cooks, and I remember her being super helpful. She even gave some tips on how to cook Ethiopian/Eritrean food. Then it closed down.

Then a new restaurant opened down the street. I would argue it's not as good as the Red Sea, but it satisfies my love of Ethiopian food. There are only a few unique sauces, but then you can choose your meat or main vegetable. When you go with someone, the meal is served communally, and it’s traditional to use your hands to eat. Also, ask for extra injera (bread), which helps with the eating. Generally, the décor is a little tacky, with fake-y African prints and elephants and giraffes, etc. This restaurant also closed down a couple years ago, but it was reopened by public demand. Enjoy it while it's still here!

Tip on finding it: it's inside Puccini's Italian restaurant (just tell the maître d' you're there for Ashenda's).

Don Chuy's La Torre

Mexican

1155 S College Mall Road

I don’t know if this is the best Mexican in town, but I will go nowhere else. We've been going to La Torre for years (it opened when I was in 2000, I think), and I pretty much know everyone there by sight. The family is active in the community, and they try to hire immigrants who know little to no English and help them get on their feet. Also, so many of the waiters and waitresses have helped me practice my Spanish, so it’s a win-win situation. Don Chuy also runs the Taco Truck that’s around downtown Bloomington on drunken party nights. [editor's note: I've seen the truck! But never partaken of its wares. Will add that to my list of things to do.]

The traditional dishes are fantastic and are generously portioned. My favorite is the carne asada, but the carnitas are also delicious. Any choice is a good one here.

Shanti Indian Cuisine (aka Shanti's)

Indian

221 E Kirkwood Avenue (#G)

This food. Is. Delicious. But service can be iffy. The guy who owns it knows my family well and always asks how I am. We think there might be pressure on him, though, to hire members of his family – but the family doesn't want to work there. There are good servers here, but you might have to overlook some pricks and slow service to find them.

Back to the food: the butter chicken is a Shanti classic that I haven’t found as good anywhere else. I do not want to think about how many sticks of butter are in that little dish, but when you balance it out with potatoes, eggplant and homemade cheese with peas, it's all good. Recently dinner has been served with some type of appetizer and a salad, but I haven’t been there in a while (we also usually get a complimentary dessert). Also, dinner can be more expensive, so I suggest lunch if you're a student.

Turkuaz Café

Turkish

301 E. 3^rd Street

This was my favorite place for a while, but the ownership changed. It's still really good, and they expanded the menu a little, but the best part of going in there was talking to the guy. My mom was working a long-time substitute job in an elementary school library on the west side, and it turned out that his son went to the same school. One night when we were there, he told his dad who my mom was (no doubt he recognized us before then, too). He came over and thanked my mom for being so nice and helping his son find books. That night, we all talked for an hour after our meal. I remember him being so happy to be in Bloomington and to have a successful restaurant. A few years after that, we heard he moved back to his hometown – TO BE THE MAYOR. Yeah, that's right. I know a Turkish mayor.

Like I said, it's still really good. The most popular item would be the pide – this pizza bread boat with different fillings. Dinner comes with lentil soup (different every day), and a plate of three delicious salads (tomato and cucumber, tibouli, and something else). I would also suggest the gozleme, which are these potato pancake things, though they've changed since I've had them last. It also comes with olives, cucumber and feta.

Tip: If you’re planning on staying for a long time, they have nice floor seating with plenty of pillows, though my back usually starts to hurt after a while.

Well all of this has made me extremely hungry and a little homesick, so I think I'll stop here. There are so many other restaurants and cultures I didn't cover and of those includes: Thai, Afghan, Burmese, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Creole, plus other Indian, Mexican, Turkish, and Tibetan restaurants. Also, there are others I haven’t even been to yet! I guess I can always work on that in the future.