Who's Your Audience

Hubby went golfing on Saturday morning but not without giving me strict instructions to choose a restaurant for our evening out. I thought long and hard and decided that I was just in the mood for those garlic noodles that you can only find at P.F. Chang's. We experienced the garlic noodles on a recent trip to IKEA in West Chester, OH and really paid attention to the ingredients so we could make our own at home. I feel like we were successful but still, it's nice to have someone else cook for a change.

We set out to see Role Models at around 5:40 in the evening. It was hilarious, by the way, and of course carried with it a heartfelt message. Simple and stress-free entertainment. Around 7:45, we stepped out of the movies and drove around Fayette Mall to P.F. Chang's. I hopped out of the car and ran into the restaurant to put our name on the list while Hubby found a parking space. When I found out the wait was 2 1/2 hours (yes, I said two-and-a-half hours!), I ran back out and told Hubby (who was walking toward me with my purse in his hand) that we had to find another place to eat. Really? Two-and-a-half hours for any place in Lexington is ridiculous! I mean, who do we think we are...New York City?

It was about the time that we were getting back into the car that I suggested Masala. They just recently opened a new location on Nicholasville Center Way and I had been anxious to try it out! We love Indian and have been to most of the Indian restaurants in Lexington but this location has a different twist. The decor actually adheres to what I think of as fine dining. The primary colors were black and red, which lend themselves nicely to an evening out. Indian music was playing softly in the background but didn't blare so that you couldn't hear yourselves think. We sat at a table for two with a very modern appearance. It truly was like something out of a large city and I could see this location accomodating a large party. In fact, I would almost dare to call this location a trendy place!

For starters, we ordered Meat Samosa and the Assorted Appetizers. The meat samosa was lamb and peas in a crisp turnover served with tamarind sauce for dipping. The assorted appetizers included a combination of samosas, pakora and papadum. The papadum came with onion and cilantro chutney. It's like a light crispy cracker that melts in your mouth I could have made a meal out of just this display but we sure do love our main courses.

Hubby ordered the Lamb Tikka Masala (Indian hot) and I ordered the Karahi Tandoori Chicken Saag (hot). A large bowl of basmati rice accompanied the meals. Of course, no Indian dinner would be complete without naan bread. We ordered regular and garlic versions. I usually order regular chicken saag but this version had slices of red onion and green bell pepper, which gave it a sweet tang. Hubby always says that Indian is spot on when it makes him sweat and the lamb tikka masala didn't disappoint. I ate about a cup of the chicken saag and had enough left over for two more meals. All in all, all of that delectable food cost less than $50.