Get Curried Away by New Flavors

Some things were simply meant to go together. Take for instance, peaches and cream, gin and tonic, or even Starsky and Hutch. To quote the old Reese's commercial, they are "two great tastes that taste great together". But what about curry and pizza? It may not sound like a match made in heaven, but then again we neither eat with our ears nor our eyes. If this combination strikes you as even the least bit intriguing, then head on down to Curried in the Loop and get a little taste of something divine.

The folks at Curried are dedicated to cranking out delicious Indian food that is fast, fresh, and affordable - three things that were definitely meant to go together. Generously-portioned curry plates, featuring two entrees, rice and naan are only $7.99 each. Most a la carte dishes are even less and curry bowls start at under five dollars. It is biryani for the budget-conscious at Curried!

We stopped by recently to celebrate the restaurant's first month of business. The dish du jour was the Indian Pizza. Now we know you're thinking that paneer and pizza crust make for some odd bedfellows. But do yourself a favor and do not knock it until you've tried it. We had the mixed veggie pizza and were instantly enamored of the curried vegetables and cheese that were delicately layered on tikka sauce. We were equally as pleased with the savory flavor of the spinach and paneer that coated the top of the saag pie. Even just the plain paneer pizza was a treat. Every bite was full of flavor.

We had the chance to talk to the General Manager, Robert Magiet. When we asked him about the bold flavors and unconventional creations, he shared his philosophy with us. "Our goal here at Curried Restaurant is to make everyone's taste buds dance like they are in a Bollywood movie," he said. "When was the last time your taste buds danced? Our customers are often surprised that we have that ability." Surprised was an understatement in our case. Had we known Indian pizzas could be so good, we would have stopped in sooner. In fact, we already cannot wait to go back.

Whether you are vegetarian, vegan, or a straight-up carnivore, Curried has something for you. In addition to the pizzas and entrees, there are wraps, samosas, and even desserts. Their promise to have your food hot and ready in minutes is something the staff takes seriously and means you are in and out in no time. It is easy on your schedule and your wallet. So the next time you are looking for something quick and delicious, take your taste buds down to Wells and Lake and get curried away.

Curried is located at 171 North Wells Street.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@chicagoist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John DiGilio in Food on July 15, 2011 1:00 PM

Comments [rss]

furytrader

When I lived down in the Caribbean, I had yellow curry chicken pizza and it was delicious. I've always wanted to have some since ...

Jordan McClure

I've eaten here a few times already, as I happened upon in on their first day or two in business. All I've had so far are the plates with two curries with rice and naan, but I do really like it. It's not outstanding Indian food, but for lunch in the Loop, it's better than 90% of the other options near my office. I didn't even know they had pizza - I'm going to try that next time!

jennifrrr

I just went here yesterday, and I really liked it!

jdigilio

What did you have? The pizza or an entree? Inquiring minds want to know!

jennifrrr

I'm sorry, that was a terrible review!

I had the curry plate with Saag Paneer and Chicken Tikka Masala. It comes with jasmine rice and your choice of plain or garlic naan. I thought it was really tasty for a fast-casual style spot and, considering it kept me full all day, a great value for $8/$9 bucks. Everything tasted really fresh, and the service was super quick. I'm happy to have found a good, inexpensive spot for Indian in the Loop.

Oh, and beverages are free!

jdigilio

Whoa, I missed the beverage thing! But your review just made me hungry again! Thanks for sharing!

Curried

Hey John, Robert from Curried here. Im happy you guys enjoyed the food last night! Jen is right, we always give out free fountain drinks. Everyone have a great weekend!

oonagh1

Did this restaurant move from Rogers Park? There used to be a restaurant of the same name in the RP before it shuttered last month. It was only there for a very short time -- maybe a month or two. Previously, it was known as Shabuka.

jdigilio

It did actually. They had a place on Sheridan, I believe. They changed concepts and locations. Seems to be a better fit, so far.

BekkiJC

I hope their food is better than their Twitter strategy.

slatsg

Uh ... what? What does your snarky fly-by comment even mean? They have 1,400 followers on Twitter and they're on FB and they have a blog. Their website, unlike 99.999% of restaurant web sites, is very clear and easy to read, with a menu including prices and no horrible evil Flash or PDFs. Please explain your comment. Please enlighten me on what a good "Twitter strategy" is for frickin' Indian restaurant in the Loop.

I also have to add that I'm glad I no longer work at LaSalle and Lake because I'd be eating at this place for lunch and dinner every day.

David

I'm assuming this is a sponsored post...and it looks like they've spiked their Yelp reviews a bit.

That said, I'm always up for at least trying a new Indian place.