Indian food lovers, rejoice. Actually, don't just rejoice. We know you have either a literal or mental map of Cleveland and its outlying 'burbs, festooned with tiny red thumbtacks marking possible dining locations. Perhaps you've got one at Udapi in Parma; or India Garden in Lakewood; or even tiny lunchpad Indies, in Downtown's Colonial Arcade. Get another tack handy, then. Mark the University Circle area with Indian Flame, located on that neighborhood's main thoroughfare of Euclid Avenue.

 

It's a few doors down from Mi Pueblo, across the street from the Food Co-op, and next door to the re-opened Euclid Tavern. This small restaurant recently opened (as of mid-September), and consequently a banner reading "Indian Flame" hangs above the door, often flapping and folded in the breeze. Until more eye-catching signage goes up, a drive-by won't do. You'll have to hunt down parking and take yourself a little stroll.

 

One of the things that makes the placement of Indian Flame so perfect among the ivy-covered halls of Case Western Reserve University, or the sleek facilities of University Hospitals, is its rather informal disposition. Filled with only a handful of tables and booths, it could pass itself as a collegetown noshery or neighborhood pitstop in Anytown, USA, which is optimal for the hungry students, rushed hospital workers, and discerning academics that dwell in the University Circle area. Indian Flame is also near the intersection of where the Circle meets Little Italy; head further up Mayfield Road and you'll find Coventry's shops and youthful nightlife. Hungry travelers on their way to those places can easily swing by for a meal.

 

Bolstering Indian Flame's straight-up character are its quasi-industrial design and its slightly tacky wall-hangings (though medieval Indians frolicking on velvet is its own cool). However, you're here to get fed, right? Open the menu and you'll find why you came: appetizers like divinely crispy samosas; an assortment of mightily-seasoned chicken, lamb and even goat dinners; and Indian cuisine's great strength, vegetarian dinners. Oh, and don't forget the essential presence of naan bread at the table. Indian Flame offers eight variations on this delightfully buttery and fluffy flatbread.

 

Appetizers range in price from $2.50 to $10.99 (and that's for the meaty kabob platter, which makes that dish a dinner). Dinners start at $8.99 with vegetarian dishes, and then run up to $15 and up for lamb and seafood. Yet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Indian Flame offers a deal with an $8.99 buffet. The offerings are obviously more limited than they'd be during dinner, but there's no skimping on the flavor.  The creamy chicken korma was thick and flavorful, but mild enough for the novice palate. The palak paneer—cheese cooked with mounds of fresh spinach and garlic—packed a bit more punch. The mutter paneer, which is cheese cubes cooked with peas, also fills a belly quite nicely. Topping it off were ample servings of brightly-colored chicken tandoori—the meatiness made up for a slight lack of juice. 

 

As with all buffets, the food eaten was a sample of what Indian Flame has to offer. Regardless of one's preferences within the Indian food realm, one can't deny that this new eatery offers East Siders another quick, affordable and tasty dining option. Please mark your Cleveland chow maps accordingly.