Print
Jan 12, 2007 8:13 am US/Eastern
Tony's Dining Deals: Tabla & The Bread Bar
by Tony Tantillo
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Tony Tantillo brings you another of his weekly Dining Deals. For great food at great prices, Tony checks out the exotic flavors of India at Tabla and the Bread Bar in Manhattan's Flatiron District.
For anyone who has never experienced the joys of the flavors of India, you'll want to head to Tabla.
There are two delicious dining options -- upstairs is the best of new American cooking infused with the essence of India, and downstairs is the moderately priced, easy in-and-out Bread Bar.
"The reason I have these two menus is to give people more options. I just want to open more doors for people. Some people say I don't want to eat strongly flavored foods, then they won't eat in the Bread Bar, they'll eat upstairs," explained Tabla Executive Chef Floyd Cardoz.
The atmosphere is quite comforting, like Indian soul food. The flavors don't overpower. It balances beautifully.
Cardoz said, "That is what Indian food is about, even in India. It's about balance; it's about using good ingredients; it's about seasonality. It's not the same food every single day. It changes as to what's available in the market. That's what Indian food is."
Is it hard to keep the prices so low at the Bread Bar with all the competition that's around you?
"Our guest is very important to us. And giving them value, and yes, there is pressure to increase prices, but I don't want to increase prices just because the prices in the market are going up. What I do and what we do well here at Tabla is we shop around. We find ingredients that are in season because ingredients that are in-season the prices are [okay]," said Cardoz.
It's an ever-changing menu that keeps everything fresh at Tabla. Speaking of fresh, bread is the must-have item here, and it doesn't get better than this.
Tabla and the Bread Bar are located at 25th Street and Madison Avenue. Look at the Tabla Web site for more information and sample menus.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
