Olivia's Take on Indian Food

We found ourselves down two kids tonight. Hannah's at the lake with a friend and Miranda's at the theatre again. Friday night with no plans and a kid who's an open-minded eater? That means we're eating out!

Now you may be thinking: Alabama -- Barbecue is the obvious choice. And we've got some pretty great barbecue (ssshhh... the banana pudding's my favorite!).

But if you're a local (or a hard core foodie) you know that Birmingham has oh so much more to offer. In fact, there's a rich culinary scene here. Even the New York Times says so.

There are high-end joints like Frank Stitt's Highlands Bar & Grill and the seafood restaurant Ocean, great mediterranean cafes like Taziki's, and yummy sushi and Thai food at Surin West.

But for us, tonight's clear choice was:

We love Indian food, and the only thing better than stuffing our faces at our friends Archana and Hemant's annual Diwali party is Silver Coin. Even our friend Peter, an Indian food expert, gives it two thumbs up.

Tonight was Olivia's first time to visit Silver Coin, so she asked to write the blog review. Here goes:

We have a FOOD CRITIC and her name is OLIVIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Editor Mom deleted the additional 34 exclamation points).

Tonight we went to Silver Coin. We ordered Paneer Saag, Naan with Mango Chutney, and Shrimp Tandoori. I also had a Mango Lassi. It was really good!

The service was good, and I liked the Paneer Saag, even though it looked like green snot. The rice looked like someone peed on it because of the yellow spices, but it was really good too. The shrimp was way too spicy for me. I thought it was GROSS! The Naan was my favorite.

What do Mom and Dad say?

Tanya -- Paneer Saag is one of my favorite dishes. Tasty!

Jason -- It was excellent.