Out & About

Grub Steaks place boasts of a menu which offers you delicacies in Steaks, be it fish, lamb, cottage cheese steak and calcannon (A Scottish Veg Steak stuffed with Cheese). The steaks are served with barbecue sauce, French fries and sauted vegetables. And the best part of the whole show is that Grub Steaks have their own poultry. So the customers can be assured of neat, and healthy meat.

The soups Tureen has the original Talumein, which is usually Indianised in most places. The pricing also has been very reasonable and fair. With soups not exceeding the cost of 30-35 bucks the place is definitely a treat. And this is because they are targeting both students and families. The ultimate goal is to create a French Bistro. Also available will be goodies like Frankie, Bruschettas (cheesy Italian open sandwich).

The food caters to all tastes. So we have Solos, which are divided into two broad categories of Veg and Non-veg so that there is no confusion in preparation and ordering. And I was lucky to have this Mixed Meat Grill in their food trials, which was absolutely yummy.The chefs are professionals and have been trained personally by Smart Dining.

There is a range for the Tandoor lovers which has both Tak-A-Tak and Avadhi, i.e kebabs cooked on Tava, plain and with masala. A huge variety of ice creams, shakes and sundaes is available for those with a sweet tooth. Their meat shop, provides a complete range of Fresh, dressed, cooked and marinated meat products. So you can dine and shop at the same time. Check it out!

BOOK MARK
Katha for Kids
Katha, the literary NGO that has done a lot for the cause of regional literature much maligned by Salman Rushdie, seems to be taking children’s book publishing very seriously. Its latest is a monthly magazine for tots under four. Called Dhammak Dhum!, this colourful and interactive magazine has puzzles and stories for pre-schoolers, and is reasonably priced at Rs 25. The focus, as expected, is very politically correct, like the other ventures of Katha. With stories related to environment and health, this monthly attempts to woo children away from the fun-filled adventures of Simba in faraway Africa to the diminishing tiger population in Kanha and Jim Corbett National Park.

Besides, Katha has another equally green and educative quarterly called Tamasha for pre-adolescents. Once again, the emphasis is on health and environment. Published in Hindi and English, the slim volume comes for Rs 15 and carries some excellent illustrations by artists of the eminence of Atanu Roy.

The intention behind these ventures is very good, no doubt, but you wonder at the chances of such projects becoming a commercial success. Which kid, after all, would look forward to yet some more education, what with schoolwork already eating into the few recreational hours left.