Moti Mahal

When did Moti Mahal close, and why? I wanted to try this place. I would like to take my parents to an Indian restaurant. They have never had Indian food so I was looking for somewhere to take them. I love the cabbie places but I don't think they would go for it. Any ideas on where to take them for their first Indian food experience?

Hi Sal,

I think this thread will give you a good start:

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4603

Amata

I liked Moti, though I think it was on its way downhill over the past few years before it closed. It was my favorite Indian place in the early-1990's and even before.

Currently when I get Indian, I usually go to Mount Everest in Evanston. I haven't been to their new location yet (a few doors west of their previous one), but if it's anything like the old, it is a crowded, popular place with very good food. Their curries especially are extremely flavorful, with good, tender meat and fresh-tasting ingredients. I almost always get either the chicken tikka masala, saag lamb or occasionally a vindaloo.

Expect to pay about $20 per person, including appetizers, bread and rice.

Mount Everest Restaurant (Indian and Nepalese Cuisines)
630 Church St.
Evanston, IL 60201
Tel: (847) 491-1069

Just having a fun reminiscence with a childhood friend about going to Moti with our parents as kids in the 80s/early 90s, his family's bizarre (to me at the time) enjoyment of rasamali, and investigating the exotics at the adjacent (attached) grocery store before samosas arrived, and how the occasional cockroach would scamper across the floor or across a shelf on said exotics. The recent Helmond thread was good for the Belmont Ave memory drawer as well. Though that was super fancy relative to Moti.

Got me thinking about how we only order in Indian these days, from Spice Room or Cumin, or the place on North just west of the Chinese take out place (both names escaping me right now), and that a drive up Western Ave. to Devon for an actual in restaurant experience for the family is in order. Any current recommendations? We like everything, but the Moti memory is the one driving the thing, so not fancy pants or specialist (attached grocery optional).

Ahmad Shareef wrote:We like everything, but the Moti memory is the one driving the thing, so not fancy pants or specialist (attached grocery optional).

Shan, with requested attached grocery. One of my favorite places.
Link: → Shan

Shan
5060-A N. Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL. 60640
773-769-4961

Ahmad Shareef wrote:the place on North just west of the Chinese take out place (both names escaping me right now).

Rangoli?

Thanks for the suggestion, Gary. Yes, Rangoli - we order it the least of the Spice Room/Cumin/Rangoli options, but it’s always serviceable.