i’m actually based in semi-rural southern minnesota…
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My bad. 
You do have an eating list for that part of the world, too, I presume.
@Saregama - thanks for signposting to the COTQ Maharashtrian edition, which I’m starting to absorb and is super informative. I’m now looking forward to trying some quintessential Maharashtrian snacks. I’m presuming I just keep my eyes peeled for snack vendors.
Are there farsan shops with a selection or individual vendors specialising in one item? I try to find places that are frying freshly or have the items in a covered glass display case with no flies inside the case!
Good tip re: probiotics and digestive enzymes. On recent trips to India I’ve not suffered from food poisoning but have suffered from indigestion big time. My dad just hands out omeprazole which in my mind is like taking a sledgehammer to the issue. I’ll go prepared with probiotics etc this time.
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@MyAnnoyingOpinions - thanks for your post. I came across your blog when researching my eating options for my upcoming trip to Mumbai.
The eating party consists of just me and my husband for around 5 days with a family wedding in between - I feel these factors might significantly limit our intake capabilities. I will consider your advice accordingly!
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There are both farsan shops (plenty and everywhere) and street vendors. (Avoid wet chutneys from street vendors.)
As I mentioned before, there is lots of everything everywhere, so once you figure out where you’ll be sightseeing, we can help with food options for both snacks and restaurant meals proximal to those areas.
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If you can, ask your uncle if he is pre-planning any stops along the way (for eg, on the way to Pune, a stop in Khopoli for batawada is almost mandatory).
Aside from food, he may be able to incorporate a pause at one of several forts along the way (the waterfalls require a bit of a hike, so probably not practical) and in Nashik, some downtime to visit 2 key sights – Trimbakeshwar temple and the Nashik caves, both not far from Sula. If not, you can try to squeeze them in them on your way back.
If you don’t get to the caves there, you have 2 more shots at caves – Kanheri via the Borivali zoo / Sanjay Gandhi National Park (you might even be able to stop here on the way back), and Elephanta which is a ferry ride from Gateway, and would take up most of a day).
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Bane or uniquely creative and not to be found anywhere else?
Has one fully explored Indian food in Mumbai if one hasn’t tasted Udipi pizza or Schezwan dosa or Punjabi chowmein? I would posit not.
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I am hoping someone is making these 3 things here in southern Ontario. I will be on the look-out.
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Masque post Prateek Sadhu is not really worth it imo.
Again, post Manish Mehrotra, wait and watch. Indian Accent in nyc has only recently turned a corner (and is not what Indian Accent was at the outset). I preferred Masala Library in both their hey days, though I haven’t been back to it recently.
The last couple of meals I had there (last year/early this year) were disappointing, which makes me think stretching one chef across 4 spots post Thomas Zacharias leaving has had consequences (especially with the spotlight on Papa’s).
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Probably not Udipi pizza, but I’d be surprised if you couldn’t find a Schezwan dosa or desi Chowmein in Toronto.
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no, but this is hardly what i’m referring to. multi-cuisine menus are restaurant menus that have an indian chinese section, a tandoori/butter chicken section, sometimes a continental section, and then the section that’s the actual focus.
The NYT has done a few different profiles over the years, interesting to see the progression.
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I know what multi-cuisine menus are. That’s what my comment was about.
Udipi pizza and Punjabi Chinese wouldn’t exist without multi-cuisine menus. And I forgot Udipi chhole bhatura (the best of all chhole bhaturas, I’ll defend that to the grave).
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I’m going a bit off topic here, but one of my local Malayali restaurants has a Yemeni section on the menu, and a Chinese section of course…
I am still gathering intel on this place before committing to a visit. One of the Malayali nurses who was working with me on the night shift last night recommended it highly, particularly the dishes from the Yemeni section.
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There’s a thread here somewhere about this kind of thing.
ETA: Found it. Bit different, but not that different.
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Karjat, I would say, over Khopoli.
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To each their own batatawada.
(When we drove to Pune every couple of weeks throughout my childhood, you would have been dropped by the side of the highway by my dad to make your own detour to Karjat and back.)
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@medgirl This also holds very true for Mumbai – google maps helps, but also lies (especially where 1-ways and walking are concerned)
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this is at risk of becoming an internet argument, i.e one without any/substantial disagreement and so i will check myself out. i’m easily found via my blog if anyone wants any further suggestions from me.
