I know Chronicle has readership all over the Bay Area, so they probably have to include restaurants from everywhere. If its me, I’ll just put out a list for the South Bay and call it a day.
Zareen’s isn’t strictly South Indian either. I say they are pan-Indian-Pakistani. Some dishes like Nihari is Pakistani, which is really far from South India. Ettan is more Cal-Indian.
Dindigul Thalappakatti not on the list? That’s the one restaurant whose popularity seems to be quite constant throughout the pandemic. I have never seen that many, dozens just eyeballing it, takeout orders lined up to be picked up at the peak of the pandemic last year/ early this year. People were always lining up to pick up. At one point I said to myself that good thing there is always a strong wind at the door to provide some air circulation for the multiple people milling around inside waiting for their food…
