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Locations: 1601 Guadalupe
Phone: (512) 322-5131
Cost: $$ ($=Under $10; $$=$11-30, $$$=$31-60, $$$$=$60+, avg cost per person including 1 drink, tax, and tip.)
Website: www.claypit.com
The 411: Clay Pit, the Indian food Valhalla on Guadalupe and 16th Street, recently updated their menu. In addition to their already substantial vegetarian offerings, all vegan items are now marked with a handy little "v" symbol.
While perhaps not the most authentic in Austin, Clay Pit's dishes have nevertheless filled a curry-shaped void in Austinites' stomachs since 1998. As a testament to this fact, they were called one of the "best Indian restaurants" in the United States by Bon Appetit magazine.
Kormaholics will be pleased that the vegetable ayam is vegan: yellow coconut-based curry sauce smothers lightly seared, fresh and crunchy zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, and green beans, and is served with light and fluffy basmati rice dusted with bright cilantro. This dish is liquid saffron (or, turmeric, more likely), yellow and creamy, with a near-perfect texture.
The bombay aloo, a straightforward curried potato and onion dish, is both spicy and warming, featuring more complex flavors including tomato, ginger and cumin. Scooped up with a spoonful of rice, this full-bodied dish rivals homegrown Texas chili as savory, spirited comfort food.
Additional dinner items listed as vegan include channa masala (another great comfort food, made of masala chickpeas), kadhu curry (gingered chickpeas in a tomato-based sauce), and aloo ghobi (cauliflower and potatoes in bright, turmeric-heavy spices). Other vegan options are sprinkled throughout the menu – the crispy, addictive vegetable samosas being a standout. Vegans can skip the naan (which usually contains milk or yogurt, and has a ghee or butter glaze) and go for the unleavened roti instead, and they're all set.
Housed in the cool, limestone-walled Bertram building (trivia: did you know there's a tunnel in the basement that used to connect the then-general store and saloon to the brothel next door?), Clay Pit's low-key, dimly-lighted environs is as much of a draw as its food. With a backdrop of jazz and subdued world music, a decent wine list that complements the menu while sinking late-night patrons into a decadent lull, and staff who are generally attentive without being intrusive, it's a solid choice for an evening, either as a romantic haven from the busy streets or as a comfortable spot for friendly celebrations.
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