MITTI DESI CUISINE (2024 S. Milledge Ave., 706-215-9239, @mitti_athens): This low-slung building just before you get to Al Huda Islamic Center and the shopping center that contains Fooks Foods has been a variety of things over the years, including a car wash that also contained an Indian grocery, an Indian restaurant that was delicious but dysfunctional (Koyla), Athens Pizza (now across the street) and Iguana’s Mexican Grill. Now, wonderfully, it’s Achachi Market on the left and Mitti, serving Indian and Pakistani food, on the right, both owned by the same folks.
Achachi is a great place to pop in for whole spices, dried dal, fresh produce (the okra is particularly good) and more. Mitti, which opened in May, sometimes calls itself a food court, but really it’s a restaurant with a steam table, not a collection of different eateries. It’s not as full of creature comforts as Taste of India, but it also has a possibly bigger and different menu, giving rise to the hope that Athens could once again have two Indian restaurants. Figure out what you want from the menu above the counter as you jam to a ‘90s R&B playlist, then order and grab a seat inside or out. Umbrella-ed tables just outside the door can seat crowds and often do at dinner, when some of the crowd from the Islamic center tucks in. Your food will arrive more or less speedily, depending on what you order, packaged in Styrofoam. The standards are available: frankly delicious tandoori chicken, both chicken and cauliflower 75 (spiced nuggets, essentially, served with a little cup of cool raita), saag paneer (thinner than usual but not less good), samosas that were sitting in a case and didn’t look very exciting. But where Mitti excels is in its offerings that you can’t get elsewhere in Athens: absolutely lovely Indian coffee (sweet, strong and milky), bhindi masala (an okra dish fragrant with spices), fish tawa fry (thin filets of white fish coated in spices, citrus and aromatics, then pan-fried), sukka varuval available with chicken or goat (dry fry with loads of fresh ground spices), biryani (a rice dish with goat, chicken, egg or just veggies, also available at Taste of India but more flavorful here, with each grain of rice infused with heat, flavor and ghee), dosas (hooray! Big, thin, crepe-like pancakes made with tangy lentil flour, browned then wrapped around any number of wonderful fillings, mostly vegetarian, possibly the best thing on the menu). There is naan in a wide variety of configurations, including bullet naan laced with a ton of fresh green chilis, but it’s a bit thin, less poofy than ideal. You can also get idli—springy, saucer-shaped cakes made from ground rice and lentils that you can dunk in sambar, a lentil-and-veggie stew scented with coriander, cumin, pepper and mild chilis. Go with a friend so that you can try more things.
Mitti is open 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesday) most days, but takes a midday break from 2–4 p.m. No booze, but plenty of other choices.
SAN ANGEL COCINA AND CANTINA (2226 W. Broad St., 706-850-0977, @sanangelcocina): I know, I know—another Mexican restaurant. But this one is an improvement over an abandoned Applebee’s. Per usual with the Lopez Restaurant Group (which also owns Lalo’s in Wire Park and La Cabaña in Watkinsville), both the atmosphere and the menu are a little more upscale than the usual chips and margs. They’re perfectly capable of executing a standard chicken enchilada, topped with green sauce, and they do standards well, but they also push the envelope more than they have to on the menu. San Angel is no different. The interior features fancy light fixtures, lots of tile, bright-yellow banquettes, a large bar and murals. On a date? Want to get something flambeed tableside? You can have some drama with your cheese dip, sprinkled with tequila then set aflame. The pulpo a las brasas has comparable “look at me” energy, neatly arranging several long octopus tentacles, grilled, atop a plate of roasted corn and potatoes with queso fresco. The side dish actually beats the main attraction, which is a little bland, but both are fun. Garden fajitas present a panoply of grilled produce and are a relative deal at $13.99. It is a very different experience from getting superlative tacos in a gas station, but not necessarily worse. There are more vegetarian options, for one thing. The menu can be pricey, but the atmosphere is nice, and there are lunch specials. Street tacos run $4 each a la carte but are made with ingredients like rectangular prisms of panela cheese or pork belly, as well as regular fillings. The tlalpeño soup (chicken, lots of vegetables, strips of tortilla, avocado) feels nourishing as well as tasting good. A Mexican restaurant on every corner sounds like heaven. San Angel is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. most days (9 p.m. on Sundays, 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays).
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