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The Clay Pit

By: Tymon Hytem Whether you’re out for a night of fine dining or just looking for a quick and casual lunch The Clay Pit is an integral ingredient of Austin’s downtown cultural mélange.
My wife and I saddled up the Chrysler the other night and headed downtown to get some Indian food. Having traveled widely and experienced a range of styles from different regions both Indian and Pakistani I braced myself for another generic rendering of the all encompassing “curry” so common throughout North America. Boy howdy was I ever errant in my assumptions. From the moment we entered the restaurant to the soft twitter of sitar strings and oddly enough bagpipes, don’t ask me how but it works, we breathed in the atmosphere of upbeat welcome that pervades the entire site. The building itself is old world in it’s charm, much like the keep of an ancient castle replete with cyclopean brickwork and heavy, dark stained wood everywhere. The first course of the evening was the most delicate, succulent calamari I think I have ever tasted paired with a sweet mango lassi, a non-alcoholic aperitif of yogurt and mango pulp for all you designated drivers out there. For our entrees we order the mixed grill and the Khuroos-E-Tursh respectively. The mixed grill came with a lamb kebob marinated in saffron yogurt and grilled to a perfect medium rare, a sirloin kebob rubbed with yogurt, ginger and spices, A chicken kebob roasted in a creamy garlic marinade and crisp on the outside yet succulently moist inside Tandoori chicken, redolent with the fine spices of an Indian market bazaar. Enough of what my wife ate though let’s get to the house signature dish I ordered… Khuroos-E-Tursh! The chicken breast medallions were fork tender and stuffed with spinach, onions, mushrooms and cheese. The sauce was and is the crowning achievement of the night for me a sweet and savory cashew almond cream sauce which you can order to your preferred level of spiciness. The creamy sweetness stands up well to a bit of heat so don’t be afraid to get your taste buds a little singed on this one, Don’t go above medium though for you Midwestern pallets out there. The chai spice crème brulee is all you need to know about the dessert menu you needn’t look any further to find your bliss.
As an added note I enjoyed this dinner so much I had to return to find out about the lunch buffet. Easily the best downtown lunch value I’ve yet seen. For only $6.95 the tandoori chicken, vegetable korma, and chicken curry are available with a wait no longer than it takes to drink down an Irish Coffee, A good alcoholic aperitif for those of you not driving out there… and a mango lassi too!
The Clay Pit sits perfectly balanced between the heart of downtown Austin and The University of Texas Campus at: 1601 Guadalupe St

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D.J. Lonaghain is a self confessed foodie who is equally obsessed with live music and wine. He lives in Austin and counts himself lucky to do so. God Bless the Hill Country! You can find some great information on Texas restaurants; destinations and attractions that you would not want to miss by visiting San Antonio Restaurants and Austin Restaurants .

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