Bollywood Bar & Clay Oven: A 2018 Add To Local Restaurant Scene

SANTA ROSA, CA – Among the new, hot eateries to hit the North Bay's local restaurant scene in 2018 was Bollywood Bar & Clay Oven in Santa Rosa -- a vibrant dining spot with a modern twist on classic Indian cuisine and an exotic line-up of unique cocktails.

Owned by Chandi Hospitality, a North Bay restaurant group, Bollywood opened in November in the Old Courthouse Square on 4th Street.

“Dining at Bollywood Bar & Clay Oven will challenge what you think you know about Indian food with modern takes on definitive Indian dishes and craft cocktails infused with exotic flavors," said Sonu Chandi, founder of Chandi Hospitality, a family-run company of restauraters whose roots trace back to the Punjab region of India.

“As Santa Rosa locals, we are passionate about continuing to elevate and diversify our downtown scene by introducing unique concepts unlike anything our community has ever experienced,” Chandi said.

Bollywood's menu is crafted by James Beard Award finalist Niven Patel, an avid farmer and classically trained chef, whose goal is to marry fresh-from-the-farm produce with dynamic flavor profiles.

The restaurant's contemporary interpretations of traditional Indian dishes, originating from Punjab to Gujarat, include a variety of curries like Pork Belly Vindaloo and Crab Cake Korma and clay-oven fired selections like Charred Corn with smoked paneer and cilantro aioli.

Menu highlights:

• Smoked Lamb Shank – created over six days in which the shank is brined, smoked and braised until tender, alongside chickpeas, jaggery and black cardamom, finished with fresh mint.
• Green Millet – inspired by a dish in Gujarat, this grain is sourced from India, where it is harvested by a slow-drying, wood-fire process before being shipped to Bollywood Bar & Clay Oven, steamed and served with cilantro chutney and house-made yogurt.
• Tuna Bhel – a contemporary take on traditional Indian street food reimagined with puff rice, smashed avocado, cilantro, tomatoes, onions and three different types of chutneys and topped with local albacore tuna tossed with a Kashmiri chili.

Bollywood Bar & Clay Oven’s cocktails are a provocative "East-meets-West" line-up, and the bar also serves craft beer and wine, featuring both imported and local Sonoma County varietals.

The bar program was conjured up by a mixology duo, Scott Beattie and Andrea Mota. Beattie is known for his best-selling 2008 book, Artisanal Cocktails: Drinks Inspired by the Seasons. Mota, Bollywood Bar & Clay Oven’s bar manager, previously opened and managed Geyserville Gun Club Bar and Lounge. The Bollywood Bar classic cocktails are reimagined with traditional Indian flavors like turmeric and coriander.

Favorites include:

• Bardoli Buck – a refreshing cocktail with vodka, fresh pressed ginger and turmeric juice, lime, ginger beer and bitters served over crushed ice and finished with a marigold.
• Gujarati Swizzle – handcrafted with gin, Buddhas Hand Vodka, coconut milk, lemon, ginger beer, lemon verbena and orange flower water and served in an ornate smoke colored tumbler with gold filigree and Rangpur lime leaf
• Bolly Ol' Fashioned – a union of rum, banana and barrel-aged bitters served over a large ice rock with a burnt orange peel branded with "Drink Me" scripted in Hindi.

Bollywood Bar & Clay Oven, at 535 4th St. in Santa Rosa, is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, with happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and full dinner service at 5 p.m. To view the menu or make a reservation, visit www.bollywoodbar.net or call (707) 535-0700. Follow the eatery here on Facebook.

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--Image courtesy of Bollywood Bar & Clay Oven