The Ambassador's exotic secret room

The loveliest little secret is tucked away inside an unassuming apartment building on Canterbury Avenue, right off of University Parkway. Enter into the Ambassador Dining Room, the essence of colonial Indian elegance: antique stained glass windows, plush carpeting, white linen tablecloths and an array of fine wines spread out toward the back of the restaurant. But move past the indoor seating and out to the sheltered gray stone patio in back with a brilliantly lit fountain surrounded by flowers and lush foliage.

If you enjoy Indian food, this is hands-down the most romantic restaurant of any genre of cuisine. From the visual pleasure of the restaurant itself, you might think that a date at the Ambassador would be more of a pocket-draining experience that even the most well-intentioned suitor could afford. However, in looking over the menu, all of the dishes are more than reasonably priced, costing no more than one from the more casual Indian food joints downtown. Furthermore, there are more choices of dishes, which themselves are of a consistently excellent quality. This is no Tamber's Indian-food-as-an-afterthought-type fare; one of my Indian friends who graduated from Hopkins last year took about 20 or so members of her extended family out to the Ambassador to celebrate, and everyone had nothing but delighted comments to make.

I took a friend to the Ambassador over the summer, prime time for a quiet evening in the outdoors seating, although it's recommended that you call at least a week in advance to make the reservations - I would really advise a week and a half. The service is excellent, with waiters in classic white and black uniforms and the waitresses in beautiful traditional Indian garb; all of the servers were courteous, helpful and personable without being overbearing.

Settle back into the wide, cushioned wicker armchairs outside or antique-styled wooden chairs inside, and begin with a bottle of wine, some Indian beer or an amply sized mango lassi, a thick smoothie type of drink made of whipped mango juice and buttermilk, as a pre-dinner drink. An appetizer of flat, crispy bread accompanied by an array of sauces follows.

Next came samosas, mildly spiced vegetables wrapped in dough and deep-fried until the outside is golden. Most of the entrees are accompanied by rice and creamed spinach; unfortunately, the individual servings are not really made for sharing, although a basket of naan (soft, flat bread), seasoned or plain, can be passed around the table. Try the palak paneer, creamed spinach with chunks of Indian cheese mixed in, or chana masala, a dish of chickpeas with onions and tomatoes.

The biryani is always one of my favorites, a mixture of rice, vegetables (the potatoes are especially good), sliced nuts and raisins, that can be served vegetarian or with meat. A smaller, but equally substantial dish is the dal, spiced lentils cooked over a small flame that can be spread over rice.

To make the meal an entire experience, end with a dessert. The silky, sweet rice pudding is a traditional favorite; I enjoy Indian ice cream as well, a sort of thick sorbet in exotic flavors like mango and coconut. A general benefit of Indian food is the array of dishes available for vegans, vegetarians and carnivores alike, so whether your date is a nuts-and-berries or a meat-and-potatoes kind of person, he or she will find something on the menu for his or her taste.

Whatever the occasion, take time out of the coarser routine or college life and treat yourself to something a little more refined in the Ambassador Dining Room, which promises to satisfy senses and stomachs alike.