Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1322707
NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 20 JANUARY + FEBRUARY 2021 Crafting the f lavors of Indian food takes time—meat marinates for days and sauces simmer for hours before resting to bring the flavors together. Even the bread requires an overnight rise. But before the classic naan even got on the menu at Taj Gloucester, Chef Graeme Gilchrist took a good two weeks of trial and error (not to mention taste-testing) to get the texture just right in this rich Indian flatbread. But once he felt like he'd replicated the classic, the chef felt free to experiment. So in addition to the traditional naan, fluffy and chewy and perfect for drenching in curry, the menu at Taj also offers a Chili Cheese Naan, flavored with melted local cheddar, green chili and cilantro. It's a fun appetizer, in addition to being a nod to the chef 's roots—his family's dairy provides milk to the Cabot cheese cooperative. Try the naan with some of the restaurant's spicy sweet- sour Indian pickles and perhaps a cocktail from the inventive list or a craft beer. Taj opened last fall during a tough stretch for restaurants, but the pandemic afforded Gilchrist, whose previous experience was at European-leaning Ceia Kitchen + Bar in THE MENU Starters Chili Cheese Naan $5, Indian Pickles $4, Veggie Samosa, $8 Mains Bhelpuri $12, Mango Shrimp $16, Lamb Tikka Masala $16, Paneer Saag $15 Dessert Mango & Passion Fruit Cheesecake $10, Vanilla Chai Espresso Martini $12 E AT + D R I N K Newburyport, time to experiment and explore, testing out spices that were not previously in his repertoire. The resulting menu mostly hews close to traditional Indian dishes while adding in some pops of creativity—literally. Take the Bhel puri, for example. This very popular street food, usually found on the beach- Clockwise from top left, veggie samosas, mango shrimp, chef Graeme Gilchrist, and Taj's playful interiors