The Other Critics

Patty U. Files Her Final Review, For Gajalee

So long, sweet Patty.
So long, sweet Patty. Photo: Courtesy of Patricia Unterman

As we learned earlier this week, thirty-year veteran of local food scene Patricia Unterman is taking her leave of the Examiner, apparently because they can’t afford her anymore. In her place will be Jesse Hirsch, most recently from the East Bay Express. And today we get Patty’s final review, which is of small, new, coastal Indian restaurant Gajalee. She has nice stuff to say about the fish thali and the meen pollichathu, “a filet of satiny true cod coated in a spice paste and steamed in a banana leaf, served with yogurt, minced onion and tomato.” But mostly she’s just phoning this one in, and she does inform us that the service at Gajalee is “tortoise-slow.” But in true Unterman fashion, she can’t end on a negative note, adding that the wines are “tasty,” and concluding, “all is forgiven when the fish thali hits the table, and every dunk, scoop and spoonful of the aromatic food produces wonder at the infinite ingenuity of cooks.” (To continue to read Patty, by the way, you should check out her website and subscribe to her newsletter.) [Examiner]

Patty U. Files Her Final Review, For Gajalee