The Grammar Of Food at The Grammar Room

 

The Grammar Room

The Grammar of Food is what I have been trying to decipher and build upon for a decade and a half. While I was working with Zorawar Kalra, at Massive Restaurants in 2019 I made it a point to visit all competition in terms restaurants in the vicinity, as we had Bo Tai and were shortly launching Code, I popped into Olive at Mehrauli and its extension, The Grammar Room, which now has an identity of its own. I often wondered what AD Singh does right, location, food, staff service, first mover flexibility… some of them, none of them all of them.

Cut to December 2021, I had a colleague visiting from Bombay he was living at Gurgaon MG Road he said lets meet for a coffee or an early lunch… I said sure and blurted out The Grammar Room, wondering which recess of my mind was this embedded. Brands and visuals get into our brain files and surprisingly jump out unexpectedly.

I walk in, the first customer its 11am, and they are setting up. I am not welcomed almost an intrusion. Another thing, restaurants treat their first guests poorly almost as an intrusion rather than a blessing. I would lay out the red carpet for the first set of business of the day. It’s a cold winter morning, outdoors is cool but I decide to with the pandemic and all take a table outdoors.

A working couple walks in remove their masks open there laptops, small talk and perhaps a frugal order. The lovers walk in the stylish oomph girl Delhi style, talking of Mimosas and capers, you get the drift and the guy a simpleton Jat got rich and spending type for favors later in the afternoon. They get drinking cocktails at 11.15 am , what the hell, live it up.

Meanwhile my guest arrives, we order some burrata - cheese salad, a beer batter fish and chips, an orange juice and some coffee and some bottled Water- Himalayan seen after  a long time  absorb and talk about… stuff, somewhere in between I chat with the  waiter ( who is the head waiter of sorts, he is serving us and the service improved manifold). While laptop girl and boy move away further, the mimosa girl and Jat boy are getting saucy….as her ample bosom peeps from her freshly unbuttoned top shirt…

The food delivers 7on 10 the later improved service is 7on 10 from 4-5 earlier. The Washrooms 8 on 10 … there is no parking even if there is some you fend for yourself. Overall a decent experience, as outdoors are fun and look into a forest, on  Rs 2200 tab. I forgot to pack the fresh apple pie for my dear daughter… then picked up a Tiramisu from the famous Diva restaurant of Ritu Dalmia in my neighborhood, more on Diva soon… stay tuned in till we meet soon…