One year ago, almost exactly, I walked into Spice Club Indian Grill while the San Carlos Park restaurant was mid-meltdown.
A customer yelledat a man behind the counter. A large party had abandoned its long table, grumbling about their dinner reservation as they filed out the door. The lone server apologized to me. She said the restaurant had to close early, that two other waiters and the dishwasher had just quit.
It was barely half past 6.
Spice Club, perhaps unsurprisingly, closed later that summer. It reopened in November with a new owner,SumanChaniyil. His name was music to my ears.
While Spice Club's original owners had a knack for cooking, they didn't know how to run a restaurant. Mr. Chaniyil has a knack for both.
Chaniyil opened India's Grill in Fort Myers in April 2016, and it quickly became a local staple. It was his fourth restaurant around Florida. Spice Club, tucked into the north corner of the same plaza as Haney's Cafe behind the San Carlos Park McDonald's,is Chaniyil's fifth. And I'd say the fifth time might be his charm.
Archives:The first rule of Spice Club: There may be fighting - JLB's review
More:Spice Club Indian Grill reopens with new owner
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This new Spice Club is casual and excellent. The menu focuses more on southern India, where curries are enriched by coconut milk in lieu of cream and where vegetables trump red meats.
Spice Club is one of the few places serving dosas in these parts. The crepes, thin and pliant,are made of a fermented batter of rice and lentil flours. Fillings include curried chicken, spinach or eggs. These days the dosascan only be found on Spice Club'sweekend lunch buffet, per a waiter. I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday.
Spice Club's chicken Chettinad is another South Indian marvel.
The curry, named for a region ofTamil Nadu on the southeastern side of the Indian peninsula, is unlike any other I've had. Spice Club infuses its version with black pepper and chilies for a tingly hit of spice. Roasted coconut is the backbone, adding a nutty flavor that's complex and unique. Green curry leaves and slivers of ginger top the dish, an unexpectedly refined touch that makes it feel special the moment that deep bowl hits the table.
While Spice Club's $10.99 lunch buffet might be the best deal, its dinner portions are more than generous.
Entrees here are made to be shared. Two can easily feed three people, four if you add on a couple appetizers; some crisp samosas, perhaps, or a platter of vegetable pakora fried in a breadybatter.
And though South Indian cuisine gets its due at Spice Club, the north side of the country isn't ignored.
Spice Club's chicken tikka masala — the spaghetti of Indian food—is just as creamy, fragrant and wonderful here as it is at India's Grill. Its naan comes straight from the tandoor, steamy with a light chew. It could be daubed with crushed garlic or stuffed with ground lamb that gives it a delicious sheen of grease.
And then there's the saag, a puree of spinach and spices finished here with yogurt, I believe, for a creamy tang. Most places only offer the classic saag paneer with cubes of fresh cheese. Spice Club offers saag with cauliflower, tofu, chickpeas, even the lamb meatballs known as kofta. It's your pick. And there is no wrong answer.
There's nothing wrong with dessert, either. Spice Club's extensive offerings include rice pudding, rasmalai, the sweet carrot slaw known as gajar halwa, and gulab jamun, doughnut-like balls soaked in cardamom and rose syrups.
I tend to go for a simple mango lassi, yellow as the sun and just as bright. Or a cup of masala chai that's spicy, milky and all-around comforting.
Spice Club looks different now. Where the previous owners tried for a fast-casualapproach, Chaniyil and his crew hew to traditional service at dinner, buffet for lunch. He added more booths and brought in servers who are coolly professional and as quiet as they are efficient.
During a recent dinner the dining room was also quiet, save for a steady trickle of takeout orders. Then 7 o'clock strucklike someone turned on the faucet.
Family after multi-generational family poured in heading to different tables. Children, parents, grandmothers draped in gem-colored saris. The servers greeted themfamiliarly. Few even glanced at the menus, some just waved them away.
I left a very different scene than the one I walked into a year ago.
There is no fighting at this Spice Club, just good Indian food that everyone seems to appreciate.
Jean Le Boeuf is the pseudonym used by a local food lover who dines at restaurants anonymously and without warning, with meals paid for by The News-Press. Follow the critic atfacebook.com/jeanleboeufswflor @JeanLeBoeuf onTwitterandInstagram.
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Spice Club Indian Grill
18011 S. Tamiami Trail, San Carlos Park
•Food:★★★☆
•Atmosphere:★★☆☆
•Service: ★★☆☆
JLB's new stars system, explained
•Price: $$
•Call: 454-5400
•Web:spiceclubgrill.com
•Hours: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4-9:30 p.m. daily
•Noise level: Low
•Etc.: Beer and wine served, delivery available through Bite Squad and Uber Eats, $10.99 lunch buffet
Unmasking Jean Le Boeuf, a look at JLB over 35 years
Samplemenu
Starters
• Vegetable samosas, $4.95
• Chicken pakoda, $9.99
• Chili paneer, $11.95
Entrees
• Chana masala, $11.95
•Kerala fish curry, $14.95
• Chicken tikka masala, $14.99
What the symbols mean
★ - Fair
★★ - Good
★★★ - Excellent
★★★★ - Exceptional
$ - Average dinner entree is under $10
$$ - $10-$15
$$$ - $15-$20
$$$$ - $20-$25
$$$$$ - $25 and up
