Journalism of Courage
On long drives between cities,what are the places one can stop at to get rid of those hunger pangs?
On a dark desert highway,cool wind in my hair. Warm smell of colitas,rising up through the air.’ No need to introduce this song to anyone. Some of the most famous opening lines of all times,this Eagles’ hit Hotel California is one of the most requested English songs on the radio. After all,it all starts with a highway…!
Sunny da Dhaba
Located on the old Mumbai-Pune highway,this restaurant has been around for over a decade. A popular destination,especially for bikers (because two-wheelers aren’t allowed on the expressway),Sunny da Dhaba specialises in food of the tandoor variety. We started around 14 years ago, says owner Sharad Wadhwani. My forefathers have always been in this business,so I too joined in. What we have today was once actually two different restaurants,that we have now clubbed into one.
Serving both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food,this restaurant is a must-visit for those with their Punjabi taste buds firmly in place. And with the current,ongoing kebab and handi festival,there are loads of mouth-watering treats.
Hotel Tourist
As one speeds along the new Mumbai-Pune highway,a few kilometres before the first toll booth or toll naka comes this little eating place. Barely capable of seating 10 people,this place does a roaring trade nevertheless. The manager of the establishment,Alok Shinde,says,Being a small place,we get all sorts of people here,from families to truck drivers,from polite customers to rude ones. However,we try to make their experience as good as possible.
Opening up in the wee hours,this eatery runs through most of the day,closing on some days as late as past midnight. To that,Shinde merely makes a philosophical remark – Customers and death can come as they please.
A place operating on minimal resources,this dhaba nevertheless tries to have the highest quality,be it hygiene or taste.
Mountain Dhabba
This little joint has been set up specifically keeping in mind those people who travel on the highway on an almost everyday basis,be it truck-drivers or taxi-drivers. Offering thalis in both veg and non-veg,the manager Atul Patil feels that the non-veg food is much,much better. Set up on a road slightly off the main highway,upon a hill,this eatery offers unlimited food to people for a very cheap price. Patil,who only deals with thalis,says,The kind of customers I get want a quick meal,so a thali is the most convenient. Though business is slow in the day,the place does a roaring trade at night.
Aditya Bhojanalaya
All sorts of people come here. Soft-collar professionals,labourers,everyone. I guess good taste at a cheap price is irresistible, says Vijay Desai,the manager of this restaurant. Located on the new highway,this eatery,with seafood as its speciality,serves only Maharashtrian food. But Desai’s logic behind it is quite simple. We are good at making our cuisine,but not so good at making dishes from other areas. So why should I serve an average dish when I can serve a tasty one? he challenges.
With all the dishes under Rs 50,this restaurant is a great cheap getaway.
