When I was growing up in England I never tasted garlic in my cooking, let alone any spice. Then I moved away to Manchester and found myself in a world of Indian food I’d never imagined! On a Saturday night I’d walk along the Curry Mile in Rusholme and find our group of students implored to enter the dozens of restaurants along the strip. The sheer joy of being able to devour succulent chicken on freshly baked naan has never left me, but I’ve also learned over the years how much more the subcontinent has to offer. Even as I’ve lived in suburbs like Simi Valley, I’ve always been able to find an Indian restaurant that taught me something new about the cuisine.

When I arrived in San Francisco, I have to confess I was a bit disappointed. Down near San Jose there were some amazing Indian experiences, but nothing I tried locally really hit the spot. That’s why I was so excited when Indian Paradox opened in my Divisadero neighborhood a couple of years ago. The owner Kavitha has a unique vision of pairing South Indian street food with the perfect wines in a combination I’ve never heard of anywhere else. She’s able to conjure up delicacies like Dabeli potato burgers and Kanda Batata Poha flattened rice, and pair them with delicious Zinfandels and Mosels to create something I’ve never been able to experience anywhere else.

I’ve been a frequent enough visitor to hear a little of Kavitha’s story, and her journey from Chennai to San Francisco, via Alabama. She’s driven by her love of the food, and when that’s combined with deep knowledge of wine, it gives an experience I don’t think you could find anywhere else in the world. I’ve never found great pairings with Indian food before. In Manchester the best I could hope for was a clean Kingfisher lager that wouldn’t clash with the spice, but somehow the right wines feel like the ingredient I’ve been missing in my Indian meals all these years.

Anyway, it’s a small local business that I love, so I wanted to share a little of my own enthusiasm with the world. If you’re ever in San Francisco and love food, I highly encourage you to make it along to Indian Paradox, and say hi from me!