Bay Leaf (CLOSED)

Although the midtown block on which Calcutta-born chef Peter Gomas does his cooking is bland, Bay Leaf is anything but. Diners sit under framed silk tapestries, pondering an endless menu of North Indian specialties, as friendly-but-rushed waiters deliver food and drinks. Behind a picture window, the busy cook pulls countless tikkas and nans from the tandoor. Like many West Bengalese, Gomas favors seafood, and the house prawns, simmered in a creamy sauce, are a good choice. Lamb kebabs are delectably spiced with cumin and coriander. Bay Leaf offers a respectable wine list, and Indian beers Kingfisher and Taj Mahal help quell any heat.