when we decided to review Kashmir for this week's edition.

Kashmir provides authentic Indian cuisine with a very accessible menu that can be enjoyed both by “curry newbies” and hardened Indian food groupies alike. We chose to eat outside on the lower of the two patios that face out onto Newbury Street. This is a great place to enjoy people watching as the sun sets and the hungry after work crowds mill around on the sidewalk of what is one of the best people watching streets in Boston.

The service at Kashmir is excellent, with attentive and helpful staff who clearly want to make your meal a success. With the massive amounts of rain we've had lately, we were very lucky to choose a pleasant Tuesday evening and were quickly shown to a table, where we settled in to enjoy some good food.

For me, Indian beer is something of a tradition with Indian food. Taj Mahal and Flying Horse are excellent Indian imports and if you prefer something more American, Kingfisher is a wildly popular American-style Indian brew. Ricky Arora, the wine sommelier showed us the wine list and encouraged us to consider some of the hand-picked wines that he has selected to stand up to the robust flavors of Indian cooking.

Along with the beer came a selection of appetizers including the ubiquitous Chicken Tikka. We were very impressed with the Vegetable Samosas and Minted Kashmiri Scallops in Saffron. Along with our appetizers, we tried some of the condiments which included tamarind saurce, cilantro with mint and a spicy onion relish.

Sharing is definitely the best way to go with Indian food. Eating family-style allows you to try everything and perhaps to sample things that you normally wouldn't order. All of the dishes were delightfully presented, tasted very fresh and were delicious.

We went on to enjoy a classic lamb potato curry, Gosht Vindaloo. This can be enjoyed either mild or wild depending on your taste. Along with this, we sampled Mung Tikka Masala, a classic chicken dish and Rack of Lamb with Mixed Vegetables, a rack of lamb marinated in yogurt and exotic spices, cooked in a clay oven until succulent and tasty. Our final entree was Kashmir Special Biryani, basmati rice with shrimp, fish, chicken, lamb, beef, vegetables, nuts and raisins with a fresh mint and yogurt sauce. These were all delicious, and as you can see in the accompanying photographs, very colorful. One of the things I most enjoy about Indian food is the way challenges all of your senses. It smells great, looks attractive, has very interesting textures and tastes terrific.

Some people are scared of Indian food because of the reputation it has for being over spicy. This is absolutely not the case and at Kashmir the wait staff are more than willing to guide you toward dishes that suit your palate. There are plenty of delicatly flavored entrées as well as the more robust traditional curries.

Accompanying our meal were two breads. Nan bread is something of a staple for diners of Indian food. I think, in India it's used to extend the dish along with rice. It's comparatively easy to identify how fresh a Nan is by its fluffiness and texture. Aficionados of Boston fried dough would probably be able to identify a fresh Nan. We tried the Garlic Nan and found it to be absolutely delicious - hot, fresh, fluffy with exactly the right amount of fresh garlic. Poori, a whole wheat, deep fried puffed bread, is an interesting texture and flavor that worked well with the vindaloo.

We e njoyed a crème brulee as our dessert and took a few moments to enjoy the hubbub of activity on the Newberry Street sidewalks. Kashmir has done a fine job of bringing authentic Indian cooking to the heart of downtown Boston. With its sophisticated inside dining room and two outside patios, it's an ideal spot for good food, come rain or shine. At the time when much American cuisine has become very bland and simplistic, Indian food offers a new gastronomic adventure for everyone. India is such a large country and has so many diverse cultures, each with their own cuisine, it is no wonder that Kashmir's menu contains such a wide variety of dishes. Bachitar Singh, Chef and Owner is to be congratulated on providing an excellent all round dining experience.

Ricky Arora is the wine sommelier and has put together an extensive wine list.

Kashmir offers over 24 wines by the glass, 15 by the half bottle, and over 80 by the bottle, ranging in price from $15 - $90.

The most expensive being a cabernet sauvignon from Groth in Napa Valley. He chose a nice light chardonnay, Stellenzicht from South Africa, to compliment our dinner.