Gulzars
By Scott Millsop
“Color is life.” That is a Hindu insight. Colors are not merely decorative, they are vibrant expressions of life itself. Colors have meaning and color combinations have emotional resonance. They are essential in festivals and rituals. They are present in environments to energize the spirit. “Our whole restaurant is a festival of color” Deepika Singh, one of the owners says, and she speaks of a holiday. “Holi is a festival that celebrates life, celebrates good over evil, and celebrates love.”
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When you walk in the door to Gulzar - an Indian restaurant in the midst of downtown Dayton, near the Dragon’s ballpark, around the corner from Riverscape Metropark, kitty cornered from the Fairfield Inn, directly opposite a remnant of the Miami-Erie Canal park and yet somehow situated on a quiet city street - all of that color envelopes you.
Photos by Bobby Tewksbury
From the street Gulzar seems to be a small shop, but walking through the door reveals that it is a large room, vibrant with aromas, shapes, lighting and color. It seems like another world immediately and that is the point. “The colors represent India” said Deepika, an owner of Gulzars with her husband Jay Singh. “India has lots of languages, lots of dialects, lots of foods, clothing and different
cultures.”
Like other tales in the Ethnosh travelogue, Gulzar is not just a restaurant. It is a celebration of culture. The name roughly translates as “garden of flowers” and means “a flourishing, lively place”. And so it is. The pride is evident. The practice is profound. Jay prepares food with a great smile on his face. Deepika speaks of food service as “tender hospitality”. Everything speaks to reverence and heritage.
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Jay and Deepika moved from India to America as children. He at 12 and she at 9 emigrated with their families to Clifton in Cincinnati and they met there in school at the Academy of World Languages. Both of their families have restaurants in their background, but both are also educated in other disciplines. Jay is trained as a physical therapist. Deepika has a Master’s degree and experience as a teacher, but both answered the call of the many joys and missions of the restaurant life where they can give full expression to this lifework.
Food is also a family matter. The larger family has owned other restaurants. Jay’s father runs a popular Indian restaurant in Richmond, Indiana. Jay worked in restaurants from an early age, starting at the bottom and learning every part of the business. He is full of admiration for his father and talks about how hard he works as a matter of character and faith. By contrast, Deepika says “I learned from my dad to NOT be in the restaurant business.” He too was a restauranteur in Cincinnati and was so noted for “Indian Sweets” that it drew the attention of the New York Times. He wanted his children to have the American dream in other fields. But as a teacher she found that she came home from work crying because it the system was interested in standardized testing, rather than helping the children as humans to would evolve. But she found that restaurants allowed her to do what she wanted to do and we can discover that at Ethnosh.
The cuisine is Northern Indian. It will be a treat for vegetarians, and a learning opportunity for many of us who may not be familiar with Indian food. Flavors are subtle. Some are spicy. Textures are varied and novel. There are delicious sauces for dipping. Altogether this is an opportunity for discovery.
The first Gulzar opened 10 years ago in Richmond. The first location in Dayton was next door to their current location. When they made the move it required a massive renovation that involved all of the restaurant systems and the color treatments. The ontractor on that project was our own Michael Grooms and he was deeply involved in executing the concept. That was his day job. Previously he was a professional dancer, and a paralegal. He’s a financial advisor now. Lucky for us, he’s also a foodie.