A guy walks into a bar: Dancing Ganesha

The Look: Looking out onto Harmon Place in Downtown Minneapolis, Dancing Ganesha reveals itself through large, bare windows. The dining room is narrow and unimaginatively adorned. This was a little disappointing since Indian culture is known for its detail and flourish. The bar interrupts the dining room and is dominated by a flat screen television displaying what appeared to be the Indian equivalent of MTV.

The Crowd: At the end of happy hour on a Thursday evening, Dancing Ganesha was sparsely peopled with a few pairs of office workers having quiet dinners and a small group of twenty-somethings catching up over beers and appetizers at the bar. I suspect that the vast majority of their business comes from downtown employees having something to eat on their way home from work.

The Drinks: As I settled onto my barstools I found the bartender to be a little gruff. He was deflecting inquiries from the other folks at the bar with little sense of accommodation and he showed little interest in helping me choose something good from their cocktail list. From what I could overhear of his conversations with co-workers I learned that he was very new at Dancing Ganesha and his night was clearly getting off to slow start.  Fair enough. Together we selected the “Red Dragon” from a list of drinks with an Indian spin including the “Monsoon,” “Liquid Gold,” and the “Indian Cosmopolitan.”  What tasted like spiked strawberry Kool-Aid was a blend of Skyy vodka, strawberry an vanilla liqueurs, and ginger ale.  Try as I may to discern the flavors through the flat viscosity of the “Red Dragon,” I still found it cloying.

Meanwhile, the bartender was settling in behind the bar and seemed to brighten up. He made a point to make sure the others at the bar got in another round before happy hour ended. As for me, I decided to order the “Indian Cosmopolitan” (tequila, Grand Marnier, white cranberry juice, crushed ginger, lime juice, and a dash of sugar syrup). I’m not sure what makes this cosmopolitan “Indian,” but it was better than the “Red Dragon.” For starters, it was garnished with a thick curl of lemon, like a citrus leather Frito—nice touch.  And the flavors were more pronounced (except the ginger, which I couldn’t taste at all). But, in the end, the “Indian “Cosmopolitan” didn’t make any more sense than the “Red Dragon.” I don’t think tequila was the right palette for those particular ingredients.

The beer at Dancing Ganesha, however, was well selected and appropriate to the theme. There were three taps offering good American micro-brews and authentic Indian lagers available in bottles.

The Menu: Contemporary Indian cuisine, traditional for the most part with some ingredients and influences not normally seen on Indian menus. Dancing Ganesha is run by the same folks who own the celebrated Nala Pak in Columbia Heights (formerly Udupi), which is consistently named as the best Indian food in the Twin Cities.

The Verdict: The bar culture at Dancing Ganesha has yet to find it’s identity. Go for the food, but stick to beer and simple cocktails.

Add a comment