Review: The Onion Tree in Sea Cliff
Spicy goat curry at The Onion Tree in Sea Cliff. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
Indian food no longer needs to be put in a box, unless of course you're talking about a pizza box. Husband-and-wife team Jay Jadeja and Raquel Wolf Jadeja are among Long Island’s most accomplished pizzaioli, whose past projects include West East Bistro in Hicksville and Wild Side Bistro in Oakdale. Their current venture is a personal statement that draws from Jay's Indian heritage as well as his interest in New American fusion. (And judging by the paintings on the walls, Jimi Hendrix.)
The cozy Indian bistro opened in 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on the industry. Jadeja adapted to the takeout situation by bringing in an imported Forza Forni oven to prepare the Neapolitan pizzas he'd fallen in love with at his previous restaurants.
This formula not only sustained the restaurant through the pandemic, but became such a hit that the couple were able to open a second location in East Village this April. Jay also took home first prize in the Neapolitan division of the 2022 Pizza and Pasta Northeast competition in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The Onion Tree's menu is a hodgepodge of upscale Indian fare, inspired by Jadeja's childhood memories across various regions of India, often with highly specific stories attached. Highlights include a fragrant, spicy chicken curry he learned from his grandmother in Gujarat. A fish curry from the southern state of Tamil Nadu features a wild-caught local striped bass in a tomato tamarind sauce garnished with flash-fried curry leaves.
Masala Margherita Neapolitan pie and pico di Zola Roman pies at The Onion Tree in Sea Cliff. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
Then there is the pizza menu, where flavors like chicken tikka masala and saag paneer sit alongside Margherita and wild mushroom. The assertively puffy crust creates a wall that hugs in the smattering of green cilantro and fried curry leaves that conceal the spicy chiles underneath. A fierce combination.
Cocktails are interestingly savory here but the bar also is a rare purveyor of wines from Baja California, which often don't make it past the Mexican border.
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Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
