Eating budget game: recession ingenuity or fool's errand?

Midtown may not be known from testing culinary boundaries, but when I tried Minar's two quail for $6.50 special, I figured I was headed for a borderline of some kind, for better or worse. Minar is in many respects a solid midtown lunch spot, and the location where I ate at 31st recently opened (there is another Minar on 46th b/w 6th and 7th avenues. The fare is better than the average budget South Asian cuisine, the set-up is cafeteria line style fast-food, and the folks there are thoughtful enough to leave out a bowl of raw green chilies for those, like me, who swing that way.

A friend of mine told me about the two quail for $6.50 special and it immediately alerted us to the possibility of a slippery slope. What would be next? Venison on the extra value menu? Mako Shark in a street cart? The possibilities for disaster seemed overwhelming.

But, thanks to a combination of Minar's awesome curry and very tender quail, they seemed to have pulled off quite the coo: not just passable -- but good -- wild game enjoyed at budget prices. Though eating quail in curry is a bit more difficult than in other preparations, it's worth the effort. The meat practically falls of the bone and the curry -- a buttery, tomatoey makhani -- was awesome.

Rock on Minar, for introducing us to the world of cheap game. Let's just hope others do it as well as you, if so boldly inclined.

Minar, 5 West 31st Street, New York, NY