Patel Snacks

Give a pass to the Wendy's across the street and swing by this Indian mom-and-pop eatery for a wada-pav ($2), fried curried potatoes (pronounced vada) on bread or a soft bun (pav). In Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra state, it's a popular street food; mine never made it to the door.

On an earlier occasion, when I'd already moved on to desserts, I ordered a laddoo ($5 per pound), a name in India that can cover just about anything round and sweet. At Patel, they're served up the size of a tennis ball, dense and syrupy.

Patel Snacks
785 Newark Ave., Jersey City
201-792-4356