It seems fitting that Dosa's second location, on Fillmore, sits across the street from the Sundance movie theater. The restaurant is as sexy as Penelope Cruz and as dramatic as any Merchant Ivory production—about as glamorous as old Hollywood itself. A soaring space with dazzling feathery chandeliers and smooth as silk service welcomes you into a world of refined Indian food made from the most pristine ingredients. And, for BBE subscribers only, the handpicked dishes on the Chile Pepper menu—some hot, some not—are real showstoppers. On the mild side, Anaheim peppers come stuffed with chicken and chiles, topped with a creamy sauce of sesame and cashews. At the other extreme, batter-fried chiles filled with sesame and peanut paste will set your tongue on fire—good thing they’re served with cooling chutneys on the side. Freshly grilled summer corn salad seasoned with mustard seeds and curry leaves is served with the chiles on the side, so you control the heat. Whatever your tolerance level, you get to choose as many or as few dishes as you like. Round out your meal with crisp, crêpe-like dosas—the house specialty—filled with mostly vegetables, such as spiced potatoes or peas, carrots, cabbage and red onion. It’s an Oscar-worthy experience.

Batter-fried chiles $9
Grilled corn & chile Pooriyal $9
Habanero mango Uttapam $11
Lamb pepper fry $16
Peppers stuffed with chicken $12

Masala chutney dosa
Tomato & onion uttapam
South Indian Bhel Puri
Duck spinach Masala and Paneer
view full menu here

The mezzanine offers a bird’s-eye view, but sit near the buzzing bar for a lively experience.

The dramatic building on the corner of Fillmore and Post was previously a Bank of America (the vault is now a wine room) and more recently a Goodwill store. Not only is the food mostly organic and sustainable, but the eco-friendly redesign included the installation of solar-powered water heaters and recycled glass bar tops.

lunch: Wed.–Sun. 11:30 AM–3 PM
dinner: Sun.–Thurs. 5:30 PM–11:00 PM;
Fri. & Sat. 5:30 PM–midnight

$13 (Tamil vegetable curry) –$29 (spiced lamb chops)