There's a little place I stop to visit every time I'm in San Francisco. Conveniently located on Ellis St., between Powell St. and Mason St., New Delhi Restaurant just waits for me to find it afresh every time.

Recently in San Francisco for the RSA Conference 2008 I found myself looking for a late lunch the day before the conference began. I got out there a bit early so that I'd be able to stay in sync with the office and get some work done before I spent the rest of the week in sessions on cryptography, access control, and the use electronic information in litigation.

I walked over from the Hotel Pickwick and walked past a large bar with a few patrons enjoying a drink. The impressive interior carries portraits of Indian notables and is decorated to put visitors in mind of the dining hall of a Maharaja. I was shown to a table by Ranjan Dey himself, who chatted with me briefly and made me feel like an old friend before seeing to it that the chicken vindaloo that I ordered was perfect. Delicious and wonderfully spicy curry with potatoes, served with rice. I rounded out lunch with naan and a mango lassi.

Over the past few years I've had occasion to visit five or six times and am always delighted with the results. I don't know when or why I'll next be in San Francisco but I already know that a visit to New Delhi restaurant will be on the itinerary.