Annam Brahma

Where am I? you might ask yourself as you seek out Annam Brahma in this hilly part of Queens. It's an unusual—and good—vegetarian restaurant tucked inside a sky blue edifice. Blue is the color of spirituality, according to the late Sri Chinmoy, whose students have run the place for decades. Western women in saris wait on tables; they're so kind, they make you want to be a better person. The dining room feels like a retreat from the world, appointed with enormous photos of Chinmoy, a mounted TV playing a video of him, and a white living room behind glass, apparently a shrine. Chinmoy wrote books, poetry and music; a selection of his output sells in the gift shop along the back wall. The dal soup is excellent, and the Indian portion of the menu is, in general, the tastiest. To jazz things up, Tuesday is "Chinese Day" and Thursday is "Italian Day."