Needham can use more places to eat and this one is sure to attract the locals as well as people from neighboring towns. It is amazing that a "Hit or Miss" store could be transformed into this elegant, bright, contemporary Indian restaurant. Everything is attractive from the 3 Ganesh carved on the wall behind the bar to the tableware to the colored walls with their recessed lighting. Although Masala Art is a bit noisy, it is upbeat and full of charm. The wait staff is gracious and eager to explain the dishes and the Indian traditions. Unfortunately, we are the wrong people to review the cuisine. Our palates are not trained to recognize good Indian when we taste it. Wendy does not care for highly spiced foods and should have known to ask for a reduction in the spices. Thomas enjoys highly spiced dishes but is not familiar with the use of Indian spices. Although we were not particularly happy with the meals we ordered, we feel they were probably prepared correctly. We will have do sample some more Indian food to be able to assess the quality of the food here. Since the atmosphere is very pleasant and the service is excellent, we suspect that people who recognize fine Indian cuisine will quickly make Masala Art one of their favorite restaurants.

RESTAURANT:	MASALA ART
	990 Great Plain Avenue Needham, MA
DATE:	October, 2003
MEAL:	Dinner
BREAD:
SALAD:
APPETIZER:
ENTREE:	Mixed Grill - Several highly spiced meats - a large portion
	Lamb Curry and Vegetables - a reasonable portion of spicy Indian curry
	Lentil Crepe - a crepe with an assortment of Indian vegetables and dipping sauces
DESSERT:
OTHER:	Parking in a large lot behind the restaurant or on the street
	Dress is casual
	Most entrees about $15.00
	Very clean restaurant
OVERALL:	Unrated - We suspect that if we knew more about Indian cuisine it would be an "A". We liked what we saw but were unfamiliar with what we ate!