Bhave Bhojnalay

Dattawadi is where we are in Pune. It is right beside the Raviraj Steel Center. Most people in the area know us as a simple bhojnalay. We do not have a huge menu with fifty different items. We make what is fresh and what people like to eat every day. It is mostly for people who work nearby or live alone and miss home cooking. We use the 418 address for a long time now. The kitchen has those big iron tavas. We make chapatis by hand, one by one. It is hard work on the wrists but the taste is better that way. My wife helps with the vegetable cutting in the mornings. We get everything from the local mandi. We do not like the frozen stuff. Pune is changing fast but Dattawadi still feels like the old days. We have a few wooden benches and tables. They are sturdy. We do not have air conditioning, just a few fans that hum all day. It gets warm but it is real. People come here to eat, not to look at their phones. We keep things quiet and simple. No loud music or bright lights. Just a plate of food and a glass of water. We have seen the steel center next door grow over the years while we just keep doing our thing. It is a steady life and we like it.