Guru Indian Cuisine was voted "Best new restaurant (less than one year old)" in the Fredericksburg area in the 2003 Freddy Awards. They made their grand opening in Central Park in November. They specialize in authentic Indian cuisine, using all fresh ingredients and spices that are hand ground on the premises daily. Owner Dave Mathur and his staff make quality a number one priority. They offer everything from Kabobs and Tandoori to Seafood and Biryani and offer and extensive vegetarian selection. They are open 365 days a year serving a weekday lunch buffet from 11:30 am until 2:30 pm and on weekends from 11:30am until 3:00pm. Their dinner hours are Sun-Thurs. 5:00pm until 9:30pm and from 5:00pm until 10:00pm Friday and Saturdays.

My family and I enjoy eating out. We especially like to sample different ethnic cuisines like Tai, Mexican and Italian. But when I was asked to write a an article on the new Guru Indian restaurant in Central Park, I was skeptical. I'm not familiar with Indian Cuisine, so I didn't know what to expect. I assumed, however, that the food would be heavily spiced with curry, and I'm not a big fan of curry. In fact, I avoid I whenever I can, but a dislike of curry is no reason to avoid Guru. From its family-friendly atmosphere to the freshly baked bread and the many unusual spices that are used in the restauarant's cooking, Guru was a pleasant surprise.

Owner Dave Mathur, who also owns the Taste of Tandoor restaurant in Woodbridge, says his customers persuaded him to open a restaurant in Fredericksburg. He was also encouraged by a Free Lance-Star article published last year that asked readers what businesses they wish would move to the area. And Indian restaurant was near the top of the dining list.

Mather immediately put my mind at ease by explaining that curry is actually a sauce, not a spice, and it's used in Indian cooking to add flavor. He noted the the chefs at Guru cook with 29 different spices, including clove, saffron and turmeric. There are 60 different items on the menu.

My companion and I perused the menu selections while sharing the Mango Lassi, a mango flavored smoothie that was fruity, creamy and delicious. Next we sampled a platter of appetizers that included a combination of Murg Tikka (boneless chicken breast strips marinated in yogurt, herbs and spices and grilled over charcoal), Palakh Pakora (fresh vegetable turnover stuffed with potatoes and green peas and flavored with cumin and other spices). The appetizers were served with two dipping sauces: a mildly spicy cilantro sauce and a sweet tamarind sauce.

For our main course, the other suggested that we start with Reshmi Kababs. The word "reshmi" means silk, and the boneless pieces of white meat chicken truly were smooth as silk. The kabobs, like many other items on the menu, were cooked in a Tandoor, or charcoal-fired clay oven. Mathur noted that all the meats, poultry and seafood at Guru are marinated overnight and then skewered and broiled in the tandoor.

My companion and I also ordered two lamb entrees. The first, Rogan Josh, featured tender pieces of lamb cooked in a yogurt-based curry sauce. The second, Saag Gosht, was a tasty combination of lamb and spinach. All the entrees were served with fluffy Basmati rice. Our meal was accompanied by an order of Naan bread, a traditional white bread made of fine flour and baked in the tandoor. The restaurant's menu features eight different breads, a traditional white bread made of find flour and baked in the tandoor. The restaurant's menu features eight different breads that are freshly baked per order. Mathur explained that the bread dough is placed on the wall of the tandoor and baked to perfection. The bread is apparently very low in carbohydrates, which makes it a good choice for customers who are on the Atkins diet.

For dessert, we sampled several items, including Kheer, an Indian rice pudding sprinkled with nuts and raisins, and Mango Kulfi, a traditional Indian ice cream. Both were delicious. As we finished our dessert, a friend who had just finished dining at Guru stopped by our table to tell us how much he enjoyed his meal. "I've been eating in Indian Restaurants since 1968," he said, "and this is as good a restaurant as I've ever found."

Guru is located near Tables Unlimited in Central Park's Uptown section. The restaurant, which offers a lunch buffet seven days a week, is open weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekends. It's open for dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. And until 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Fredericksburg's pent-up demand had folks lining up at Guru Indian Cuisine in Central Park as soon as it opened in mid-November. But the restaurant's attention to quality and flavor probably will keep customers coming back.

Until recently, Fredericksburg Indophiles had to drive to Richmond or Northern Virginia to get their curry fix. A popular destination was Taste of Tandoor in Woodbridge.

Customers asked Taste of Tandoor owner Devainder Mathur to open a restaurant in the Pear City. Those requests, coupled with The Free Lance-Star's report that readers wanted an Indian restaurant here, persuaded Mathur to open Guru.

Mathur, a native of New Delhi, learned to cook at his mother's knee and he is exacting with spices and timing.

On a lunch visit, I found the most delightful okra (bhindi masala, $9) as part of the lunch buffet. Mathur told me it was the first dish he learned from his mother when he was in fifth grade. In loving detail, he explained the method of making the okra tender and flavorful without a trace of slime. Card-carrying okra haters at my table went back for seconds.

How well a restaurant prepares vegetables is a good indicator of the skill of the chef, and Guru gets high marks. The lunch buffet features only one type of meat - chicken - but usually has three vegetable dishes: tasty spiced potatoes (aloo masala, $8); lentil stew (traditional dal); and a third that varies by the day and the hour.

Some vegetable favorites are the roasted, delicately spiced eggplant and the creamy spinach with fresh, homemade cheese bits (palak paneer, $9). Lunch customers may have the limited buffet, or they may order form the menu. Mathur said that he plans to implement specially priced lunch menus in February. He also hopes to expand Guru into the adjoining space at the time.

Now the restaurant is small, with an intimate, comfortable atmosphere. The textured burnt-orange walls and burgundy ceiling, gentle lighting and sound of water trickling over a rock fountain make the place cozy.

Some waiters at Guru deliver food and suggestions with confidence, but others are hesitant and unsure of their duties. Since Mathur is an almost constant presence in the dining room, training waiters and attending to customers, I predict that these wrinkles will smooth out with time.

And even the greenest waiter is welcome when he brings hot, flaky naan from the tandoori oven. Or perfectly tender lamb kabobs. Or silky yogurt-marinated chicken breast. Can't decide among the seven tandoori offerings? Try the mixed grill ($13) with lamb, chicken and two gigantic, toothsome shrimp.

Guru serves entrées with fragrant basmati rice. Diners may order any of six freshly baked tandoori breads ($1.50-$2.50), toasted cumin-scented yogurt raita ($2), spicy coriander chutney or sweet mango chutney ($2).

Guru makes a variety of curried dished with lamb, salmon, shrimp or chicken. Guru's korma dishes are mild and creamy, Goa shrimp masala ($15) has a velvety coconut-milk and ginger sauce, and the lamb saag gosht ($10) is a flavorful stew of spinach spiked with whole black cardamom pods.

A vegetarian dish that deserves a mention is the balingan bharta ($9) of baked eggplant, onions, tomatoes and herbs cooked and mashed to a savory stew complex flavors.

Guru brews spiced chai tea ($2) and serves a bottomless cup from the pot. The restaurant also serves wine, liquor and three Indian beers.

Among Guru's traditional desserts the kulfi ($3)--cardamom-laced ice cream made from evaporated milk-stands out.

Though Guru is very early in its run, chef-owner Mathur is overseeing everything with an exacting eye.

And Fredericksburg is so happy to have Guru here that some growing pains are cheerfully overlooked.