A little after 9.30 pm, when Prakash Wagle quietly slips behind the cash counter, two old men enter his eatery and walk up to his desk. “We read about you in the papers. Is it true?” Wagle, the owner, simply nods, without even looking at his two patrons. Over the past few weeks, staff members confirm, Wagle has made it clear to everyone entering Dattatreya that any conversation about the restaurant’s future will not be entertained. “It will be very sad,” say the two customers, and wander off to find themselves a corner table. Wagle continues to stare at the bill book on his desk. The eatery established in 1953 will be shutting shop by the end of this month, days after it celebrates its 60th anniversary on May 4.



Vishwa Mahal is dead



For Mumbaikars who dig authentic Maharashtrian food, Dattatreya’s...