WHEN Madhav Rao Polisetti, a hotelier with a law background, thought of setting up Karteeka Vanam, he wanted the restaurant to specialise only in authentic Andhra coastal food. He opened it in May 2002, though karteeka vanam in Telugu means picnic season, and picnic season in Visakhapatnam is between November and December.

And one year later, the place is immensely popular as a hangout and picnic spot for the city's socialites and their families on weekends. But sadly, his menu is not restricted to authentic Andhra food, it is varied. �People ask for tandoori, children ask for noodles, so I had to do a multi-cuisine menu,� he grumbles good-naturedly.

The restaurant has changed from being a rustic 172-seater among palm and bamboo trees, and casurinas, to become an ethnic beach resort. Madhav Rao Polisetti offers it for beach parties and he has even constructed cabins there for families to spend the entire weekends in one long picnic.

Sundays, he offers them breakfast, lunch, dinner and an afternoon snack with tea. Check in at 8 a.m. and out at 11 p.m. Plus, there is for the casual diner a non-vegetarian thali on Sunday priced at Rs. 90. It offers chicken, fish, three vegetables, dal, naan, vegetable pulao, curd-rice, rasam and a dessert.

Karteeka Vanam is located in Yendada outside Vizag, on the Visakha-Bhimili Beach Road (telephone 0891 2797265/2797268). It has indoors and outdoors seating, with the tables widely spread out so as not to disturb the diners at the next tables.

Madhav Rao Polisetti gets all his food provisions from the city because Karteeka Vanam is so far out, no contractors want to come here. He keeps an aviary for duck and turkey. �The duck moves a lot,� he said, �I do it in a spicy Andhra preparation and also a Chinese. The menu is not fashionable. It is rustic in keeping with the concept.�