While Baluchi’s may not offer the finest Indian food in New York City, its presence in Park Slope would be welcome, and we were unhappy when the Smith Street branch closed in 2006. We reported that the chainlet would be opening on Fifth Avenue so long ago that we’d given up hope and filed it away under things that weren’t going to happen, especially given the lack of visible progress in the storefront it would occupy. Yet, hope is still alive. Brownstoner had a photo of the interior yesterday and reported that the plan is still to open on Fifth Avenue between Second and Third, possibly by June. We’ll take that estimate with an appropriate grain of basmati rice, but it will be great to see them on Fifth Avenue when they finally open.–Brownstoner