So my Friday night dinner is already planned. I am ordering Indian Delivery from Curry Club. They have an interesting setup. You join the "club" here and on every Monday, they send you the menu for the week (which changes every week). You then can email them your order and they will deliver it to you, wherever you are after 3 PM on Friday. My first question was, "Well, what time do they deliver?" Their response was this:

We can deliver the food from about 3 PM onwards either to your office or your home. Just let us know what works best for you and we will try to accommodate. If you like, we can even leave it at your house without you being there as long as there is a safe place to do so.

Tandoori Salmon (mild, marinated salmon on the grill for $9)
Kahari Lamb (lamb dish from Kashmir to you for $9)
Chicken Tikka Masala (chicken tikka in a lip-smacking creamy sauce for
$9)
Chicken Tikka (marinated chicken cooked on a skewer for $9)
Beef Vindaloo (the old favorite and just as spicy for $9)
Kidney Bean Curry (kidney beans in a delicious tomato and onion sauce
for $6)
Saag Paneer (indian cheese and spinach for $6)
Channa Masala (chick peas in a tomato gravy for $6)
Spicy Okra (lady's fingers for $6)
Bubble & Squeak Samosas ($6)
Mango Chutney ($5)
Tomato Chutney ($5)
Hot Lime Pickle ($5)
Cucumber and Tomato Raita ($4)
Puffy Yoghurt Bread (Indian bread for $2)
Plain Basmatti Rice ($2 for two)

Make sure you get your order to them by Thursday at 2 in order to get your order delivered by Friday afternoon.

To join the club, send an email to [email protected]

The last week has been pretty boring for me food wise. I haven't been eating out anywhere new. Work and my new dog have been keeping me busy. Mostly I've been eating out and around in my 'hood - Tenleytown. Cafe Ole has seen a lot of me and I have not been disappointed by them at all. I especially like that they bring out water for Ceiba when we come by. She is very appreciative.  We actually went there last night - AGAIN! All I have to say is you gotta try the polenta tartufo and ask for some pita chips with which to eat it.

Let's see where else have I been eating? Oh, I ate at Sushi Sushi on Thursday night and was kinda disappointed in their crab rolls. I mean, there is no excuse for the low quality crab meat they use there. Their crab meat is about as real as Michael Jackson's nose. I found myself wishing I was across the street at 2 Amys.

I had a great brunch with Amy and a friend of her's named Martha. I was not expecting much at all, because we were just stopping at some random place, but it really turned out to be the best breakfast food I have had around here in a while. The place was called Logan Tavern and is right on P st between 14th and 16th by the Whole Foods. I had a breakfast burrito, Amy had the Bacon and Eggs and Martha had a grilled cheese. I want to go back and get the grilled cheese because it looked so yummy. Martha thought it was good too :). My breakfast burrito was very fresh and I enjoyed it very much. Amy only had the eggs and bacon, but she ordered them over easy....AND THEY ACTUALLY CAME OUT OVER EASY! Imagine that?! The rest of the menu looked pretty interesting and I would have ordered some of them if I were not hung over from the night before (breakfast food it the best for hangovers). The arugula, peach and prosciutto salad looked good as well and the lump crap and avocado. Grilled scallops with balsamic glaze, baked Greek cheese with tomato sauce, grilled baby squid...all of them sound good, and those are only some of the appetizers. I think I will be heading back for dinner when I get back to Logan Circle.

Well, I think that is everything that has been going on in the last week or so in food. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that an Indian friend of mine from work made me some bhaji that turned out most excellent. He made us this huge container of it and we ended up eating it all in two nights. YUM. YUM. and YUM.

Ok, I think I am officially addicted to Indian food.

Last weekend, I managed to eat 3 meals at Indian Restaurants in 36 hours. It started at lunch on Friday. I went to the buffet at Bombay Masala in Greenbelt. I have been there with my coworkers a number of times for the buffet. It costs $6.95 - a pretty good deal. They always have a good selection of dishes to choose from, and the Chana Masala is always a hit with everyone.

That night, we ordered take-away from Indique. We just didn't feel like going out. As usual, it was great. We tried the samosa chaat for the first time and we liked it a lot.

The next day, we were seeing Garden State and the Landmark Theater in Bethesda. We were trying to figure out where to eat. I realized that we had never been to Passage to India since we attended the Indian Street Food Event they hosted.

"Indian food again?!" I said.

"Hell yeah!" Amy replied.

So we ended up there. It was wonderful, and I plan to post a full review of our experience there.

We did not eat anymore Indian food that weekend.

Last night, Amy and I made a trip with one of her blogging friends and his wife to Nirvana. We had never been to Nirvana before. However, several people had told me that Nirvana was one of the top Indian restaurants in DC, so I thought taking our friends there was a sure thing.

I'll start with the positives first. The appetizer platter we ordered was pretty good. It came with with amiri khaman (steamed lentil cakes), khandvi (chick pea flour pinwheels), khasta kachori (fried puffed pastry with chutneys), and aloo tikki (potato patties with peas and coconut). I especially liked the aloo tikki. Sadly, the appetizer platter was the only real highlight of the meal.

Two of us ordered tomoto-based curries. They tasted like someone had mixed canned tomato paste and sugar with vegetables and cheese. I swore I was eating a bad vodka sauce at a mediocre Italian restaurant. There was no sign of fresh tomato at all in the sauce. I ordered undhio which was something I had never seen at an Indian restaurant and sounded interesting. The menu said that undhio contained seasonal fresh vegetables (potatoes, peas, onions, peppers) and chick pea dumplings simmered in a spicy sauce. Pretty much the only accurate part of that statement was the spicy part. The potatoes were overcooked and dry and the peas were undercooked and hard. I didn't finish it.

At the risk of making a lot of people upset, I have to say that Nirvana was really average and none of us were really impressed with the food. I was really confused. I have talked to many people that really love this place. Tom Seitsema of the Post even gave it a really positive review as well. The only thing I can think of is that people have only been to Nirvana at lunch time for their buffet and have not eaten there for dinner. Either that, or Nirvana was really having a bad night.

At the end of the meal, I asked everyone, "So. What did you think?"

Everyone responded, "Eh," and shrugged their shoulders.

Saturday night, Amy and I were trying to decide where to go for dinner. We suddenly realized that we have not been to Taj of India in Georgetown in a while. It had actually been over a month. Amy wanted Indian food and we were going to see The Terminal at the theater in Georgetown, so it was a perfect choice. Either they were having a really rough night, or the restaurant has just gone down hill. First of all, the staff was completely different from the past times we went to Taj. The old staff used to recognize us when we came by, but the new staff was obviously new and barely trained. I think this included the cook. The tandoori paneer appetizer we ordered too forever to come and was burnt. The cook had obviously left it in the oven way too long. For an entree, I ordered the chicken tikka makhani. For those of you who don't know, chicken tikka is pieces of boneless chicken cooked in the tandoor. It too was overcooked. Luckily, it was edible cause it was drenched in sauce. I don't think this will be the last time we go to Taj of India, but if we have another similiar experience, I doubt we'll be returning.

Here is an great article on Indian Food in the DC area by Monica Bhide. Her list of most authentic Indian food restaurants is right on, although I haven't had a chance to try all of them yet. I also like that she included a list of Indian markets, although there still are none in DC ANYWHERE!

Indique.

I had a late dinner there last night with Amy. We arrived around 9:30 and there was still a wait for a table. Big surprise.  We sat down for a drink at the bar and just as we finished our drinks, they called us.

There was something different from the start. Shortly after we were seated, someone came by to give us water and ask us if we wanted a drink. The best thing, though, is that the drinks actually arrived before our food. In the past we would have gotten our drinks after the main course has been served. Our appetizer came out shortly after our drinks. Oh, and get this: Someone actually asked me if I wanted another drink --  an event that never happened before at Indique.

It seems like Indique (click for my original review) has instituted the captain system and hired a bunch of new people. In previous trips to Indique, we had always noticed that there just weren't enough people on the floor to take care of all the tables. This time, however, we saw a full staff of food expeditors, head waiters, secondary waiters, bus people, and a person who did nothing but walk around and fill water glasses.  These were all welcome changes to what was an otherwise perfect restaurant. I hope the change is permanent.

Who knows, though, it might have only been better because we were there so late.

Last Sunday, Amy and I went to Indique for lunch. WOW!! What a deal. $8-9 for an entree with soup or salad, rice, naan and a side of daal. It was probably one of the best deals we have ever had in a meal.

This wasn't the first time Amy and I had been to Indique. The first time we went was the the week it opened. Before it opened, we noticed the sign posted on the building at the top of the escalator to the Cleveland Park Metro. "Coming soon, another location of Bombay Bistro." Amy and I looked at each other...NOOOO WAY! We both knew of Bombay Bistro from our days living out in Gaithersburg. Bombay Bistro is said by many to be one of the top Indian restaurants in Maryland, so of course we were excited to see a new location opening around the corner from us. As time went on, the name of the restaurant changed from Bombay Bistro to Indique.

Amy and I went to Heritage India for dinner again last night. We originally intended to go to Indique, but we were unable to make a reservation the same night. Of course I waited till 6:30 to try and make a reservation. I'm a procrastinator as usual. So we "settled" (LOL) for Heritage India.

Here's a little history about our experiences at Heritage India. When we first moved to DC, being lovers of Indian food, we went to every Indian restaurant within walking distance of our home even though we were pretty strapped for cash. The first time we went to Heritage India, the first thing we noticed were that the prices were more than other Indian restaurants we had been to. We had heard, however, that the food was excellent there, and that the prices were well worth it. What we had heard was pretty much right on the money. However, I think at the time, the prices compared to other India restaurants (and the $100 bill) blinded us a bit. We also noticed that the service was a bit...rough around the edges.

Taj of India
Indian food is my cuisine of choice. I could eat it every day and lucky for me, I live in one of the best cities in the US for it (not that I travel much). When I saw that a new Indian Restaurant had come to Georgetown, I had to try it.   

Before I tell you about Taj, let me just say that Aditi used to be my favorite place to eat Indian in Georgetown. However, ever since they expanded their first floor, the restaurant has been very hit or miss. Why? Who knows? Maybe the best people on their staff left while they were closed for construction, or maybe to help pay for the expansion they started cutting back on the quality of the ingredients. Instead of dwelling on such inquisitive nonsense, (I know that does not make sense, but I am trying to sound smart) I tend to just go somewhere else to eat.

Upon entering Taj, you are instantly greeted by a friendly face. Depending on the time of day, the dining room can be crowded or empty. I have never waited for more than 5 minutes for a table.  The décor was…eh, who gives a crap.

Each of people serving us was attentive and eager to please. This is what Taj is about – Service. I have not once left this restaurant complaining about the service.

The menu was typical for an Indian restaurant with selections of curries and tandoori dishes. One unusual dish is the Lamb Chops Masala, which the waiter recommended my first time there. Do yourself a huge favor and try this dish. The wine list is reasonable as it is at most Indian places, however, I have to say the wine list at Taj is above average. Not that I am a wine connoisseur or anything, but in my opinion, drinking white zin is a sin. (My apologies for the bad rhyming)

The one downfall of ALL Indian restaurants is the dessert selection. Sadly, this also describes Taj of India. However, it really doesn’t matter how good or bad the dessert is if you don’t have room in your stomach for it. My trips to Taj are never an exception.

To wrap up, Taj of India is a good, reliable, reasonably priced Indian Restaurant. I would not say it is the top Indian place in DC. That honor is deserved solely by Heritage India. My review of Heritage will be coming soon.

Taj of India
2809 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 965-4266
Map