rvanrens

I volunteer to use my widely-reknowned good taste and powers of discretion to judge this or any future beauty pageant involving DR.com members.

Under the rules for "Calling Shotgun", page 32 paragraph 9 section 4 subsection B, this now means that I am Cheif Ogler, with the power to appoint or fire (disappoint?) other judges. It also means that I start accepting bribes as of 5:00 today, and will continue until 1/2 hour before final judging.

Rob

Seriously, though, I love deeply:

Palak Paneer

Aloo Gobi

Naan - I mean, really good, really fresh naan, still scorching hot

Lamb Rogan Josh

Biryani, any of the ones I've tried

Dal

Tikka Masala, not really authentic I know, but really tasty

Butter Chicken/chicken makhani - again, not real authentic, but I'll gorge on the stuff

Samosas, preferably hot, slightly greasy, and eaten while walking - a habit picked up as a student in London

Beer

That's all that comes to mind, but I KNOW there are others too numerous to list. I can think of only a couple of indian dishes I've tried that I DON'T like.

Rob

Favorite Dish....hhhmmmm....

Yes. As in, when the waitperson asks what you'd like, just hand the menu back, smile, and say "Yes, thank you, they would be lovely. I'm gonna need a few to-go boxes, tho..."

Incidentally, big fan of Minerva in Fairfax.

Does anybody have a good recipe for butter chicken/chicken makhani? I've been trying for a long time to get it right, but mine is not quite there - always missing that full, round flavor that restaurants manage (and my sister-in-law's next door neighbor) - mine tends to be somewhat sharp and attenuated. Please, help me, you have no idea how vital this information is. My wife will continue to stay married to me FOREVER if I can manage to master butter chicken.

Rob

Most of my spices probably need to be thrown out for age.  Bought the majority of them at my first place three years ago, same with some canned veggies.

Also have a can of Manwich that has probably moved with me at least once, and probably twice.

I suppose you'll be wanting my badge and gun...

Yep. And you'll get them right back, flavored with ALL your old seasonings.

Rob

Hey folks, to keep my lawyer happy can we change the subject from alcohol back to the food and who is coming?

Thanks,

mom

I'll be there, with She Whow Must Be Obeyed riding shotgun and The Enemy of All Sleep supervising from the back seat...don't know wat we'll bring yet, kinda depends uponthe weather, but it'll be yummy.

Rob

Once upon a time (forty years ago! Ouch!!) McDonald's had legitimately good food:  hamburgers (fresh hamburger), french fries (fresh potatos sliced in house and cooked in 70% animal fat with the skin on)

Until my apartment fire a few years ago, I actually had one of the old McD's tater slicers...thing worked better than anything else I've ever tried for reducing veggies to 1/4 inch square sticks.

Rob

I am in agreement with the general consensus here - CakeLove's legend far exceeds its quality.  For a basic, but great, moist cupcake, at only $1/each - Pastries by Randolph on Lee Highway.  It is the only place we buy cupcakes.

Yes! Yes! They are Sooooooo awesome...the yellow cake with chocolate frosting are the best...every couple of months, I need to drive down to Arlington to pick up a couple, just 'cause I miss 'em so...

Rob

A few years ago, I got dragged to the Macaroni Grill in Ballston mall by friends before seeing a movie there....<much snipped>

Waitress comes back to clear the table, noticed I didn't eat any of the dish and asked what was wrong with it. I explain, and her response is "Well, you can't always get a good meal, can you?" 

The check comes, and my meal is on it. She felt I should pay for it, I felt differently. As did the manager, which was nice.

Yeah, I ahd a simialr experience there a few years ago...my wife and I both found foreign objects in our food---she found a small pebble in her salad, and the waitress took it back to the kitchen, then returned with THE SAME SALAD - she had just added more dressing. You could see the spots where my wife had picked out the olives and crotons.

She did not attempt the salad further, but said nothing. Mistake.

As I was working my way through the entree, I found, I kid you not, a TOOTH. Actually, it was someone's crown, not a whole tooth. Not mine, I have no dental work of that nature. I showed it to the waitress, who comented that it was little fishy that BOTH of us had found foreign objects in our food.

We asked to speak to the manager, and the waitress refused, so I went to the hostess station and loudly asked to see the manager. That worthy made her way out shortly thereafter, and I explained the situation. She listened, then told me "I can't believe what you are saying. What do you want me to do?" I told her that, since she had to ask, nothing, we would simply pay the bill and be on our way.

Argh, it still makes my blod boil to think about it.

Rob

Also bad: Food Lion. Nothing specific, just Food Lion. The one near my house seems to be managed by Carny rejects.

Oh, jeez...<ROTFLMAO> I thought I was the only one who suspected...

In order to work at Food Lion in Frederick, you need to pathologically freindly, I mean like WAY beyond socially acceptable levels, and you must not have any teeth. You see, the union passed a rule limiting the number of teeth possessed by the non-management staff to not more than 10 collectivley, and since Earl, Earl, and Bubba each have one, and Lisa and Crystal have two each, and Lynnette, the head cashier has three, there's no more room.