JeffC

The Super Chicken in Wheaton is much less a dive than the El Pollo Rico a few doors down. It's one of the cleaner Peruvian chicken joints around--that was what first impressed my wife, who is far more finicky than me. And they give you all the extra sauces you want for no extra charge--I always double up on both the white and the green. Edit: We got carry-out from Super Chicken tonight. I'm happy to report that they are now serving fried plantains. For my half chicken, my wifes quarter, rice, beans, yucca, plantains, and plenty of extra sauces, the total came to a princely $12.00.

That's our favorite, too. We like it better than the more renowned El Pollo Rico, as well. Unfortunately--unless this has changed--plantains are not part of the menu. So I usually go to El Pollo Rico to pick up an order of those, then down do Super Chicken for the rest. (Including fried yuca, something El Pollo doesn't have.)

There was also a Dietle's Tavern in Silver Spring, on Seminary Road--next to Snyder's grocery--that closed after the smoking ban. It may have been one of the first places to go under. It was the quintessent dive, a bar with a jukebox, a neighborhood joint with no need to pretend otherwise.

We had takeout from Passage to India tonight--see separate post in Restaurants and Dining forum--and the only thing that suffered from taking it home was the naan. There's just no way to keep it as hot and crisp as it comes straight from the tandoor. The rest of the food lost nothing en route to our table. Dee-licious.

After getting tired and sweaty doing yard work, my wife and I were craving Indian food, but didn't feel like changing clothes and sitting in restaurant. So we ordered carry-out from Passage to India. Taking Indian food home can be a little risky--the naan gets a little cool and wilty when wrapped in tin foil, the other dishes can cool off just enough to require re-heating. But we were lucky this time. The food was on our table ten minutes after we picked it up and--other than the naan, which would have been crisper in-house, straight out of tandoor--the food was warm and about as close to perfect as I've had in some time. We ordered one of our old reliables, the Chicken Tikka Makhani, as well as a new--to us--dish. The other main, Chutny Ni Murgi, is chicken with served in a pretty fiery cilantro sauce. We ordered extra rice, saffron pulao--rice with saffron, raisons, and cashews--and an order of mah ki dal, black lentil dal cooked with butter. Well, this was one extraordinary meal. We had enough food to feed four, but what the heck...the two of us ate it all, except for some of the extra rice. The Tikka Makhani was as good or better than usual--the sauce makes about the best naan sop imaginable--and the dal is always good, but the revelation of this meal was the Parsi Chutny Mi Murgi. I have in the past sung the praises of the green chicken masala--a similar dish at Rasika--but I like this even more. For our tastes, it had just the right amount of fire, and the cilantro gave it a real intensity of flavor. This is a "don't miss" dish. So now I'm lamenting having passed on the DR feast at Passage To India. It will undoubtedly be a memorable spread, a feast fit for the gods, a.....well, you get the idea. Envy, envy, envy.....

Geri and I popped in for a quick meal on Thursday eve, after seeing the "dog whisperer" at Politics and Prose (a terrific event). So we were witness to some of what Dean describes--despite the chaos, it appeared that things were handled with grace and patience. Our waiter was covering at least two stations, yet she did a yeoman's job of taking care of us. Kudos. (And I sure do love that new tuna appetizer!) Compared to owning a restaurant, my gig seems very easy. (But surely having access to all that great wine must be at least a little palliative.)

I also picked up a couple of '99 Cabernets. They seem to have several of those. They also have a boatload of 2001 Estates, on sale! We just finished the '96....superb, indeed.

Grilling steaks and enjoying a '96 Judd's Hill Cabernet. Very nice, needs some time in the glass--it keeps getting better and better. Picked this one up this afternoon at Addy Bassins this afternoon. (They have two left.)

Just got home, after having an incredible meal to Dino. Early returns--as measured by mine and my dining partners' palates--are indicating that Daniel Amaya will be a wonderful addition to the DC eating scene. Congratulations, Dean! We really ate and drank far more than most would consider wise, but we enjoyed every drop and morsel. (And as an added treat, we met Rocks for the first time. It was definitely our pleasure.)

I got carry-out from Urban last night. The wings were expecially good--a little "wetter" than usual, thus adding to the heat. And I almost pulled the trigger on an order of Soul Rolls, but those things still give me pause--they certainly sound decadent and yummy, but OMG the calories and artery sludge! (I ate alone, so I would have felt an obligation to finish an entire order. ) I love Urban BBQ, but I feel myself gaining weight just turning into the parking lot.

I like mine with mushrooms, sauteed in butter and Worchestershire sauce (Lea and Perrins).

Rocks, did you finally figure it out? I've never had paan here, but in India you just pop the whole thing in your mouth and chew it. There are paan-shops all over India--maybe five or six per block--where Indians gather to chew paan and solve the pressing issues of the day. The paan-walla sits in his little kiosk making paan from betel leaves and the various other condiments he has on hand. Walking in the more crowded areas can be like running an obstacle course of red paan spittle-puddles. Most paan aficianados don't swallow it--they chew it, then spit out the juice. I have a friend there who used to be a heavy paan user. His lips, tongue, and teeth were stained red. He is a writer and would chew paan constantly--it's a stimulent and can be like drinking coffee non-stop. He finally quit the stuff, much to the relief of those around him. I'm a big fan of Woodlands, as well. For the poster that asked about the Langley Park location, it is alive and well. Excellent buffet, well worth a visit for lunch. The one at Langley Park has a guy who gives you a fresh dosa off a platter, right after you've loaded your plate with other goodies. I enjoy Woodlands more than Udupi, though both have excellent food.

This is absolutely true. I asked for lamb vindaloo "hot" at the Glover Park location and what came out was the hottest Indian dish I've ever eaten, including some I've had in India. It was delicious, but the heat was just this side of seriously painful.

Yes, same ownership. Like you, I live much closer to Samantha's, so I haven't tried Azucar, but I did stop in there when they were preparing to open and the owner showed me the menu. It appeared to be exactly the same menu. People I've spoken with who have tried Azucar say that the food is very similar.....and very good.

If you liked Azucar, try Samantha's on University Ave. in Silver Spring, near the intersection of Piney Branch Rd. Azucar has the same menu, but Samantha's is the original. My wife and I are Samantha's diehards, having eaten scores of meals there in the past few years. We like to go on weekends, when there is a menu of specials, including chucks of tenderloin with a wonderful sauce and a spicy green side salsa that only makes an appearance every few weeks--an amazing dish, always worth the drive if it's on the menu. I sometimes call ahead to see if it's on the menu and if it is, we're on our way.... I'd guess theat Azucar has the same specials as Samantha's, as well.

I'm partial to the wings at Urban Barbecue--plenty meaty, just spicy enough. When I'm in the mood for guilty pleasures, an order of Redneck Fondue and some wings is just the ticket.

For future reference, I just returned from Maui and, as I have come to do more and more, avoided the over-priced high end restaurants. Most of those are pretty good, but they simply aren't worth the money. I used to love Mama's Fish House, but the prices are now in the stratosphere. There really are better ways to spend your money on Maui than on the Longhi's/Mama's/Roy's money pits. This time I worked my way through the terrific menu at the Honokawai Ozakuya, a Japanese/Pacific Rim deli on the Lower Honoapi'ilani highway, just north of Ka'anapali in West Maui. All the entrees are between $8-12 and are better than good. The serve "plate lunch" meals, with rice and either a very good macaroni salad or non-run of the mill sauteed veggies. Especially recommended is their teriyaki steak, lemon caper mahi mahi, chicken katsu, barbecued chicken, panko-fried mahi mahi....and on and on. I got carry-out eight times in ten days, for a grand total of less than I would have paid for one meal at Mama's. (There are a few stools and a couple of tables outside the deli, but no one eats there. The seats are all taken by people waiting for their food.) That, and some nice wines from Costco, and my friends and I ate very well indeed. Be forewarned--this place is very popular. Most attempts to call in an order are either met with a busy signal or the phone simply goes unanswered. They're unbelievably busy, but if drive over and place your order, they always have it read in 10-15 minutes. And they're super people. No attitude, always friendly. If you find yourself on West Maui, it's well worth checking out.

A well-deserved mention. Monica, I always enjoy what you write. Favorite dishes: Green chicken masala (Rasika) Murg makhani (Especially the sublime version at Heritage India!) Lamb vindaloo Muttar paneer Naan--plain and garlic. Tandoori prawns Goan fish curry (Bombay bistro) Samosas--I love the samosa appetizer at Passage to India. Mango lassi Green chutney--especially the coriander chutney at Haandi Raita, to cool the fires of a good vindaloo. Masala dosa Idli and sambar Bhindi (okra) prepared various ways Chapati ....and my personal guilty pleasure, gulab jamun!

What a treat to log on and find a Vicino's thread! No danger of Vicino's going away--it was there when I moved to SS in 1993 and will almost certainly outlast me. Their clientele is loyal and have little interest in the new chain places littering the downtown.

Highland Park 18, neat.

Last night, a dram of Lagavulin. (I'm an island malt lover, all the way.) Tonight, a late-night glass of 2001 Penfold's St. Henri shiraz. Very nice.

I thought the Black Cod and the Butter Chicken were fairly tame, but the Green Chicken Masala was plenty fiery....and delicious. It's my favorite dish so far, except for the flash-fried spinach/tamarind appetizer, which really did knock my socks off.

No place in the area can blow it away, but some very good Indian food is being served as Rasika, as well as Heritage India. These three are my favorites--along with the vegetarian South Indian Woodlands--each for different reasons. I can't really say that one is better than the other, as each has knock-your-socks-off signature dishes. I love Passage to India's concept of dishes from four regions--where else can you find the Parsi lamb stew in metro DC, just to name one? I've been to India several times and have rarely eaten food that surpasses the best that can be found here. Indian food is my favorite and I feel more than fortunate to have such good choices.

I had carryout tonight, a "light" meal of wings and fondue. It was my first time with the wings and you're right--they're terrific. The fondue is a guilty pleasure, aboslutley addicting. I did the whole order by myself and was scraping the sides of the container, trying to get just a little more.

That's good to know. The Lebanese Taverna catered our wedding reception eleven years ago--they did an exceptional job--so we've always had a soft spot for them. We'll probably give them that shot later this month.