JeffC

Make that three actually, I just remembered another one. But this place deserves more love than it gets in the non Pakistani community.

I've been....and I also ate an order of Lamb Karahi all by myself! And it was as good as advertised.

Some friends just opened an Indian ''street food" restaurant. Chai Pani has been open about a month and is getting mostly good reviews. People I know who've tried it were very pleased. I admit to a little bias, as I've known the owners for many years.

Chai Pani

Here's a link to the menu....looks interesting!

Masala Art

My favorite version of butter chicken--Murg Makhani--remains Chef Sudhir Seth's version at Passage to India (Bethesda). There are many other excellent versions--Heritage India and Rasika come to mind, as well as Haandi and Ghar-e-Kabab (Silver Spring), but to these taste buds, Passage to India sets the standard.

A conflict has come up, so please remove me and +1.....with great regret. But Monica, we're still going to buy your book!

Add me and my +1. Chef Seth, because of my wife's issues with seafood, can we take you up on your offer to substitute chicken for crab? Me, I love crab.

Can't wait!

I believe right after they retired the Limited Edition Green Tea flavor last fall, they introduced the Limited Edition Vanilla Honey Bee flavor, which may be similar to what you had. It was vanilla with a very light honey flavor that didn't make the ice cream over-syrupy or sticky sweet. It was at HT when I went shopping yesterday and may be in your local grocer's freezer too.

Thank you so much! I'll look for it tomorrow, along with the Fleur de sel caramel. The description of Vanilla Honey Bee at the HD website--along with it being made a permanent part of their selection "by popular demand"--makes me believe that it must be Honey Vanilla.

Saturday night carry-out is becoming a habit--three weeks in a row--as I work the evening shift at the MoCo Crisis Center not far away. Tonight it was Tandoori wings and Balchao Shrimp. The wings are suberb, so good that I couldn't just keep them to myself. So I shared a couple with colleagues, who became instant Spice X-ing fans. The Balchao Shrimp was wonderful--a lively and complex blend of Indian and Spanish flavors, with just enough heat.

Working on what used to be my traditional night out with Geri is not what I would have chosen, but having this gem nearby softens the pain. And I want to add that the place was packed when I picked up the order. Congrats, Sudhir!

Hey Jeff

You walked in, ate and left without saying Hi. I was in the kitchen and replenishing the buffet. Do ask for me next time you folks are in. It is a good feeling to see known faces in this new area.

I did ask for you. The waiter said that your partner was in, but that you would be in later. I hope I see you next time...

How I'd love to be there! Unfortunately, my new position involves night work. But for those of you who are lucky enough to go, you're in for a real treat.

I stopped in for lunch today and was very pleased with the quality of the buffet--reasonably priced, with an excellent selection. I especially appreciated the variety of chutneys and pickle....and the curries were very good. As usual, Chef Seth's food is distinctive and flavorful. (I know, this sounds like an advert, but I'm not that great at describing food. Suffice it to say that it's good stuff.) But what I'm really looking forward to is a full meal off the menu. Now that I work nights, it's hard to get out for an evening meal, but we'll find a way to go soon.

Just a quick post to say that I'm so happy that people are discovering this little gem of a restaurant. And if you haven't tried it, their tomato soup is the best I've ever had....anywhere. Tomato soup is not something that people gravitate to in a South Asian restaurant, but seriously, give it a try.

I had the fried chicken for the umpteenth time for lunch today. It's just great stuff--I'm developing a serious jones--along with the collards and the mac 'n cheese. Today it as the latter and it was the best it's been so far. I live MUCH too close to this place. I'm also partial to the lemon chess pie, just about a perfect blend of sweet and tangy.

Congrats to Chef and Robin on their very successful first day! As xcanuck noted, there was quite a crowd by 2:30--I recognized him for the Passage to India Spice Night last year, so I introduced myself and also got to meet rkduggins. My order was a hodgepodge--I wanted the fried chicken, but decided to defer that until dinner and went instead with a crispy shrimp sandwich on a baguette (excellent), a very good order of chile, and mac and cheese for my wife.

At 7:00 I returned to get the fried chicken, but was told be a very gracious and apologetic Chef that they were completely out of food. I guess the word spread quickly on the neighborhood list-serv.

As noted, it's a terrific space. Welcome to the neighborhood!

According to a poster on Chowhound, there is a sign in the window of the recently closed Taverna Kefi--less than a block from the old Nava--indicating that Nava Thai will re-open in that location soon.

Great news if true!

Edit: Checked it out for myself. The Nava Thai sign is up, so it looks like it's happening.

Pinto Thai is closed, with "For Rent" signs on the window.

Has anyone tried La Bamba recently?

Yep, I eat lunch there frequently. The menu hasn't changed in years and the food is reliable and good. La Bamba is very inexpensive and caters to a mostly Latino clientele. It's one of the places that I''d hate to see go--for reasons I don't completely understand, I really love the place. I'm old school about Silver Spring and try to support the inexpensive ethnic eateries.

Despite what I wrote above, I'm sad to say that I hadn't eaten in Pinto Thai in over a year. The people who ran it were good people, but there were just too many other good choices for Thai.

If I'm in Silver Spring around lunch time, it's usually either La Bamba or Ghar-e-Kabab these days.

Looks like things are really progressing well at the Tavern. Lots of activity every day--contractors, etc. Any word on a possible opening date?

Portion sizes were laughable, even for a Thai place. What they did is use heaps of bean sprouts as filler on the sides of most entrees.

Whether or not the cooking pleases your taste is a matter of personal preference, but one of the things I like about Nava Thai is the size of the portions. Most restaurants, IMO, give you way too much food. I wouldn't characterize the portion sizes as "laughable". The Floating Market Noodle Soup is, for me, a satisfying meal and the curries and stir-fries invariable leave me satisfied. I appreciate that Nava doesn't overwhelm me with more food than I can reasonably eat in one sitting.

I was a bit luckier than you Saturday night. I called a little before 7PM and was told that my order would be ready in 45 minutes, so I showed up on time and the order was ready. Mine might have been a fairly simple order--stir-fried seafood in chili sauce and the country beef salad. And yes, the food WAS amazing. The increased business hasn't affected the quality of food at all. I've been eating the country beef salad regularly, but the pan-fried seafood was a revelation. The curry is a bit like the Panang red curry, only hotter and richer--bowl-licking good!

It was really slammed when I got there--the little vestibule outside the door was packed and there were three or four groups waiting outside. Weekday lunches are still a good bet, as is an early evening dinner during the week. The key for both is to get there a bit on the early side.

Shangri-La is owned and managed by the same people who have Ghar-e-Kabab in Silver Spring. They didn't keep the same name because they realized that, although the menus are the same, there could be some small variation in food. I've eaten in both and the food is virtually the same. The staff and management in both are warm and genuinely nice people.

I can't add anything to Scott's review, as his experience is parallels mine. Ghar-e-Kabab is easily my favorite Indian buffet, despite the limited number of items. Other than the tandoori chicken, almost everything else is changed daily.

Bombay no longer has their lunch buffet. Instead you order off a lunch menu that includes curries and kabobs (with a choice of rice or naan plus salad) and biryanis.

I'll miss the fried chicken. That was the best part of the buffet....the rest was quite forgettable. They have alway done excellent curries, so this seems like a pretty good move.

After getting food for our dogs from the pet store next door several nights ago, I ordered some carryout from Bombay--lamb vindaloo and chicken tikka. The latter was good, but the former was excellent! Fiery and rich, one of the best vindaloos I've had. It brought some serious heat, but managed to stay just this side of my pain threshold.

Lunch was hot and sour seafood combo salad, and the floating market noodle soup. My second time having the noodle soup and it is one of the best noodle soups I've ever had. The heat is incredible, but not punishing (ymmv). The broth has a great body and intense flavour. The meat and noodles themselves are somewhat of an afterthought and pale in comparison to the rest of the soup. But I could be very happy just having the broth. I'm really looking forward to more meals here so I can try more of the dishes. Definitely worth a try.

I had my first Nava Thai experience just over a week ago--a bowl of that incredible soup. Maybe the hottest thing I've ever eaten, but so rich and good that I couldn't stop slurping up the broth. I only slowed down to dry my tears....and take a few bites of the very flavorful meatballs that come in soup.

Since that day I've eaten maybe six or seven meals there. With my wife out of town and the proximity of the restaurant, I've been taking at least half my meals there. So far my favorites are the Floating Market soup and the papaya salad, maybe the best papaya salad I've ever tasted. The Panang Curry (red) is also terrific--it easily rivals that from Ruan Thai, but may be just a tick richer.

Needless to say, I'm quite smitten with this place.....

I'll only post a few that I've tasted..

#1 Laphroaig 30 year-old--I picked up three bottles of this a few years ago at the MoCo store in Kensington at a ridiculously low price, so low that they must have had no clue what they were selling. I bought 'em out....and they lasted only a few months. I couldn't keep my hands off them.

--Laphroiag Cask Strength

--Lagavulin 16 year-old. Not as good as it once was, but still my go-to..

--Talisker 10 year-old.

--Highland Park 18 year-old

--Ron Zacapa Centenario, 23 anos.--lovely stuff, I'm having a bit as I type this.

--Wild Turkey Rare Breed

I am staying in a beach condo outside of Georgetown, SC...does anyone have any recommendations? Price really isn't an issue. Seafood and local fare are preferred.

Thanks

I used to work in Georgetown, but it's been several years since I spent any significant time there. But one very solid recommendation that I've posted on this board in the past is Kudzu Bakery, located on King St. in Georgetown, just off Front Street. They make the best pecan pie I've tasted, as well as great cakes and other fruit pies. They even have a small--but very nice--wine selection, better than the average wine store in that part of the country. I understand they've opened a second bakery in Litchfield Beach.

I understand that there are some pretty good restaurants in Pawley's Island. Frank's used to be quite good, but it's been awhile. The link provided by JPW will provide some pretty good recommendations, but you really can't go wrong with Kudzu. Whenever I'm down that way, I make a special trip to Georgetown, just for the pecan pie.

Breakfast at the Cracker Barrel outside the entrance to Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The only other option was Waffle House and client's wife rejected that. Of course, right after we ordered she said "you know, I have gotten sick every time I have eaten at Cracker Barrell!" I was, like, "um, thanks for the info." It was nothing special (at all), but I made my flight on time.

The only meal to eat at Cracker Barrel is breakfast....and best you limit your choices to eggs, biscuits (not great, but OK), sausage, bacon, and pancakes (a place that serves warmed minis of real maple syrup can't be all bad!). Like you said, nothing special. But when it's 7 AM and you're on the road and hungry, it beats most other options.