JeffC

Thanks for posting the info. Just a quick correction.... Ghar-e-Kabab is spelled with an "a", instead of the more common "e". So to get to their website, it's... www.gharekabab.com

A couple of the menu items I've really liked are the chicken/lamb saags and tandoori salmon. The latter is not part of the regular menu but is often available as a special. In fact, I've been very happy with just about everything that comes out of their tandoor. I don't know if this is SOP for Indian restaurants, but Ghar-e-Kabab has two chefs--one for the tandoor, the other for curries. I agree about the pickles. They do occasionally have one with the buffet and it really does help punch things up.

Pie, hands down. When I was a kid growing up in Kentucky, my aunt made rhubarb pie with fresh rhubarb picked on her farm. No wimpy strawberries to dilute the sour goodness of the real thing. (I've never understood strawberry/rhubarb pie. It's like putting coke in a great single malt.) But now my favorite is cherry pie, followed closely by apple and peach....except for the pecan pie baked by Kudzu Bakery in Georgetown, SC. That is the greatest pie I've ever tasted. Question: Does cobbler qualify as pie?

Congratulations to you and Kay!

Since Thursday... Dinner at Dino--the wild boar pasta was terrific as always. Wife and I split the three-cheese polenta with mushrooms--what a satisfying dish. Yesterday for lunch, chicken biryani at Ghar-e-Kabab in Silver Spring. This little Indian/Nepali restaurant continues to turn out some really good food. (If you haven't done so, check out their lunch buffet--the choices are limited, but what is served is oh-so-good. It's the only Indian buffet I really like, other than Woodlands.) Dinner was burgers at our house--I mix in some Worchestershire sauce and a little aged balsamico when forming the patties, then cook them over wood charcoal and mesquite chips. Some sweet corn-on-the-cob on the side and fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream for dessert. Today I had an early lunch at Pho 75 in Rockville--#12. That broth has so much depth and richness--still the best!

Indeed. I live around the s-curve or through the woods, depending on whether I'm traveling by car or on foot. Our little neighborhood has been needing something like this for years.

We had my belated birthday dinner at Passage last night. It was, as always, superb. But the really good news is that the chef has added on of the favorites from the Rockwell "Spice Night" dinner as an appetizer. Mussels Vendiam--"mussels steamed with curry leaf, onions and tamarind"--a dish that chef said he made especially fiery, since he knew it was for me. It was so good that I did what I said I would love do in my review of that night. I quickly scarfed down the mussels, then had an order of naan to scoop up every last drop of the incredible gravy. Heaven....

We we in tonight, as well. I had a cheeseburger with traditiional toppings--LTO--and had them hold the special sauce. Geri had a veggie burger, and we split an order of onion rings. Verdict? OK, but not as good as Urban. I was hoping that the cooking over a flame would give the burger some char, but if there was any, I didn't taste it. So given the more interesting toppings, cheaper prices, and better onion rings, I throw my vote to Urban. Funny thing happened while we were eating. An older gentleman came in and, after reading the menu, asked us if the prices were on the level. "Who pays eight dollars for a hamburger?" I didn't know whether to apologize or feel offended.....

Yesterday was the Grand Opening, so I stopped for lunch. The layout is a little odd, with a row of tables down two sides of a long, rectanglular space, leaving a dance floor-like empty space. At the far end of the space are the bathrroms on the left and the counter on the right, divided by a wall. If there is a crowd, the lines funnel into a fairly narrow counter. Most of the tables were taken when I got there, so seating could be an issue once business really picks up. I had the mac and cheese--delicious!--and pulled pork. I slathered the pork with the Carolina barbeque sauce and wrapped some of it in the tortillas that came with the platter. I don't recall the tortillas being available at the Rockville location, but I like having the choice. Having lived in the Carolinas for two decades, I have yet to find anything that equals the best pulled pork you can get down there, but Urban's version is tasty and combines well with the vinegary sauce.

Today for lunch--pho at Pho Hiep Hoa in Wheaton. I wanted to see if they are better than my beloved Pho 75, based on their recent "best of" in the City Paper. Very good, but I'm still partial to Pho 75. But one thing the City Paper wrote was absolutely true--they do not skimp on the meat. All in all, a very satisfying bowl. Yesterday for lunch--Ghar-E-Kabab, a new (2 months+) family-run Indian/Nepali place on Wayne Ave. in downtown Silver Spring. We had the buffet, which was limited in choices--tandoori chicken, one curry, three vegetable dishes, dal, raita, and a couple of chutneys. They also provide fresh naan--they achieve the char/pillowy/light combination that is the mark of good naan--and a small dessert. Though the choices were not extensive, the quality was first-rate. The dishes had a freshness that is rare for a buffet--they only put a limited amount out at a time and replentish frequently. I've had the buffet several times when in Silver Spring on business and have been pleased every time. We've also ordered off the menu twice and can say without hesitation that this is a little gem of a restaurant, a most welcome addition to Silver Spring.

Inka's in Silver Spring is at 9423 Georgia Ave., near the intersection of Dale and GA Ave. Let me put in a plug for their food. Besides their very good rotisserie chicken, they have a variety of Peruvian dishes. My personal favorite--so much so that I eat it at least once per week--is #5 on the menu. Fried tilapia topped with a seafood mix, then served in a rich and addictive sauce that leaves me wanting to lick the plate. It is so good....

MOM''s is now selling beans from Counterculture coffee roasters (Durham, NC), the same roaster that Murky Coffee has used. The price runs around $9 for a 12-ounce bag. I've had the Kenyan and a couple of the Central American coffees and they are excellent.

That is the correct website.. If the burgers are half as good as the above makes them sound, I'll be there when they open. As much as I like Urban Burger, I prefer a "cooked over an open fire" char flavor.

You've got company, sorta. I've never used Velveeta in mac 'n cheese, but it does make a terrific grilled cheese sandwich. Heresy, I know. But I know what I like....

Last night was Dino. A glass of red, three cheese polenta with wild mushrooms, wild boar pasta, and gelato with aged balsamico. I am completely in the tank for the polenta and the pasta, but next time I'll get the nutella. I love gelato and I love balsamico even more, but the combination doesn't quite work for me. (I have a feeling I'm the exception.) Lunch today was the #10 lunch combo at Ruan Thai. The red curry is so good that after finishing the chicken/peppers/rice, I eat the remaining curry broth with a spoon. I stopped at Bobby's Crabcakes after work and had the jumbo crabcake sandwich w/fries. Only an act of supreme self-control kept me from having the key lime pie. As always, the crabcake was good and the fries are the best around.

Congratulations on your new addition! And a toast, with the 2005 Oliver Hill "Jimmy" shiraz gracing my glass.

My wife and I have been getting carry-out once or twice per month. The quality/price ratio is excellent--the prices are low and, as the Post review states, the food is a cut above most low-priced Indian carry-out. I usually get the butter chicken and ask for a little extra heat. The chicken is juicy and flavorful and the sauce is rich--not quite Passage to India rich, but good nonetheless. My wife usually has the kabobs and has been very pleased. With each of us getting a main and rice and naan, with one side to share, the price is generally a tick over twenty bucks.

One other recommendation on Maui--Flatbread, in Paia. It's very much like American Flatbread, as the two founders of AF split a few years ago and each went his own way. I recently read that there is no animosity between the two and they are even supportive of each other, despite some legal issues they've had to deal with. I've had several pizzas at the Ashburn AF and had three pizzas at Flatbread in Paia. They are very similar--the wood-firing ovens are virtually identical, a couple of the pizzas are the same, and both are dedicated to using fresh local ingredients. Flatbread pizzas come in two sizes, the smallest being just right for one person. Of my three, two were perfect and the third was over-charred, something I didn't really mind. The ambiance is very laid-back surfer, which is natural given that the employees are mostly young surfers. Easily the best pizza on the island.

Yep, it's on the main drag in Kihei (Maui). It was my last stop before leaving for the airport last October. It's as good as ever. I'll second the recommendation for the Gazebo, as well.

On Maui... Sansei in Kapalua or Kihei--wonderful sushi, sashimi, Pacific Rim.... The best carry out on the island is 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. If you drive the road to Hana and it happens to be a Sunday or Monday, don't miss "Pranee's Thai Food", which is a little food stand run a Thai woman and her helper, serving some of the finest Thai food I've eaten out of a little hut in her front yard. I had sweet and sour mahi mahi, rice, and salad for $8! I also took home an order of Pad Thai and an order of Chicken Panang w/Kafir Lime and Coconut milk. Also $8 per order. It was spicy and good, much better than any Thai I've had at other places on Maui. She opens her little stand at 11 AM and is pretty much sold out by 3 PM. You just follow the hand-lettered signs you see on the main drag to a little side street, where Pranee does her magic. Hana is a food wasteland, other than Pranee and the very swank Hana hotel, which will cost you a fortune. If you are in Wailea, just south of the Grand Wailea, on the road to Makena, is a little roadside taco stand, selling the best fish tacos on the island. One is a meal, two are a feast. For breakfast, I have to go to the Kapalua Plantation restaurant at least once, if for nothing else but the view of Kapalua Bay and the Plantation golf course, where the Mercedes Championship is held each January. Eating breakfast while enjoying the cool tradewinds is about as good as it gets.... I generally avoid the expensive places--although Mama's Fish House is worth a meal at sunset (if for nothing else but the incredible view)--and look for good, inexpensive food. You really can't go wrong with the cheap eats listed above.

That's probably Mandalay, on Bonifant St. in downtown Silver Spring. It's Burmese (Myanmar) and it's very good. Many, many vegetarian options, as well as plenty of beef, pork, chicken, and seafood choices.

That's true. How Costco became the Anti-Walmart

Whoever is working the floor will usually take care of this. My wife was pleasantly surprised the other night when the guy noticed her almost empty glass and asked if he could get her a refill. I've also noticed that the same person will come to the table periodically to see if we need anything.

A colleague told me that key lime pie is her favorite dessert, so I took her to lunch at Bobby's today. She agrees that this is the best she's ever had, including the real deal in Key West. She also gave high praise to the chicken salad. My crabcake sandwich, fries and pie were--as always--terrific.

Here's an example: Deep, pungent aroma: cedar, orange, molasses, honey. In the cup sweetly and crisply acidy, with dry berry, continued citrus and honey notes and an underlying pungent richness that suggests moist pipe tobacco Hey, I love good wine and I love good coffee, but I'm not good at dissecting the taste into so many elements. I can't begin to taste what Parker tastes, or what this guy--who I like a lot--finds in his coffee. I'm pretty much a "hey, this is really good" person. I grind with a blade grinder-I know this isn't as good as a burr grinder--and I use a press for brewing. And FWIW, I've gotten some excellent coffees from Counterculture Coffees, where I understand you get many of your beans.