blake wrote on Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:08:20 GMT:

??>> blake wrote on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:38:07 GMT:
??>>
??>>>> Hello, All!
??>>>>
??>>>> Does anyone have any strong opinions as to the most
??>>>> authentic Indian restaurants in the Washington DC
??>>>> metropolitan area? To take an example, where would, say,
??>>>> a Bengali go for homestyle cooking? There are a number
??>>>> of Indian restaurants that I like but I know little
??>>>> about their authenticity and I will never learn Hindi or
??>>>> Urdu.
??>>>>
??>>>> James Silverton
??>>
bm>>> james, i can't help you out of personal knowledge, but in
bm>>> case you don't know of it, here's a pointer to tyler
bm>>> cowen's guide to ethnic restaurants in the metro area:
??>>
bm>>> this one is searchable, with some bullets for regional
??>> cuisines:
??>>
bm>>> <http://www.tylercowensethnicdininggu...m/2006/09/welc
bm>>> om e_1.php>
??>>
bm>>> this is most of the same information in a different
bm>>> format, along with some comments about eatin' that kooky
bm>>> ethnic
??>> chow:
??>>
bm>>> <http://www.gmu.edu/jbc/Tyler/tyler_cowen.htm>
??>>
bm>>> as far as i can tell, he knows his onions. for instance,
bm>>> on joe's noodle house in rockville:
??>>
bm>>> Superb Szechuan food. Many little items. You order and
bm>>> they bring it to your crowded table. As close to real
bm>>> Chinese food as you are going to get around here. A very
bm>>> exciting place to visit, highly recommended. Plus the
bm>>> best dumplings around.
??>>
bm>>> he's been doing his blog quite a while, and covers a lot
bm>>> of places.
??>>
bm>>> good luck.
??>>
??>> I tried the first URL but the response was glacially slow.
??>> Perhaps, I'll give it another try at a different time.
??>>
??>> James Silverton

bm> hmm, i just tried it, no problem.

bm> i take it, then, that you're not familiar with it? it's a
bm> fine resource for restaurants in the d.c. area.

No, it was new to me! I tried again this afternoon and speed was
fairly normal. He certainly has gotten to an impressive number
of restaurants and I was pleased to find myself in agreement
with him on a few that I know, particularly "Passage to India",
Faryab and Minerva.

I have not studied the Guide in detail yet but there are
certainly some that I must try, particularly Indique and Ruan
Thai. I don't get over to VA much so I won't try a number that
he recommends.

Another thing I have wondered about that he mentions is the
"Chinese Menu" that is sometimes recommended. What exactly are
those? I don't suppose most of us can really read Chinese
characters.

It may not be the easiest place to get to but I have a personal
recommendation for Pho. I find Pho Nam on Shady Grove Rd to be a
standout for Pho, IMHO. I am surprised that it never seems
listed in the guides. It is quite popular, the service is fast,
the prices are good and they have a favorite of mine: Pho Ga,
chicken Pho with white meat

Thanks again!

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not