DC Meetup: Noon, Saturday the 29th, Nirvana [Updated]

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With hazaar apologies to Information Society, Spock and everyone else who remembers 1988 (which is when I graduated from Junior High– I throw that in because one of you recently lamented that you were like, the oldest person? On, like, Sepia Mutiny? So put that in your Bengali and smoke it). Behold, an unforgivably mangled version of that unforgettable dance classic with the Star Trek sample (you know you had the 12″…don’t lie): What’s on Your Mind (Pure Energy) yummy chana bathura.jpg

Here I am in silence,
Looking round without a clue.
I find myself alone again
without input from you.
I see 89 comments
but there are things that I don’t know.
If you hide your thoughts from me,
How can our meetups grow?

I want to know
What you’re thinking.
There are some things we can’t hide.
I want to know
What you’re feeling.
Tell me what’s on your mind.

I know I could be bossy,
But what good would it do?
I would really like to know
what you’d prefer to do.
Homecoming is this weekend
It’s a game they have to play.
But you and I want dosa.
On that very same day!

::

Okay, my inner, uber-alienated, blue-square-toe-doc marten wearing radio-station volunteer wants to throttle me for desecrating such an ancient, adhesive song, so I’ll stop now. No need to send thank you notes or comments for such small mercies. 😉

Seriously though– I’ve written this post because we are FIVE DAYS from the meetup and we haven’t resolved two things something:

  • what time we’re meeting Noon on Saturday, the 29th it is

  • what, if any, obstacle Georgetown’s Ho-coming presents

Amma opens at 11:30 am. I am so concerned about Hoyas bleeding blue all over M street, that I am almost willing to have our meetup elsewhere. Since I put up dosa pr0n, I feel like it’s only right that we know dosa-afterglow. BUT, the other place in DC where we can dosa is at Nirvana, which one of you says is better than Amma…though the reviews I’ve read are mixed at best (and most troubling of all– the word ketchup is constantly mentioned, by both amateurs AND Sietsema!).

Nirvana is not too good to be true. The breads I’ve tried are invariably heavy and dull, and the vindaloo, while admirably fiery, comes off like ketchup with a swagger, just a thick red paste slathered on chunks of vegetables that could stand more cooking. The rice-and-bean-flour pancake known as uthappam is unexciting a few bites in. But these are minor distractions in a restaurant of so many unexpected pleasures. [sietsema/wapo]

Nirvana is very metro accessible; it’s at 18th and K streets NW and thus far enough from Georgetown/hungover Hoyas/parking nightmares. From what I’ve read, it’s an all vegetarian, Gujurati restaurant run by Jain people. Many diners compliment Nirvana’s lunch buffet, which thoughtfully and creatively serves a different cuisine each day (including street food and Rajasthani stuff!)– the only problem is, that’s a WEEKDAY thang. So no help to us, eh?

I know that none of you (except for three of you, whose identities I shall not reveal, even if I’m tempted with theeyal…mmm, vendakka theeyal) loves Amma as much as I do, or thinks they are quite as yummy, but after all my online research, I feel like it’s a safer bet, in terms of satisfaction. Thoughts? I’m totally willing to try something new, especially if it’s with all of you. 🙂

And is meeting at noon okay we ARE meeting at noon. Both restaurants are open by then. I’ve heard from Karthik, Msichana (whose husband is tagging along- he is a sex and relationship therapist…kinda), Mr. Wise, Kenyandesi, Buddhuram, Coffeeface, HappyNoNoPlace, Shaad, Coconut Oil and MuraliMannered. Ylrsings, who told us about Homecoming in the first place, Skeptical Desi and Lion, I wasn’t sure if you were in…so please let me know. Our count is anywhere from 14 to 18 at this point. All right– speak up or I’ll destroy more 80s music and torture you with it.

::

That picture is from the first meetup at Amma; it’s their yummy chole bhatura. 🙂

::

Update # 1

In case it wasn’t clear, we’re meeting at Noon. Thanks for decision number one. Now let’s pick a place already! Any more info about homecoming? Or if Nirvana is delicious?

::

Update # 2

Nirvana it is. After the way some of you have talked it up, it’s going to have to live up to some ridonkulous hype, mutineers. Expect a writeup AND a review. 😉

::

85 thoughts on “DC Meetup: Noon, Saturday the 29th, Nirvana [Updated]”

  3. I love AMMA, it saw me through undergrad at Georgetown. The gentleman with the glasses is always amazingly nice. Though it looks like y’all have decided to go with Nirvana, I think that the meal I had there was one of the worst that I have ever had in my life. I was ravenous on my way home from work, as ever, and made the mistake of stopping in there. I had some kind of dosai, which was sad and soft, and the sambar was terrible too. Overall, it’s on my “never again” list.

  4. You gotta try it. Though, like Heritage, it’s a bit pricey.

    I was there every weekend (sometimes both days!) 2000-2001. 🙂 I like the one at Heritage more, because I’m a slave to that Bukhara-esque Ma ki dal. The fish tank at BP is soooo nice though! 😀

    I love AMMA, it saw me through undergrad at Georgetown.

    Ditto, except I went to that other, lesser school with the “George” in the name. 😉

    The gentleman with the glasses is always amazingly nice.

    Yes, he’s the one who likes to smack me. Out of lowe, obwiously.

    Though it looks like y’all have decided to go with Nirvana,

    If only I could rule with an iron fist like the Evil one called Abhi, there would have been no choice– it would’ve been Amma. 😀

    I think that the meal I had there was one of the worst that I have ever had in my life. I was ravenous on my way home from work, as ever, and made the mistake of stopping in there.

    Okay, THAT is exactly what happened to me at Udipi! Except I was starving after a day of tests and things at the hospital, so I was extra sad and tired/in need of sambar-y cheer. Second worst case of brown food poisoning I’ve had in DC…no wait, it ties with that shitty place at the “beginning” of Gtown, possibly also on M st, near the random gas station…the one with the blue awning? Taj? Palace? Hole? That bout of food poisoning (experienced right after it opened, several years ago)was faster and more furious, Udipi was an entire night of crying and writhing. Either way, it was teh suck. Bad food is bad food; bad Indian food is a special sort of hell.

  5. Joy because, damn, that buffet is good.

    BP has an awesome buffet, the one in nyc also has a good one. You gotta like a place that will give you a bhel puri bar fully stocked.

  7. Bad food is bad food; bad Indian food is a special sort of hell.

    I’ve had my own bad experiences with Indian restaurants. I’ve never called them in, though. Has anyone tried calling the City Health people to have them looked into when this has happened to them?

    My theory is that the ‘buffet’ business model leads to demand-supply mismatches more often than the ‘cook what is ordered’ business model. The latter, however, can be more labor-intensive, unless the menu is properly planned, so the buffet is the default model among most low- and medium-end Indian restaurants. A ‘buffet’ restaurant that ends up operating on low margins can then be tempted to test the ‘eat-by’ date – on you, the starving student, the person badly in need of comfort food, the person too tired to cook, etc. When they’re wrong, you fall sick.

    BTW, does anyone know if Indian restaurants even have an unofficial ‘eat-by’ date, just among themselves, something informal, when to throw out cooked food? Ideally, they should give it away to soup kitchens well before it gets to that point. I once walked into a restaurant kitchen while on my way back from the restroom, and that was quite a jolt. I never went back there to eat again, but obviously this is not an ideal method of screening out restaurants.

    One solution is to only eat at restaurants that you know have a lot of traffic, but that is unfair to start-ups, who will then fail because nobody would give them a chance. So the solution is not obvious, though the problem is real.

  8. what / where is BP?

    It’s Nordstrom’s Juniors section– Brass Plum. . . . . . . .

    Ah, couldn’t resist. 😉 BP= Bombay Palace, which is on K street…the one with the huge fish tank on the back wall. Old skool, Maya. 🙂 I think it’s been there forever.

  10. imho nirvana is quite average so it would have been nice to check out amma – i haven’t been there before plus me thinks any restaurant that is spelled Yay-Yem-Yem-Yay has to have a homey atmosphere and great southie food!! 🙂 – but i am more interested in meeting my fellow mutineers. so see y’all at nirvana on saturday!

    thanks for organizing, anna!!

    -zimbly-answering-the-lurker-roll-call

  11. Another for the lurker roll call: I’m in. Just…don’t smack me upside the head if the non-buffet food actually does contain ketchup.

  12. I’m more concerned with how long a restaurant has been around vs. how long the family who runs it has been in DC.

    i don’t even know why how long a family has been in dc would affect their authenticity of food, except maybe in a bad way – i’d take an udipi chef who just stepped off the bangalore-ny flight than a non-south indian one who has been in the states for ages. though re nirvana – i’m pretty wary of south indian food at non-south indian restaurants anyway – no matter who’s running the restaurant.

    on a more relevant note – i am actually contemplating switching the timing of my flight to make it to the meet-up (in the area for training for 2 wks). prob. won’t happen, though 🙁

  14. i’m pretty wary of south indian food at non-south indian restaurants anyway – no matter who’s running the restaurant.

    Glad I’m not the only one who feels that wary way.

    ak- if I had some mythical list of “commenters I can’t wait to meet”, you’d so be on it. Even if you can’t switch your flight to be there on Saturday, if you are in the DC area for work/training/whatever, let me know. I’m happy to drag you to Amma, Rasika or anywhere else, if you are bored and willing. 🙂

    That goes for all of you lurkers/commenters– if you are visiting DC, don’t be shy. If it’s at all possible, I try and meet everyone who comes here. I used to drive anywhere in a 100 mile radius, when I lived at home in CA, to run in to visiting mutineers…NW is cake compared to that schlep. 😉

  15. ANNA, i might take you up on that! i just realised i got the dates mixed up – i get back to dc on sunday. i’m stuck out in va for the week, so a meet with you might actually recharge me for the upcoming week. and some amma’s (i trust your discerning south indian cuisine judgment) would do me good, as well. i’ll e-mail you as soon as i figure my sunday timings out…

    and i am so flattered by your words – the feeling is definitely mutual – i didn’t feel so bad about missing the ny meet-up after i found out you didn’t make it, either!

  16. A N N A you’re killin’ some of us, girl. That picture is making my mouth water all the way out west. 🙁 Not that my cents count but, Nirvana is possibly one of the best Indian subcontinent restaurants I’ve eaten at period. In addition to its daily lunch buffet comprising a different states’ cuisine every day, the Gujarati selections were, simply put, off the chain: pav bhaji, ragda patties, kadhi bhaath… and the service is great. And, a sweet couple owns & operates (at least on weekdays) the place. Good choice. Wish I could be there!

  17. My friend Amit in Boston (an occasional commenter) told me to go to this meetup since I just moved from Boston to DC last week and I don’t know a soul. That ok?

  18. That ok?

    Is that okay? You are getting the first inappropriate hug. Velcome to the chocolate city! 🙂

  20. Anna: Too bad I am busy again on this Saturday. Moreover the mighty “Evil” one has other plans. By the way GUJARATI folks are known as “GUJUS” in slang. However they are never called and spelled as “GUJURATI”. Someone told me that Nirvana has delisious Gujarati desert called “GUGHRA“. Especially around Diwali time you will find it in almost every home. You guys enjoy, and as always, post awesome pictures.

    BTW: Don’t let Ms. Ichana feel lonely – if she is the only one in SARI. I will repeat, Injun girls look gooood in sari.

  22. ak..so do you know what happened to paru?

    Anna..I’m going to take you up on your offer, the next time I’m in DC.

  24. Anyone is welcome to “just show up”, but it is nice if I have a headcount. 🙂 My email is in my handle. Looking forward to meeting you!

  25. aw man, another meetup, another absence.. thought i should at least notify the authorities of my nonappearance as opposed to my tendency to just randomly pop-in. my record for attending meetups in 2007 is rather sketchy. however i did pass along the word to some folks who are new to the blog. i reminded them to RSVP, else suffer the wrath of the ubiquitous SM Intern. have fun everyone

  26. Msichana, ANNA, girls, and maybe some of the boys…are you all wearing saris on sat? I may need some help tying mine if i decide to wear one:P

  28. I don’t think I’ll be in a sari, unfortunately…I’m worried about my velcro-laden ankle brace ripping thread out of the hem/catching and sticking to the fabric like those cheap payal I bought from Great America that one time. That was a bad idea. Buying payal from GA, that is.

  30. Amar, please do! We’d love to have you– the more the merrier! Since we’re getting to Nirvana when it opens, I’m not making reservations. Come one, come all. That way they won’t have to move around tables/do extra work/charge us for having a large party. 😉

  32. I can’t make it:( Feeling sick, but pour some cold semia out for your homey CoffeeFace. Or at least some gulab jamun.

  33. Anna & Co.,

    Please accept my apologies for not being able to turn up. Apparently, there was a fire at the Farragut North Metro Station that stopped all the Red line trains from NIH going towards DC, and the charmingly competent folk at WMATA couldn’t be bothered to set up a shuttle bus instead during the hour I spent there waiting, tapping my foot, and getting hungrier by the moment.

  34. Anna, is it true you were shortchanged by 30 or 40 bucks at the lunch?

    If so, nice going guys. Classy. real classy.

    Anyway, I hear it was a good casual gathering of 20-30 people. I hope everyone had fun, except for the people who cheaped out on the bill. I hope they get a parking ticket.

  35. sorry i missed the meet-up today – hope you all had fun!

    ANNA, please check your e-mail re a ‘private’ dc meet-up 😉