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]”

  2. I have to be somewhere until 5-ish. 🙁

    But maybe I could call after and see if folks are still congregating somewhere. And I’ll ask around campus tomorrow and see if I can dredge up some info on how awful Homecoming makes the neighborhood.

  4. Just curious, Anna: who was complaining about being the oldest person?

    Someone who facebooked me. I don’t have my birthday on my profile, so I don’t think he knew whom he was complaining to… 😉

  6. If Lizzie wants to meet up on 28th evening, I’ll be there plus one. 😉 The consolation meetup. 😀

  7. Can lurkers provide input? That chole batura looks way too good to pass up…though I am a fan of Nirvana, too. I vote noon.

  8. Can lurkers provide input?

    OF COURSE. Especially if they’re coming! 🙂 We love our lurkers.

    That chole batura looks way too good to pass up…though I am a fan of Nirvana, too. I vote noon.

    I do love the CB at Amma…but I would like to know more about Nirvana, since everything I’ve heard has either been wonderful or horrific, no in between…would you mind recommending stuff that you’ve ordered there? And here’s hoping you are someone who has been there for something other than the legendary weekday lunch buffet.

  9. as for the chana bhatura, i can attest that amma’s was damn good when i went to the dc meetup.. in march 2006 :)..coming from the chole, you can take it for what it’s worth. enjoy!

  10. While I cannot attend due to geographical proximity, lack of, I did some research and found song, video of.

    As a non-attendee, all I can ask is: pick the place that allows crazier photos to be taken. Also take photos, plenty of. And keep posting porn, dosa, lots of. If you have time, enough of, during the meetup, then one of you can post summary comments in live meetup thread. Then no need to post meetup, summary of.

  11. If Lizzie wants to meet up on 28th evening, I’ll be there plus one. 😉 The consolation meetup. 😀

    now that, would be lovely and where is the question 😀

  12. to add, I am coming all the way from Austin! It would be awesome if this trip of mine has a meet with fellow mutineers 😉

  13. From AUSTIN?? I thought the kid flying in from Atlanta was hard-core. 🙂 I will be happy to see you on Friday night– least I can do for someone from out of town!

  15. anna will u be my facebook friend?

    Are you the vivo from the DC meetup? 😉

    No, seriously…I get a few requests every week from people whom I don’t recognize, at all, and I feel terrible because I don’t remember how we met. If some of you are sending them my way, but you comment under a handle here (or elsewhere), take pity on an old woman and include a hint! 😀

  16. the one and only Palakkad MD born and Bred ABCD Tamilian who attended the dc meetup but in socal now. I shudder to think how many names from meetups you remember.

  20. Heritage India! 🙂

    But any place other than G-town where trying to park a car on that kind of weekend is problematic.

    Curious, has anyone been to Indian Ocean?

  21. Heritage India! 🙂

    Noooo. 🙂

    Let’s try and keep this simple– I already had to write this extra post to try and sort things out, two options is enough. Well, that and though like you, I love Heritage, hardly anyone

    a) wants a place which only serves North Indian food

    b) thinks it’s worth the $$$.

    Besides, I only do Heritage on Sunday, for the awesome buffet and I’m busy Sunday…AFAIK, they don’t do the brunch Saturday? That makes it even MORE expensive.

    Nirvana or Amma. Those are our choices. At noon.

  22. Sorry, two more things before I attempt to pass out:

    1) In case my attempting to convey it four other ways wasn’t successful, we’re meeting on SATURDAY at NOON.

    2) If you just added me on facebook and I might not know who you are, kindly be the telling me? The one of you who was all, “you moron, it’s me, from _____”, totally got added, like, immediately. 😉 I’m grateful like that.

  23. My vote’s Nirvana then cause it’s about damn time I get some. 🙂

    Also cause I drove by it on Sunday thinking this is the place everyone was talking about. Of course, I was more than happy at Cafe du Parc later than night. Best french onion soup in the the city and the house salad is becoming a favorite, too. Hmm….and the creamy whipped mashed potatoes!

    Wait did St Sophie’s already happen?

    I think I need to sleep now cause starting to think about food too much.

  24. ok too things are off in your guys desciption of nirvana, though it is owned by Kutchi-gujjars (gujrati’s but not) it is not a gujrati restaurant . . it has some of the best south indian food in the city, from a family that’s been around dc a lot longer then the amma people, who are supposed to be a south indian restaurant .. . though i’m not gonna be there i say you should go to nirvana it’s my fave indian restaurant in the city

  26. Brunch/Lunch, I will be there. Nothing can stop this dosa starving, overworked mallu from the event.

  27. I won’t be able to make but have a great time – whichever you choose, Nirvana or Amma, please let us know,which dosa you prefer!

  28. it has some of the best south indian food in the city, from a family that’s been around dc a lot longer then the amma people, who are supposed to be a south indian restaurant

    Easy, tiger. “Amma people” are Malayalee. Amma’s food is very Tamil/Malayalee. That’s South Indian to me. It’s associated with Aditi, which I’ve never been to (can’t bear to walk past Amma without going in, for semiya payasam, at least). Aditi has been around since the early 90s, right? One link I saw online said 1991. That’s a long time, in my opinion. I’m more concerned with how long a restaurant has been around vs. how long the family who runs it has been in DC.

    though it is owned by Kutchi-gujjars (gujrati’s but not) it is not a gujrati restaurant . .

    Perhaps this will explain why I’m worried (and why I think this is, relatively speaking, a Gujurati restaurant which happens to serve stuff from all over):

    Okay so this was my first time visiting Nirvana and I was a bit skeptical after reading mixed reviews (rightfully so, in hindsight), but decided to give it a try anyway as I am a vegetarian and so were the 6 other people who accompanied me that day.
    The menu is full of run of the mill stuff that any other Indian restaurant would normally offer, they do have a couple of Gujarati items that they claim to be ‘authentic’, and I couldn’t disagree more.
    First of all let me clarify, I am a Gujarati and so were all of the people with us that day. We all know what Gujarati food tastes like and they all agreed that the Gujarati dishes that we ordered as part of the appetizers were average at best, and the main course dish ‘Undhiyu’ was atrocious, it was completely tasteless and we had to confirm that the dish they served us was actually ‘Undhiyu’ as it tasted, looked so much different.
    Some of the other main course dishes we ordered were equally horrible and to my shock exactly as one of the reviewers had described earlier on this site – It was like eating undercooked pieces of large vegetables that were smothered in Ketchup, there was no spice or flavor to it. [link]

    What confuses me is how several people I’ve asked about this place (in the last few days, in preparation for the meetup) have basically agreed with this guy, when other online reviews read like so:

    Who would have dreamed that all-vegetarian Gujarati cooking would sweep patrons off their feet with dishes so unusual—and so meatless—that they might sit spellbound, dreaming of return visits to come. That’s the ticket at Nirvana, with a menu brimming with rare home-style cooking that underscores how the owners aim to bring unexpected tastes and textures to an American audience weary of tandoori chicken and rubbery samosas. The cuisine’s very uniqueness makes ordering something of a challenge, as it means counting on menu description for total accuracy. [Gayot]
    Excellent South Indian dishes and most Gujarati vegetarian dishes. It is from the people who once brought you Swagat’s, near the University of Maryland. Not everything on the buffet will be good, but the best dishes are superb and original, not what you find elsewhere in the area. You will always feel that this place is not as good as it might have been, but anyone who likes Indian food should have this in their repertoire. [Tyler Cowen]
    Two of us ordered tomoto-based curries. They tasted like someone had mixed canned tomato paste and sugar with vegetables and cheese. I swore I was eating a bad vodka sauce at a mediocre Italian restaurant. There was no sign of fresh tomato at all in the sauce. I ordered undhio which was something I had never seen at an Indian restaurant and sounded interesting. The menu said that undhio contained seasonal fresh vegetables (potatoes, peas, onions, peppers) and chick pea dumplings simmered in a spicy sauce. Pretty much the only accurate part of that statement was the spicy part. The potatoes were overcooked and dry and the peas were undercooked and hard. I didn’t finish it.
    At the risk of making a lot of people upset, I have to say that Nirvana was really average and none of us were really impressed with the food. I was really confused. I have talked to many people that really love this place. Tom Seitsema of the Post even gave it a really positive review as well. The only thing I can think of is that people have only been to Nirvana at lunch time for their buffet and have not eaten there for dinner. Either that, or Nirvana was really having a bad night [DCFoodies]

    THAT is exactly what I’m left with concluding– very positive reviews for the weekday lunch buffet, but negative reactions to the menu which if I may remind some of you is what we’ll be forced to order from. To me, the weekday buffet isn’t as relevant, people. Unless they’re doing a buffet Saturday, too…does anyone know if they do?

    I’m glad you chimed in, but I wish we could get useful information, like what tastes good and what to avoid vs. trash talk about Amma. I’m intrigued by what the disconnect is, why it’s either love or hate.

    I feel responsible for where I’m taking/hosting everyone. Amma isn’t flawless, but it’s a known experience. I’m totally fine with giving Nirvana a shot, despite the bizarre polar-opposite reviews, but I’ll feel bad if 15-20 people hate their food– THAT is why I’m obsessing about this.

  29. I actually saw Information Society in concert during Freestyle Fever at the Copacabana in NYC last November. They weren’t the skater dudes I remembered but more like Amish guys in long black coats and austere looking hats!

  30. I’m reprinting something Giant Shrimp said from donrockwell’s forums on Jan 19 2007:

    “i was just discussing nirvana with a vegetarian co-worker, who has eaten there more recently than the one time i did, and neither of us was exactly thrilled with the place. the dosas weren’t nearly as good as those i used to order all the time decades ago out of a hole in the wall above dupont circle. did you ever eat at paru, he asked? i couldn’t recall, but when he told me the location i realized that paru was the source of the masala dosas that in my memory, at least, put nirvana to shame. it turns out that paru’s masala dosa was exactly the same point of comparison that had soured him on nirvana.”

    :\

  32. since i always get a little ornery walking georgetown sidewalks, my vote is for nirvana.

    and you shall pay for such a vote, little weasel. you shall pay dearly.

    NOW it feels like a meetup…I’ve threatened Jay’s life. Sigh. 🙂

  34. i’ll be there for a little bit– i want to come say hi!! i have to attend an event at 2pm though. i vote nirvana though amma’s is pretty darn good.

  35. All right. Unless one of you readers or lurkers chimes in about FOOD POISONING coughUdipicough, I think we should go with Nirvana. Noon. If you haven’t told me whether you’re joining us, please do so soon, so I can AreEssWePee.

  36. Nirvana owner told me she makes all the food herself. And the South Indian food was about 10 times better than Amma’s. You will not be sorry.

  37. You will not be sorry.

    Actually, you’re the first person I know IRL who has said that. I’m getting Facebooked with the opposite sentiment. This should be interesting.

  38. Two more things I’m curious about:

    1) I’m noticing a trend– people hate the Guju stuff but like the South Indian food

    2) Does anyone know/remember Swagat’s? Terps, I’m looking at you. How was the food there?

  39. I have not been to Nirvana, so I can’t comment. But I am going to have a review up after the meetup and it better be good. 😉

    As far as Amma goes, I think it is much better than what you guys give it credit for. I agree, the food at the last meetup was not up to their standard. But having visited quiet a few South Indian restaurants all over the country, I still think Amma is on the top of my list.

    My assumption is that a crowd of 20 odd people (+ a full restaurant) did not help things. They do have a skeletal staff. Every other time I have been there (without a large posse) , it has been way better. This might not be fair, but the only other South Indian restaurant I have been to in DC blows.

    Bottom line, Amma was, is and will always be on the top of my list.

  40. i’m doing some pre-emptive research prior to meetup right now…eating nirvana buffet-takeaway. so far, so good. in the interest of full disclosure, it is right across from my office building and i actually do like how the buffet changes m-f.

  42. lion @ 30,

    I just need to second Paru’s carryout as the best ever “hotel” dosa that I ever tasted in the US. You see Parvatimami was an old school Palakkad lady who knew her sambar. There was no 777 sambar podi in her kitchen, it was good old fashioned wet ground spices and fresh coconut that went into her sambar. I still remember the day circa 1977, that she announced that she was moving to LA. sigh. Never heard about what happened to her after that.

  45. As someone who tends towards the obligate carnivore end of the spectrum, I’m there more for the company than the food; so either place is fine with me. I liked Amma because (one presumes due to Anna’s inclination to get smacked by the staff) it felt like they weren’t pushing us to leave as soon as we were done with the meal.

  46. i’m doing some pre-emptive research prior to meetup right now…

    Aww look, you’re trying not to get snuffed at the meetup…too bad, it will probably still happen. You know our people are all about time-honored traditions.

    I have had dinner at Nirvana and the food was decent. Not all that spicy, but not completely without flavor either. I actually did not have any of the southie food there because I was being loyal to Amma’s–how could I cheat on that dahi vada?

  47. One good that might come out of Nirvana is that we might all get to sit at one large table instead of two?

    We’ll be there. So..whose wearing a sari? 🙂

  48. i’m doing some pre-emptive research prior to meetup right now

    Like a survey of all the exits and windows that could be used for quick access? 😉

  50. I still hate you.

    I think I’m going to have my own meetup the first weekend in October. So nyaaaah!

    And I’ll probably sit there by myself and eat the buffet and weep mixed tears of sorrow and joy.

    Sorrow because I could not come to the meetup.

    Joy because, damn, that buffet is good.