As a DC resident without a car, it is with great trepidation that I venture into the realms of Virginia and Maryland. This aversion is in no way related to States themselves, just that I often find it difficult to think of any restaurant/bar/mind blowing entertainment source that could really make the 40-minute Metro ride home worth it. I do, however, get very excited when friends with cars make plans to trek out to VA or MD and invite me to come along. Some of you may think it is a sad day when one considers the Potomac States an adventure, but for me it is just the novelty of being in a car and getting driven from place to place without walking six blocks to a Metro station and waiting 20 minutes for a ride...but I digress.Our trip to VA this last weekend was the inspiration of Avery who knew of a good Indian food restaurant in the vicinity of the Dairy Godmother, a frozen custard and sorbet shop in Del Ray. I got the distinct impression that the Bombay Curry Company was just a pit stop on the way to sugary creamy goodness, so I was pleasantly surprised when dinner turned out to be the highlight (at least for me).
The Bombay Curry Company is pr
etty nondescript from the outside and the interior is about the same. The extremely cozy restaurant has about 12 tables and two waiters, but there was no wait when we arrived around 7:30 on a Saturday evening. The waiter was extremely friendly and helpful, and the wine prices were a welcome relief from DC standards. The average price for a bottle of wine was $19 with wine by the glass coming in at about $6.50 (so...there was mathematical reasoning behind ordering the whole bottle). Avery, Kristin and I all ordered the Butter Chicken entree because there was no Chicken Masala on the menu and that was all we had talked about on the car ride to the restaurant. Marie branched out and ordered the Chicken Jhalfrezi (stir-fried chicken with tomatoes, onions and green peppers). As a table we o
rdered three sides: Dal Makhani (black lentils simmered overnight with spices), Bharta (Pureed charcoal-roasted eggplant sauteed with onions and tomatoes), and Raita (grated cucumber in blended yogurt). The food came out quickly and in greater quantities than I had expected. Somehow everyone but Marie managed to clear their plates and I even ordered a second round of naan. I interpret Marie's ability to leave food on her plate not to any self restraint on her part, but simply assume that her dish was not as tasty as the Butter Chicken that Kristin, Avery and I put away so efficiently.The natural next step to gorging on Indian food is to drive three blocks to the Dairy Godmother. I had never heard of this place before Saturday night, but the rest of my party were firm advocates. My novice status was apparent when I allowed myself to be temped into ordering a sorbet while the more experienced of
the bunch when straight for the sundaes. My Lemon Lavender sorbet was very tasty at first, but the tartness became a little overwhelming after a few bites and my mouth alternated between numb and tingling for the rest of the night. Marie and Kristin's Turtle Sundaes with vanilla custard, whipped cream, hot fudge, caramel and pecans was obviously delicious and Avery's Brownie Sundae won by sheer size. For those of you make your first trip to the Dairy Godmother, I would have to recommend the Sundaes, but the sorbets have some pretty intriguing flavors like Pink Grapefruit with Angostura Bitters, Pineapple with Cilantro, Cucumber with Fresh Mint, and Papaya with Fresh Ginger and are worth a try on your second visit. Basically, I think you will need to make SEVERAL trips to the Dairy Godmother to truly appreciate all they have to offer. Just don't go on a Tuesday as that is the one day each week when the Dairy Godmother closes its doors.All in all...it was a very productive and enjoyable trip to the nether regions of VA. Now, I will just need to convince other friends with cars to drive me out there again.
The Bombay Curry Company
3110 Mount Vernon Ave
Alexandria, VA 22305
703-836-6363
http://www.bombaycurrycompany.com/
The Dairy Godmother
2310 Mount Vernon Ave
Alexandria, VA 22301
703-683-7767http://www.thedairygodmother.com/
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