I’m looking for a nice-ish Indian restaurant for my birthday dinner with my parents this Friday.  Where would you recommend?

Oh man, I wish you hadn’t said THIS Friday, because all I want to do is send you to Rasika (or the sister restaurant Rasika West End) where you’ll spend slightly more money but have one of the best meals in Washington, DC. Unfortunately, reservations for a Friday night are hard to get a month in advance, let alone a couple of days, so you’re going to have to go elsewhere. But for your next parent-funded celebration, plan it in advance and lock down that table.

You do have some good options on short notice, though, and there are three places in the District I think would fit the bill nicely.  Indique Heights, with locations in Friendship Heights and Cleveland Park, is reliably good Indian food, if nothing spectacular.  All of the standbys (samosas, tandoori chicken, lamb vindaloo, you know the deal) are on the menu and made well, and Indique Heights is nice enough to feel like you’re celebrating. My main gripe? I think it’s too expensive for what it is.  You can be eating more exciting food for these prices at other places in the city.

Masala Art up in Tenleytown is another potential location. Tucked in right by a Subway in an unassuming strip mall, this fairly unappealing exterior actually hides an attractive restaurant. More important, of course, is that the food is delicious. Masala Art’s food manages to be both more authentically Indian than Indique Heights (Pro tip: if you get the vindaloo, watch out, cause it is HOT. They are not toning down the spice level here) while still coming across as an upscale version of Indian food. That being said, this wouldn’t be my first choice for a birthday meal. It’s out of the way and can be a bit fussy; it doesn’t necessarily have the fun factor I know I’m looking for on a birthday. I know this is dinner with your parents, not a night out on the town with your friends, but I still think something a bit more lively is in order.

My ultimate recommendation, then, would be to go instead to Himalayan Heritage, a Nepalese/Indian restaurant located in Adams Morgan. Here, you have the perfect combination of good food and a fun, celebratory vibe, all at very reasonable prices. Chicken Masala is on the menu, of course, but there are also some Nepalese specialties like momos that you won’t find many other places in the District. And at the end of the meal, you’re in Adams Morgan and a short walk from Dupont Circle or U Street, making it easy to stop somewhere nearby for dessert or a drink.

Hope you have a great birthday, and let us know where you go and how it turns out!

Have a question for us? Send an email to evan@eatthedistrict.com and we’ll answer it here!

Must-Buy: Today’s Groupon for either $6 for a meal for one or $12 for a meal for two at Naan & Beyond is the perfect lunch deal: a good amount of food at a real cheap price.  For $6 a person, you get a naan sandwich of your choice, masala chips, and a mango lassi to wash it down.  If you work anywhere within walking distance of Naan & Beyond, there’s no reason not to buy this.

Fifty-Fifty: My love for Recessions is well known. On a given Friday you have an above average chance (if you’re there before 10) of finding me there. However, I can count on one hand the number of times I have been to Recessions on the six other days of the week. That’s why I’m not thrilled about today’s Scoutmob. First it excludes happy hour and second it excludes Fridays. That pretty much rules it out for me. The food is okay, but nothing to write home about. For a bonus treat the photo to the left is when I infamously fell asleep at Recessions.

Must-Buy: Groupon continues its run of 2012′s best deals with today’s offer of $20 for $40 of food at Lebanese Taverna, and once again we’ll declare you should absolutely take advantage. This place serves up some delicious Lebanese food, and $40 is enough to cover two entrees.  The only downside? The deal only applies to the Bethesda location, meaning a bit longer trip up the Red Line than if you could visit their Woodley Park spot.  Still, in this case, we think the extra 15 minutes is worth it.

Fifty-Fifty: Himalayan Heritage is a great neighborhood spot, and today’s Livingsocial deal for $5 for $10 of takeout or delivery is a nice way to save $5 on a tasty dinner. Unfortunately, this time the Bethesda-only caveat makes takeout and delivery far less convenient, and $10 is nowhere near enough for dinner. This deal is only for people in or near Bethesda that are looking to save a couple bucks on a meal; everyone else, steer clear.

Avoid: I rarely give Scoutmob deals an avoid since you don’t have to buy ahead, but today’s offer of $10 off at Odeon Cafe in Dupont Circle is a double whammy of meh: mediocre Italian food and a deal that will cover nowhere near dinner for two. Feel free to take advantage of the savings if you happen to be dining there, but there are better options in the neighborhood.

Must Buy: Another fine job from Scoutmob today. Virginia doesn’t allow deals on liquor so once again you’re out of luck on that front. But today you’re getting 50% off to Abi Azteca (3055 Columbia Pike, Arlington). With a max $15 discount that’s two entrees for the price of one. We love that here. Solid food and no pressure to buy make this a solid yes.

Must Buy: Another good deal from South of the border. This time we have $20 for $40 to Rumba Cafe (2443 18th St., NW) courtesy of Groupon. This deal will get you some serious tapas. Each plate here is going to run you roughly $10 so that’s four different options. Grab someone special and get to Adams Morgan.

See you Monday everyone.

Must Buy: A lot of the time you’ll see deals that exclude Happy Hours. Today’s Google Offer goes the other way. $12 for $24 to Cafe Citron (1343 Connecticut Ave., NW) only valid during happy hour. Now this is likely the only time I would go to Cafe Citron (the prices are pretty high), so this is a killer deal. $5 Mojitos will get you started. Check out their Saturday Happy Hour as well if you want a place to kick off a night in Dupont.

Must-Buy:  Groupon’s $40 coupon for a three-course meal for two at Chef Tony’s is a great way to get a nice dinner for two at a reasonable price.  Serving seasonal Italian seafood, Chef Tony’s is a great little spot, and the deal includes the added bonus of 20% off a bottle of wine.  If you’ve been looking for a chance to get a bit more upscale food at a reasonable price, don’t miss this one.

Must Buy: I really like Haydee’s in Mount Pleasant. A really laid back spot with awesome food that doesn’t break the bank. Sounds perfect right? Now add $20 for $40 from LivingSocial, and you’re in serious business.

Fifty-Fifty: Whitlow’s on Wilson is your classic, reliable neighborhood bar, and a great place to grab a bite to eat or have a beer with some friends. If you’re in Clarendon, absolutely take advantage of today’s Scoutmob. If not? Well, you’ve probably got your own neighborhood spot that’s just as good, making this not worth the trip.

Must Buy: We’ve featured a very similar deal to today’s Google Offer to Flippin Pizza (1745 Connecticut Ave., NW) back in August. We called it a Must Buy then and we’ll call it a Must Buy today. Here’s what I said 5 months ago, “In a city not known for it’s pizza there’s a few places that have good deals and pretty good pizza.” Today we’ve got $15 for $30 and this will certainly be worth your money.

Fifty-Fifty: We have another retread today, this time a $20 for $40 from Groupon to Sala Thai (multiple locations). Flashback to May we had the deal courtesy of LivingSocial. We said, “Sala Thai’s deal is good. They have four convenient locations. It screams good deal. Two people will be able to get an entree and appetizer for the price of one. I just can’t go wild for this deal because the food itself is just so-so. We’ve talked about good cheap Thai food here in the past and I’m just not comfortable giving this the Must Buy. If you’re craving do it at a discount certainly do it. If you’re willing to up the quality and up the price a little, then certainly give this the pass.”

So there you have it. One really good deal and one eh. Not bad for a cold day.

Fifty-Fifty: Today’s Scoutmob is intriguing, but ultimately falls short on price. 50% off at Bilbo Baggins Global Restaurant and Pub (208 Queen St., Alexandria). With only $12 as the max discount, you’re going to burn through this deal quickly. The food is pretty solid (and who doesn’t love Bilbo Baggins?) so if you’re down in Old Town you could certainly do worse.

Avoid: I just can’t yes to this deal despite how enticing it seems. Groupon is offering a deal today to Fiesta (1327 Connecticut Ave., NW) for $35 for Fajitas and Bottomless drinks for 2 would scream Must Buy. But wait. The food is lackluster and that’s still quite a bit to be paying for two people. If you’re craving bottomless drinks, though, this may be up your alley.

For Hannukah my family received an ice cream maker. Immediately I snapped up the gift and spirited it away back to DC. Suffering from a partial lactose intolerance (probably psychosomatic) I don’t go for ice cream. My love for froyo is well documented, but it’s possible I love sorbet even more. For the last month I’ve been experimenting and I’ll say I’m getting pretty good.

Making sorbet is extremely easy. After a few initial botches (I’ll get to that in a minute), I’ve hit my stride. Generally speaking you need about 1 1/2 pounds of fruit and 1 1/4 cups of simple sugar (2 cups water/2 cups sugar, boil until the sugar dissolves and let simmer and stir).

Citrus sorbet is a little more complex. The one thing you need to know is that you REALLY need to remove the pith. Using a chef’s knife you need to remove all of the pith, otherwise your sorbet is going to be bitter. My first attempts at blood orange sorbet produced an edible, but not delicious result.

Berry sorbet on the other hand is my jam. My two biggest successes have been blackberry (don’t strain your mixture) and raspberry strawberry. To make it you take your fruit and add 1/4 of a cup of the simple syrup. Food process it up and when it has been pureed add in another 1 cup of simple syrup and stir. Put the mixture into the fridge for about an hour and then use your ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you’ve done it right you’re going to need bowls because everyone’s going to want in.

Must Buy/Fifty-Fifty: Are you a vegan? Do you frequently dine with a vegan? Are you trying to impress a vegan?  Then you’ll absolutely want to drive up to Soul Vegetarian Restaurant near Howard University and take advantage of today’s Scoutmob for $5 off food or smoothies. Everyone else? Eh.  The food, particularly the mac and cheese, gets pretty good reviews, but it’s nothing to go out of your way for. But if you’re in the area, like tofu, and are looking for a lunch deal, you might want to take advantage.