Hot food for a cold day

Oenophile that I am, I've been super excited to check out DC's newest addition to the wine bar craze, Cork, and had made plans to go after work yesterday. Few things can compete with my mildly obsessive interest in chronicling the best this city has to offer in the way of wine flights, cheese selections, and charcuterie. (See previous post on Dupont's Veritas). As if I needed further incentive, Cork's menu boasts a pretty decent selection of entrees (or what they call "hot plates"), and dishes like Red-Wine Braised Lamb with pomegranate, radicchio, and spinach beckon.

But yesterday, it was cold. And windy. And to be completely honest, I just didn't feel like trekking across town for my dinner, delicious as it might've been. So, although few things can compete with wine and cheese, fabulous Indian food is most definitely one of those things, specifically the elegant fare turned out by Heritage India in Dupont Circle.

So we turned our wind-burned cheeks to the north and braved the nasty weather for the couple blocks between my office and the restaurant, the promise of warm naan and spicy curries sustaining us through the chill.

Once inside Heritage's uniquely decorated dining room (think soothing peach tones, low lighting, and a giant bronze Buddha statue), we settled into a table for two and ordered drinks (a SoCo Sour for Jason, and a Maharani cocktail for me - made of peach schnapps, orange juice, Grey Goose, and white sparkling wine.) With the drinks warming our cheeks, we turned to the menu, which is a rather intriguing mix of contemporary Indian tapas-style dishes (like grilled Tandoori mozzarella, tomato, and basil), and more traditional offerings like kabobs and curries.

We started with an order of pleasantly salty Garlic Naan, and from there, I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, and Jason went with the Lamb Vindaloo. The chicken was unbelievably tender, accented by the tang of the creamy and spicy masala sauce. And lo and behold, Jason's Vindaloo was sufficiently fiery, which is a victory in and of itself. I can also vouch for the Tandoori Chicken, marinated in a savory tomato-yoghurt sauce, which I enjoyed during a previous visit to the restaurant.

Our server (who was attentive without being overbearing, by the way) brought us dessert menus, but there simply wasn't room. It was that good.

Good to know: Heritage India is located at 1337 Connecticut Ave, almost directly across from the South entrance of the Dupont Circle Metro on the Red Line.

Photo of Heritage India's Saag Paneer by Flickr user Il Primo Uomo.