Southside 815 - Southern American food in Northern Virginia

Fried oysters with cheesy spinach

Southside 815

815 South Washington St.

Alexandria, VA 22314 

Growing up, I was often labeled "parochial" due to my lack of appreciation for American cuisine. But after two visits to Southside 815 in Alexandria, I may have finally found an establishment that can liberate my palate from the spicy bonds of my homeland.

I had the opportunity to sample both the breakfast and dinner menus. For brunch I would recommend the sausage biscuits and gravy, vegetable frittata, and eggs benedict. 

Gumbo

For  dinner, I strongly endorse ordering the fried oysters with cheese spinach as an appetizer. Their entree menu includes many Southern classics. We tried the gumbo and blackened catfish, which were both very good and, as far as I can tell, authentic. The portion sizes were large enough: the main entree was served with mostly a lot of greens or veggies. I would recommend paring these dishes with the homemade buttermilk and sweet potato biscuits. 

On the whole, the food was delicious, if bit rich. All the dishes were worth the very reasonable price. I would recommend at least one visit to any of my fellow immigrants who are interested in experiencing 'good' American cuisine.

Kalpasi - The full Chettinad experience in Virginia

Fish curry with appam

Kalpasi 
13055, Worldgate Drive
Herndon, Virginia, 20170

When I arrived in the United States, going out to an Indian restaurant carried with it expectations of butter chicken or paneer butter masala.

However, the opportunities for Americans to experience the more authentic regional cuisines in the Washington DC metropolitan area are increasing. Kalpasi, newly opened in Herndon, Virginia, is indicative of this trend. The menu is largely comprised of Chettinad,  a particularly spicy variance to southern Indian cuisine.

Dry mutton

Among the main courses, I tried their tangy and spicy fish curry served with Appam, South Indian pancakes made from fermented rice batter as well as their dry goat. Both dishes were very good. Those interested in the full Chettinad experience may also want to consider  their house-made paratha. I tried it with their king fish curry and it was delicious.

The prices were very reasonable given the quality of the food, though, at the end of the meal, we wished the portion sizes had been larger.

Goan Fish Curry

Ingredients (Serves 2-3 people)
2 tablespoons of clarified butter (or olive oil)
2 green chillies slit
3 pods of garlic (crushed)
1/2 onion diced
1/2 tomato diced
7 fillets of cleaned tilapia (you can also try this recipe with shrimp or any fish of your choice)
1 cup of coconut milk (I used the canned coconut milk. Alternately, you could make some with fresh coconut)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
Chopped coriander leaves/cilantro
Salt to taste
A pinch of sugar

Step 1: Heat oil or butter in a pan. Add the cumin seeds along with chopped chillies, crushed garlic, and onions. Add the tomatoes to the mix, once the onions have turned brown.

Step 2: Add chili, turmeric and coriander powders and let it cook.

Step 3: Add the coconut milk. 

Step 4: Add the tilapia fillets and allow it to cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Step 5: Add some garam masala, tamarind, salt and sugar. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

Step 6: Serve hot with rice.

Palak paneer (Cottage cheese with spinach and mushroom sauce)

Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients (Serves 2-3 people)

200 grams of paneer (cottage cheese) cubes 

1 finely chopped red onion

1/2 finely chopped tomato

1 bag of pre-washed baby spinach (70 grams)

4 finely chopped mushrooms

2 bay leaves

4 pods of garlic

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

4 tablespoons of clarified butter (or olive oil)

1/4 cup of milk

1/2 teaspoon tamarind concentrate

Pinch of garam masala

Salt to taste

Step 1: Saute the spinach and mushrooms with half onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic in a pan. 

Step 2: Blend the mixture with some milk.

Step 3: Saute the remaining onion and cumin seeds in some butter and bay leaves. 

Step 4: Marinate the paneer cubes with the spices [chilli, turmeric, and coriander powders] and fry them with the onions. ( You could also separately shallow-fry the paneer cubes with the egg white before you saute them with the onions. 

Step 5: Add the blended mixture to the paneer. 

Step 6: Sprinkle some garam masala and let it cook for 5-10 minutes. 

Step 7: Add some salt to taste. 

Step 8: For a tangy flavor, you could add some tamarind.  

Step 9: Serve with chapati (Indian bread) or rice. 

Supper Club of India

Fish Amritsari with chutney

I recently visited the Supper Club of India, located in Herndon, Virginia.  It does not have a particularly fancy ambience but I was very impressed with the quality of food. Most of India's regions were given some degree of representation on the menu.

Many of the dishes are not very commonly offered by Indian restaurants in the DC region,  including chicken kolhapuri (a spicy speciality from Maharastra), Vindaloo (a vinegar-based specialty from Goa) and non-vegetarian delicacies included Lobster Nizam and chicken chettinad, which are unique to southern India. The prices were reasonable relative to other Indian restaurants in Northern Virginia.

Shrimp curry, chicken chettinad and rice

I tried their chicken chettinad, madras shrimp, and fish amritsari. Although I thought the chicken chettinad tasted more like the Goan chicken xacuti, I certainly did not mind the latter. The shrimp was prepared in a coconut based curry that went well  with the rice.

Another interesting feature of this restaurant's menu were the many dishes prepared with phall -- the "hottest curry in the world". These curries are made from Bhut Jalokia, or ghost peppers, which originated in Assam, a state in northeast India. I did not think I could handle the spice levels, but if you think you can, this is the restaurant you will want to visit to test what your taste buds are made of. However, even for those with nothing to prove, the rest of the menu has enough to ensure that you will not regret the trip. 

North Indian fare in South Goa

Chicken legs stuffed with minced meat

If you are in South Goa and have an appetite for the north indian cuisine, here are a few suggestions. 

Tavir in Margao city is a great option and one of my favorite restaurants in Margao city. While it's menu borrows from the entire subcontinent, their comparative advantage probably lies in their North Indian dishes. I tried their kababs, chicken legs (tangdi chicken) stuffed with minced meat, and butter chicken. All were well above average. 

Many of the three-star and five-star restaurants have a buffet option with a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian north indian items.

Pao bhaji at Tato's

I tried the buffet at Taj Exotica's Marble Arch. If you are not a big fan of Goan cuisine, this might be your best bet given the sheer variety of dishes on its menu. It is certainly good enough to justify the (not low) price. 

There are few exclusively vegetarian options in Goa. Those with an aversion to meat might consider visiting Cafe Tato (in Margao and Panaji), a fast food chain whose menu is very diverse with respect to casual Indian dishes on offer. These include sukhi bhaji, pao bhaji, chole bhature, vegetable cutlets, as well as a vegetarian thali.

Goa for the seafood lovers

Prawn stuffed papad at Martin's Corner, Betalbatim

My top picks for establishments in South Goa, India which serve Goan cuisine include:

Chef Fernando's Nostalgia is a very popular choice for those looking for authentic Goan. I tried their prawn rissois, prawn stuffed papads and other specialties including ambot tik (fish curry), chicken xacuti, and prawn balchao. This garden restaurant is nested in a forested area which results in a nice ambience. 

However, my favorite Goan full service restaurant was Sharda Classic Bar and Restaurant, located in Margao. It offers a take-out option that is a tad cheaper than the dine-in menu. The fish was fresh and their fried shrimp was mouth-watering. Other dishes including chicken sukha, chicken xacuti, and chilli chicken, all of which I preferred to have with freshly baked Goan bread called pao. Of all the restaurants I visited which served Goan shrimp curry, Sharda's was one of the best, being the most similar to what one would expect if it was prepared at home.

Rawa fried prawn at Sharda Classic

Besides the full service options located in the larger cities, most Goan beach resorts have at least one food shack in close proximity which offer a variety of Goan dishes. I generally prefer the dishes served in these establishments to the Goan dishes on offer at the more polished indoor restaurants. Joe Corns near Taj Exotica in Betalbatim beach offers authentic Goan cuisine at reasonable prices. Joet's on the Bogmolo beach is located a stone’s throw from the Bogmolo beach resort.  

If you are a seafood lover, don’t miss out on their comprehensive seafood platters which feature fried fish, shrimp, mussel, lobster and calamari. The fried seafood in Goa not only sport the spices that define Indian cuisine but, somewhat unique to the subcontinent, the seafood is served fresh - thanks to the proximity of most parts of the state to the coast.