BLUE RIBBON AWARD WINNER

The original of this Indian restaurant in Glover Park continues to distinguish itself as one of the best Indian kitchens in town, unsurpassed in its renditions of many of the standards of Indian cooking--wonderful tandoori dishes; a superb lamb vindaloo tangy with vinegar; Grouper Jalfrezi with onions, tomatoes, and green peppers; Yakhani Gosht, lamb simmered in yogurt and saffron.

The new Heritage India near Dupont Circle calls itself a "brasserie and lounge" and devotes almost a page of its menu to "contemporary Indian fare," much of it small plates based on the street-hawker fare of India. These include tapas-like selections of samosas, pakoras, and kebabs, plus some cross-cultural experiments--a roasted portobello mushroom with crab masala, a hummus of roasted garlic and black beans with a Parmesan naan, and tandoori-smoked mozzarella. The small plates are $3.95 to $7.95. A section of pastas further expands the menu with selections like Goan Bouillabaisse, fish and shellfish on angel-hair pasta with cilantro-pesto rouille.