Why go: Expertly rendered dosas and uttapams—Southern Indian crepes and pancakes—in a newly made-over space. Eating here is finally more pleasant than taking out.
What to get: Big, ultrathin dosas made from lentil and rice flours and rolled around such fillings as curried potatoes and onions and chilies, then served with coconut chutney; uttapam, somewhere between a flatbread and a pancake, studded with onions and chilies; a soccer-ball-size puff of the fry bread called poori; lemon rice with pappadam.
Best for: A quick, casual lunch or dinner; an ultra-cheap meal with friends—the nearly footlong dosas are made for sharing.
Insider tip: It doesn’t include a dosa, but the $8.99 Amma “feast”—an assortment of curries, fry bread, raita, and other nibbles—is a good deal.
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
>> See all 2009 Cheap Eats restaurants here
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
