Looking for Indian Food in Washington, D.C.? Look No Further Than Rasoi Indian Kitchen

It's no secret that I love to cook. My husband Mark and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen creating meals. We don't tend to shy away from many things. There was that time we roasted a rabbit , there was the great flambé experiment of 2012 (not my finest moment in the kitchen), and that one time we came home with a paper bag full of angry wriggling lobsters.

But sometimes things are best left to the professionals (ahem- flambe). As much as I adore being barefoot in the kitchen, I equally adore wearing earrings and dining out.

When it comes to the aromatic, layered flavors of good Indian food, I prefer to eat out.

Indian food is a family favorite. In New York, we had our go to spots and now here in D.C. we have found a spot as well.

Looking for Indian Food in Washington, D.C.? Look No Further Than Rasoi Indian Kitchen!

Our food came out plated to perfection in lovely little dish sets. The flavors were all distinct and amazing! Aside from needing to order more rice, the serving size was perfect.

Rasoi is decorated beautifully and provides the perfect elegantly casual backdrop for a delicious meal.

We'll be back!

Here's how you can get there too.

Rasoi Indian Kitchen International Square 1810 K St.NW Washington, DC

Let me know what you think! Do you have a favorite restaurant in DC?

A New Ben's Chili Bowl, A Bit of Go-Go, and A Whole Lot of D.C. Soul!

A New Ben's Chili Bowl, A Bit of Go-Go, and A Whole Lot of D.C. Soul!

Go-go, so named because the music just goes and goes, is a love child of the blues, funk, salsa, gospel, and soul that emerged in the '70s- Abdul Ali in How Washington, D.C. ,Turned its Back on Go-Go, the Music It Invented

Go-Go music is quintessentially D.C.!

It tells the story of a vibrant and resilient people. It carries hope drenched in raw, at times raunchy humor. It's syncopated soliloquies and tribal beats stir within the most conservative among us, a primal urge to dance.

Go-Go is a D.C. cultural mainstay that speaks to the soul.

Another cultural mainstay, dating back to 1958, is Ben's Chilli Bowl. A D.C. local favorite, Ben's Chili Bowl speaks through the stomach to the soul.

It makes sense then, that one complimented the other during the highly anticipated grand opening of the second H Street location of this classic D.C. eatery.

Loved by locals.

Visited by presidents and dignitaries, tourists and celebrities.

Featured on the travel channel: Man Versus Food, No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain, and Bizarre Foods America, Ben's Chilli Bowl has been delighting palettes for generations.

A form of R&B founded in D.C. by Chuck Brown with roots in Africa -call and response, congas. It has jazz improvisation, it utilizes arrangements, it's instrumental, it reminds me of a drum circle, it's tribal at its core. - Mark Williams, Former Trombonist with Chuck Brown

We found our way, to the grand opening of the second Ben's Chili Bowl on H street by way of my husband Mark, a former D.C. resident and trombonist with the late but legendary Chuck Brown.

The afternoon was blazing. The sky broke apart into an abyss of blinding white light which cascaded acutely off of any and every metal surface. The pavement was so hot it was sticky. The notoriously humid D.C. air was almost drinkable, but somehow it didn't matter,  a crowd was gathering. A crowd that was growing by the minute.

Out the door of the new Ben's Chili Bowl, a line, snaked for a block and a half. In front of the bandstand, revelers gathered, dancing despite the heat, despite the sweat, to the intoxicating rythms of the Chuck Brown Tribute Band.

I wanted to run for shade, (eventually I did, sneaking into the pristine new Ben's Chilli Bowl before the rest of the public was let in- we were the first to be served!) but I found myself dancing, my one year old bouncing joyously in his carrier, my three year old bending his knees, swaying his hips to the rythms.

To the left of me, secret servicemen ushered the mayor and senators through the crowd. To the right, people of every age, race and social economic demographic effectively broke it down to the music.

For decades, the D.C. community has rallied behind Ben's Chili Bowl, it survived the race riots of the 60's, like a giant oak, it has stood the test of time.

They say it's the chili- soulful, spicy, sweet.

Some swear it's all about the chili bowl half smoke.

Whatever your flavor, whatever your fashion, Ben's is simple, sloppy, soulful, stick to your ribs food. They even have turkey options for those who don't eat red meat.

Since we ducked into the restaurant early, before the public was allowed in, to escape the heat, we were among the first to be served. Ohm even made it on the evening news as he sampled some chili fries.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/29498700/bens-chili-bowl

No visit to Washington, D.C., is complete without a visit to Ben's Chili Bowl and while you're there, find some Go-Go music to listen to. It's just as unique to D.C. as Brass Band is to New Orleans, though much less popular across the country which means, it's kind of like a well kept secret, one you need to discover for yourself.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the Mall

What makes a man or woman great? Is it their actions? Their thoughts? The words they share that inspire others? Their writings? Their courage? A combination of the above?

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

                                                   -Martin Luther King Jr.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

As I stood at the entrance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial taking in the memorialized words of this great man, I began to wonder.

The sun was deceiving. It was sunglasses weather, but it was also skin a bear and wear his fur to keep yourself warm weather. As the heavy wind gusts pushed us to and fro, we made our way beyond the murky frozen Potomac, past the Lincoln Memorial and along the Washington Mall towards the relatively new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Making our way down Independence Ave., the National Monument in the distance, Dr. King's memorial seemed to appear suddenly, three dignified cream colored peaks before us.

I was drawn immediately to the wall of Dr. King's quotes, presented in a smooth arc behind his statue. A powerful living memorial, I followed the semi-circle of quotes, taking each one in, letting them resonate.

The Martin Luther King Jr. memorial was dedicated on August 28th 2011, 48 years after the historic March on Washington.

Behind Dr. Kings image lies the mountain of despair, which is divided into two pieces to symbolize the hope of the present. In the distance, between the mountain of despair, one gets a clear view of the Jefferson memorial, a symbol of freedom and liberty.

Located in West Patomac Park in Washington D.C., the memorial is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is a parking area.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial: 1964 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC

Dr. King's legacy should inspire us all to aim to be great. To live lives of service, lives that matter. Whatever your mission, whatever your cause, let it ring from the mountaintops and refuse to be moved.

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The National Air and Space Museum

It was like being in a flashback of my childhood.

My feet clicked across the glossy white floor, bright light streamed in from the window spaces above, and everywhere around me, suspended overhead, bolted to the ground, were massive relics of aviation and space exploration.

I remember being dragged here as a child by my grandfather, a former Tuskegee Airman. He would stand and marvel at the B-52 bombers and telescopes, the space shuttles and astronomy dioramas. Not at all interested in science, airplanes or space exploration, I was always bored and unimpressed.

"Come on grandpa, is it time for ice-cream yet?"...

Flash forward twenty years and I've found myself the proud yet baffled mother of an airplane obsessed two year old. His love of all things aviation certainly didn't come from me or my musician husband, it must be an inherited love from his great-grandfather. My role as a mom is not to question, but to support, so off I found myself, yet once again heading to the National Air and Space Museum. At least I told myself, this time I was the adult, and could control when we would leave and how long we would spend lost in space.

Located on historic Independence Avenue, the National Air and Space Museum boasts the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world.  A part of the Smithsonian museum collections, the museum is FREE! A great perk of many things in the nation's capital.

The National Air and Space Museum

600 Independence Ave SW, Washington, District of Columbia 20560

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The Virtues of a Green Maternity Massage at the Nusta Spa

"Oh, yes, Mrs. Williams, we've been expecting you. What size are you wearing now?"

The receptionist looked from my face to my stomach with a smile and a wink.

"Errr... I, I'm not sure anymore. Maternity size?"

"No problem Mrs. Williams. Have you been here before?"

"No."

"Well, welcome. Jeanine here will show you around."

A woman, dressed in head to toe black, appeared suddenly from behind the counter.

"Follow me Mrs. Williams." She said, her black framed glasses sliding slightly down the bridge of her nose.

I was led through the bright lobby and down a wood paneled lavender scented hallway.

"Here we are." She pushed open a set of large glass doors.

The bright room smelled of eucalyptus. My feet slid across the spotless bamboo floors.

"This will be your locker, behind you you'll find the washroom, and on the other side the showers. Here is your robe and a pair of slippers. Once you've changed you can make a left out the door and take a seat in the treatment waiting area."

Wrapped in a velvety robin's egg blue robe and matching slippers, I made my way down the fragrant hallway towards the waiting room. A babbling fountain echoed in the distance as I settled into the plush sofa with a glass of cucumber water and a handful of trail mix.

No sooner had I started flipping through Organic Spa Magazine than I was called in for my treatment.

This Christmas, Mark surprised me with a maternity massage. Well into my second trimester with our second child, he'd grown weary of my daily, sometimes hourly requests for massages.

My first maternity massage, I wasn't sure what to expect. The massage table was outfitted with an elaborate network of body pillows, that the masseuse had to help me wriggle into so I could lay comfortably on my side.

The massage began, as most do, with a back rub. Instead of laying on my stomach, I was on my side. First my left side was gently attended to and then the right. It was heavenly. Classical music played in the distance. A soothing heat pad covered my feet and lower back.

The legs came next, then the feet, followed by my arms, neck and finally my head. When my hour was up, I felt blissful and new.

Nusta Spa is a green spa. I was able to relax and rest assured that nothing but the cleanest and purest ingredients were being massaged into my skin. In my case, an unscented olive oil blend.

The maternity massage at Nusta Spa was exactly what I needed. Before this little guy makes his grand appearance in June, I will definitely be back.

Wondering how to make your pregnant friends, wives, girlfriends, daughters, or sisters smile? Find a luxurious spa and gift them a maternity massage.

If you're in the D.C. area, Nusta Spa is a great place to start.

Nusta Spa, 1129 20th Street, NW, Washington, DC