Hippo CONTROVERSY!

There's been talk in the U.S. presidential race about "phony outrage." I'm curious, does today's Hatchet editorial calling the University "heavy-handed" for phasing out the hippo resonate as a real controversy for folks?

Some specific parts that caught my eye:

The University's eventual removal of the hippo, a mascot students love and embrace, is a heavy-handed, unilateral and poorly defended move that should be seriously reconsidered.

Do you actually love the hippo?

Students have embraced the hippo as representative of the more whimsical side of the University. On a campus populated with BlackBerrys and suits, the hippo grounds us and keeps our college image lighthearted.

Is there really a whimsical side and non-whimsical side of GW? (And if anything represented pure whim, is the hippo a better example than, say, random Greco-Roman structures near the Gelman library?)

What the administration should realize is that the hippo is GW's most distinctive brand.

Seriously?!?

When I think about Georgetown, I don't think about the Hoya--I think about a good school, the one that Bill Clinton went to. If I was neutral in this "controversy," learning that the hippo is GW's most distinctive brand might actually be the strongest argument for ditching it.

Today is Adam's Morgan Day

For those who weren't feeling Fall Fest, today is the 30th annual Adam's Morgan Day on 18th Street (right above T street). It's until 7 p.m. Event link is here.

Fall Fest Open Thread

From the GW Hatchet:

Poor weather and a lack of big-name headliners contributed to a sparsely attended Fall Fest Saturday afternoon in the Smith Center.

Program Board moved the annual event indoors from University Yard last week due to Tropical Storm Hanna. In addition to food and games, the festival featured performances from student organizations, The Canon Logic, Virginia Coalition and Wale.

Did you attend Fall Fest? If so, was it good? If not, why not?
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Who is this "Pita Pit GW" and is (s)he friend-worthy?

I have a hard-and-fast Facebook rule. If I don't know you, you're not my "friend." Period.

So, normally, the choice I faced today of whether or not to confirm "Pita Pit GW" wouldn't require more than a second's thought. Ignore.

But...for some reason, this one took me more than a second to catch my thoughts:

"What???"
"Aww, that's kinda cute."
"What???"
"Why would someone create a profile for a food place?"
"Why would someone pick THAT place -- a pita stand?"
"Then again...it is kinda cute."

Not just cute, but quite popular. 401 friends? Obviously, not a total loser. Though maybe it's just a really good Facebook stalker and I'm its latest victim. Or, maybe it's just using me for free GWBlogspot publicity after my recent profile of Indian food on campus. (Note to Pita Pit - if that's your motive, I'll never fall for that!) (Doi!)

So, I thought I'd throw it out to the Inter-webs? What do you know about this "Pita Pit GW?" Friend-worthy?

Political Convention Open Thread

GW's in the heart of Washington, D.C. What did folks think of the political conventions?

Open Thread: What's On Your Mind?

Something Special Is Coming To J Street

As a native of Edison, NJ -- which has one of the highest Indian populations in the country -- I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of fine Indian food. I test places out wherever I go, and often am not overly impressed.

Recently, at a housewarming party, I got into a conversation with some folks about Indian food in the DC area. They told me that they trek all the way from DC to Arlington just to eat at a restaurant called Sangam. I was in the Arlington area yesterday, and tried it. It was quite good.

The owner (very friendly) said they were opening up a kiosk in J Street! For all incoming Class of 2012'ers, this is NOT normal for college cafeterias. This...put simply...is bliss.

And apparently, today's the very first day the kiosk is open! So, is this a cutting-edge, amazingly-timely GWBlogspot dining review? Yes...yes, it is. (Compare and contrast to the GW Hatchet's cutting-edge review of Chipotle. Great job, guys.)

The Sangam dishes I highly recommend are Saag Paneer (spinach and cheese cubes) and Malai Kofta Curry (vegetable balls in a nice yellow sauce), both vegetarian. Also pretty good was the Paneer Makhani (cheese cubes in orange sauce). Hopefully all of those are at J Street. If not, a trip to Arlington may be in order. I'd give this place a solid 8 on a 1-10 scale.

For other Indian food aficionados, I have a few other Indian food recommendations in the area:

• Bombay Palace near campus -- 2100 K, NW. Big advantage: weekend buffet! Saag Paneer is pretty good, other stuff is ok. They don't always have Saag Paneer in the buffet, so good to call and ask. I'd give it a 7 on a 1-10 scale.
  
• Ascot -- 1708 L Street, NW (5-10 minute walk from campus). Big advantage: Weekday buffet! Saag Paneer is good, other stuff is ok. They also don't always have Saag Paneer in the buffet, so good to call and ask. I'd give it a 7.5 on a 1-10 scale.
• Heritage India in Dupont -- 1337 Connecticut Ave., NW (immediately below Dupont Circle, about a 15-20 minute walk from campus). AMAZING Paneer Makhani. I've tried a million places and if Heritage ever shuts down, it will be a blow to Paneer Makhani fans everywhere. If you go to Heritage and don't order the Paneer Makhani, that's like going to Rome for Chinese food. They, unfortunately, do not have a buffet. They, fortunatley, do deliver. I'd give it a solid 9 on a 1-10 scale. Maybe even 9.5.
  
• Udupi Palace 1329 University Blvd East Takoma Park, MD. I'm not going to pretend this is easy to get to. But if you're ever near University of Maryland, you need to try this place. Awesome weekday and weekend buffets - all vegetarian. Tons of variety. Really low price. If this place were any closer to downtown DC, I'd be 30 pounds heavier. Solid 9 out of 10.
• There are some others in the area in the 3-5 range -- not really worth highlighting.
  

Feel free to share your favorite Indian restaurants or Indian dishes below. And to the good folks at Sangam, welcome to GW!