Time to update this thread, so I figure my first post on this forum is a good way to do it. Silver Spring isn't quite the dining wasteland some would think--it's come a long way and, IMO, the future looks bright. My favorites: La Bamba--this is the aforementioned "Cuban place" below Napoli's, but it's actually Guatemalan and serves good, reliable staples such as pepian de pollo and beef stew. You can tell it's authentic, as 90% of the clientele seem to be there for a taste of home. It's on Georgia Avenue, nearly at the corner of Thayer. The prices are better than fair. It was with great sadness that I recently transferred to Rockville, as it means I can no longer have my weekly La Bamba fix at lunch. Mandalay--this Burmese/Myanmar restaurant is a recent transplant from College Park, located on Bonifant St, across the street from Roger Miller and Thai Derm. The food is terrific, the service not always so. But I'm willing to overlook the sometimes "matter-of-fact" attitudes of the management to get at the wonderful food. You can regulate the heat level by ordering mild, regular, or spicy. The latter is sometimes 5-alarm hot! Good appetizers as well--my favorites are the gram fritters with a very spicy dipping sauce. Mi Rancho--better than average Tex-Mex. They have one of those Rube Goldberg-like torilla makers, so you can watch the tortilla passing down the assembly line. The chips and salsa are excellent--be careful, you can "spoil your supper" on these. Samantha's--the crown jewel--IMO--of Silver Spring dining. On University, near Piney Branch, this little restaurant never fails to please. I've eaten there at least 100 times and have never been disappointed. It's also my wife's favorite--she's expecially fond of the various saltados, but the pupusas are also the best around. Samantha's serves Salvadoran, South American, and Mexican dishes, with specials on the weekends. Something as simple as black beans becomes special at Samantha's--the first time I tasted these, I knew this place was a keeper. My favorite appetizer is the shrimp, swimming in fresh garlic and butter, served with a small loaf of crusty bread. Yum.... Negril--good Jamaican, with excellent jerk chicken, roti, etc. On Thayer, just around the corner from La Bamba. Unfortunately, the chains that came to Silver Spring with revitalization--Panera, Macaroni Grill, Red Lobster, etc.--have drawn most diners and many of the really good little places remain a bit of a secret. Along with the above, there's an excellent little Cuban place--El Guajiro--just across Colesville Road from City Place. It remains an undiscovered jewel, despite the raves from Tom Sietsema and other reviewers. The Italian deli next door is also terrific for a quick lunch or carry-out. Perhaps as more restaurants open--and they will--and people get a little more adventurous, there will be exponential growth of good, non-chain eateries. As mentioned in another post, Jackie's opened last year, but I haven't tried it. It's reportedly quite good and is at the top of my list of places to try next. I also like the Langano, the Ethiopian restaurant on the corner of Georgia and Thayer, although better Ethiopian can be found in Adams-Morgan. The decor is plain, but they have a good lunch buffet and there are a few gems on the menu. I had lunch at Addis Ababa one day, another Ethiopian place located on Fenton St., but the waitress spoke no English and the whole experience was a comedy of errors. What she eventually brought me was pretty good, but it wasn't what I ordered. I've been afraid to try again.
