Elections East: East-West Special

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Can't decide what to eat on election night? Wondering how we can bridge the widening gap between East and West? If you're in the Washington, DC, area and interested in engaging the international community, I recommend East West Grill across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia. East West Grill is not exactly a hole-in-the-wall, but it is basically a styrofoam-plate-service joint -- serving some of the best Pakistani-style grilled meats and stews this side of the Atlantic. East West Grill's owner, Mr. Mohamed M. Khan, comes from Bagh in Kashmir and has been in the US since 1989. He wanted to open a restaurant that would serve dishes from the Mediterranean all the way to the Indian Sub-Continent and urged me to try his burgers and steak and cheese subs -- but I went right for the kabobs. Spicy is definitely the word, with cool mango lassi to put out any fires. The succulent boneless chicken kabob, with the typical accompanients of basmati rice flavored with cinnamon and other spices, vegetable stew (zucchini, lentils, or spicy chick peas in a tomato-based sauce) will entice any Westerner to head East with a delicate blend of spices I've rarely tasted on such chicken. There is also a lamb kabob with a garlic punch. Then there is the freshly baked flat bread, hot and puffy at the edges, crisp and yeasty, perfect to grasp up the meat. East West Grill 2721 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22201 www.ewgrill.com Tel: 1 (703) 312-4888 Fax: 1 (703) 312-0793 Map Previous articles: Politics, Chefs & Elections Charlie Palmer Ties as Washington's No. 1 Steakhouse Charlie Palmer: Bipartisan Turf Surfs the Hill Politics, Billboards & Champagne Politics, Chefs & Billboards