Maizbon Afghan Grill

6244 Little River Turnpike, Alexandria, VA

Summary: 4 out of 5 spoons, a bright spot on the Washington dining scene

After a long hiatus, updates to this chronicle of rapacity have resumed, at least for the moment. While driving along 236 to Maizbon, I noticed a dead raccoon in the road, and this seemed a grim portent given my earlier boast that I would dine alone save for a sedated raccoon. I considered stopping to grab the beast, but decided that it was unlikely I'd be allowed in the restaurant with such a guest, paying customer or no.

In the end, the absence of any other associates proved a boon for tasting free of the distractions of conversation. And indeed, my copy of Alistair Horne's La Belle France: A Short History of France proved to be a delightful dining companion, keeping me entertained with a number of memorable vignettes, such as the Marquis de Sade screaming through a urine funnel to the mob below from his window in the Bastille, urging them to storm the place. It's a very entertaining introduction to French history, light and easy-reading, and I recommend it highly and never tire of it.

But, on to the food, which certainly did not disappoint. I chatted a bit with the lone waitress, who is also the daughter of the owners, a Kabuli family both Tajik and Pashtun in origin. She said that the food was Afghanistan-wide rather than reflecting a particular region, and accordingly had a number of different spice levels and ingredients. I opted for the buffet, but did order an appetizer of Afghan fries to satisfy my constant craving for spuds. The lightly seasoned potato medallions were good, but I took most of them home since the buffet was more than adequate. The lunch buffet selection was small but of high quality. It included a small salad section, complete with feta cheese, white rice, brown rice with raisins, a chickpea dish, a mixed vegetable curry, an eggplant-based casserole (burtaa), some relatively hard but not crispy naan, a bone-in chicken curry, an okra-based dish (bamia bindi though without the meat that comes with the entree version), a spinach-based dish similar to Indian saag (sabzi), a risotto-like dish (keccheri quroot), and a pudding dessert. It was all good, especially the burta, chickpeas, bamia bindi, and keccheri quroot. None of it was what I'd call spicy, though some of it may have been slightly hot for those with palates less seared and numbed than mine. I found the food to be well-seasoned and bursting with flavors. The bamia bindi made okra better than it has any right to be, and the Afghan risotto was outstanding, my favorite, and better than any Italian risotto I've had. The chicken curry was tender and good, but nothing special, and the same goes for the sabzi. My only regret was that I was not able to order any of the entrees, particularly the lamb dishes, as I think they were probably very good. They also had a mixed beef/lamb burger on the menu, and I look forward to coming back and giving it, and many other dishes, a try.

On the non-food front, the waitress was very friendly and the interior was nicely furnished; she mentioned it had taken a year for her parents to bring all the furnishings from Kabul. Since she was alone serving all the tables, and indeed was the only staff member I ever saw, service was a bit slow, which was certainly not her fault. Given the relatively low number of customers, it was understandable. But I'm saddened that the place wasn't busier because it deserves to be, and is a bright spot on the Washington dining scene.