One of my favorite ways to eat Indian food is on a thali, a round metal platter filled with little bowls of a variety of dishes — basically, a buffet that’s brought to the table. And one of the best places to experience it is Jodhpur in Herndon, which offers nothing but a bottomless thali every day of the week save Tuesday, when it’s closed.

A visit on a Sunday found a mash of eggplant speckled with mustard seeds, chopped okra in spicy tomato sauce, creamy paneer, hearty chickpea curry, spiced spinach kebabs and lacy onion fritters arranged in a circle with (unfasten your belts, folks!) cumin-scented rice, shards of crackery papadum, cucumber salad, bright mint chutney, mouth-puckering pickles and desserts including syrup-soaked doughnut holes. Did I miss something? The thali called Purani Dilli (Hindi for “Old Delhi”), also offered on Thursday, is a lot to absorb. Don’t count on leftovers. There are none, at least to pack up and take home. While you’re at Jodhpur, though, you’re free to ask for more of anything. Actually, the servers are one step ahead of you. “More bread?” they ask, proffering hot whole-wheat roti and puffed-up bedmi puri — plus extras of anything else. The feast is switched up throughout the week to encourage return guests.

The interior is as memorable as the cooking. Diners enter a foyer whose pink neon sign lets them know “This must be the place” and whose display cases tempts them with colorful Indian sweets before they’ve had their first bite of lunch or dinner. Chandeliers and flowers dress up the ceiling; shiny gold chairs and blue walls add a regal touch to the expansive dining room. (Jodhpur, in northwest India, is known as the Blue City.)

There’s no alcohol or meat. But a mango lassi, luscious vegetables and bread that don’t stop until you do are draws aplenty. So is Jodhpur’s location, a convenient five miles from Dulles International Airport. Think of it as a possible trip before a trip.

1114 Herndon Parkway, Herndon. 571-382-0909. jodhpurusa.com. Open for indoor dining. Thali of the day, $22.99 to $24.99.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Some have called it a trip of a lifetime and even life changing.

Southern Nevada veterans had a chance to visit war memorials built for them thanks to Southern Nevada Honor Flight.

“I’ve seen the mobile wall, but I’ve never seen the actual wall itself,” said Vietnam Veteran Michael Morgan.

Michael Morgan made the trip with Honor Flight Southern Nevada. But seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall was not easy for him. There are more than 58,000 names on the wall.

“A lot of friends,” said Morgan.

He added, “I miss them. That’s the biggest thing. They didn’t get a chance to grow up in this world.”

Angela Little, with the Las Vegas Raiders, was a guardian on the trip. Guardians are with veterans each step of the way, helping them navigate all the memorials.

“That’s the deepest honor a person can have, is to give back what they’ve given ten times over,” said Little.

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WASHINGTON, DC – April 22 – The 40th Helen Hayes Awards will take place on Monday, May 20, 2024 at The Anthem, on the District Wharf, with a celebratory party to follow. Esteemed Washington theatre artists Felicia Curry, Rayanne Gonzales, Maria Rizzo, and Tom Story will host an evening showcasing the vibrant and diverse community of professional theatre artists in the Washington region. They will be joined by an ensemble of DC-based performers, including Quadry Brown, Carolyn Burke, Victoria Gomez, Sarah Anne Sillers, and Wood Van Meter. Tickets for the event are $75 (+$10 venue fee and Ticketmaster fees) for general admission seats and $350 (+$10 venue fee and Ticketmaster fees) for a seated dinner. Information on all tickets and sponsorships is available on the Theatre Washington website.

“The contributions of DC-area theatre makers extend far beyond the stage. The Helen Hayes Awards recognize the impact theatre has on our region, country, and globe. Shared experience, understanding, empathy, and insight are some of the ways that theatre changes us and makes us better citizens,” said Amy Austin, Theatre Washington President and CEO. “This is a night to celebrate the expansive creative local industry professionals who create and produce plays and musicals on stages seven days a week, 365 days a year.”

The event will recognize work from 151 eligible productions presented in the 2023 calendar year, with nominations made in 41 categories. Productions under consideration in 2023 included 44 musicals, 107 plays, and 36 world premieres. 

Jan Du Plain, of Du Plain Global Enterprises and member of the Theatre Washington Board of Directors, is serving as Chair. The 2024 Helen Hayes Awards are also supported by Events DC, Destination DC, Giant Foods, and TodayTix.

The 2024 Helen Hayes Tribute will honor Peter Marks, former Theater Critic at the Washington Post. Marks stepped down in late 2023 after serving in this role for 21 years. This award recognizes Marks’ decades of knowledgeable and thoughtful writing about the DC-area, national, and international theatre landscape. He offered nuanced theatre criticism and reporting and he contributed immensely to the recognition of the artistic vibrancy of our region. 

Named for actor Helen Hayes – a Washington native and legendary First Lady of the American Theatre – the Helen Hayes Awards has honored excellence in professional theatre throughout the Washington region, now celebrating forty years. Nominations are grouped in “Helen” or “Hayes” cohorts, depending on the number of Equity members involved in the production. 

About Theatre Washington
Through collaborative partnerships and programs, Theatre Washington supports the Washington, DC-area’s professional theatre community to celebrate artistic achievement, strengthen the theatrical workforce, support institutional growth and advancement, and cultivate collective action. Theatre Washington’s core programs include: the Helen Hayes Awards, Theatre Week, Theatre Work, and the Taking Care Fund.