Lunch. Will check about a reservation, but I don't really want to be tied down to a specific time while we're wandering around the Smithsonian museums.

Depending on where you are when you decide to take your lunch break, you might want to consider the cafeteria at the National Museum of the American Indian, Mitsitam:
http://www.mitsitamcafe.com/home/default.asp

IME, Rasika is often busy at lunch, too. You might want to make sure you have a back-up plan.

I've heard good things about the Museum of the American Indian (what happened to Native American?) and hope to sample Navajo fry bread. Unfortunately, the menu section of the museum doesn't seem to be working; I'll keep checking. We can always head to the underground restaurant at the National Gallery as a fall-back plan.

Here's some info on the history of the terminology:
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aihmterms.html

All I got after a quick glimpse was an ad that wouldn't go away.

google "Native American vs. American Indian"

Will do.

I guess it's piling on at this point but Rasika lives up to the hype and the palak chaat is soooooo good. I love Indian food so I was happy but not expecting anything extraordinary when my friend suggested it. It's amazing and is not your usual food at all so well worth the prices to me.

We'll give it a go for lunch one day.

I wangled a reservation for lunch on one of our museum days. For the other it will be lunch at the Museum of the American Indian, if we can get in.

I wish I could re-title this thread, as we've moved far from Chinese food.

Lunch at Rasika? Awesome! :-)

Mitsitam, at the Museum of the American Indian, is a large cafeteria -- I would think you should be able to get in as long as you pay attention to the time and leave yourselves a bit of latitude.

Let us know what you think!

Not sure why you woul dhave any trouble getting into Mitsitam esp in October -- never heard anyone having trouble.

You won't have trouble getting into Mitsitam, as noted, it's a a food court setting. Gauge your expectations though. It's better and more interesting than most museum cafe fare, but it's not elevated dining.

<i>We can always head to the underground restaurant at the National Gallery as a fall-back plan.</i>

If that happens for whatever reason, stop by the Garden Cafe on the main level. It's a bit nicer setting than the Cascades place downstairs. The menu is occasionally changed to coordinate with one of their major exhibitions. Jose Andres designed a tapas menu there a during a large Miro show a few years ago.

We had a fine French meal at the Garden Café a few years ago, coordinated with the Degas exhibition, I think.

<Gauge your expectations though. It's better and more interesting than most museum cafe fare, but it's not elevated dining.>

I'm so glad you said this! Sometimes you just have to eat in a museum cafe, and the Garden Cafe, Cascades and Mitsitam are always my go-to's, but they are still museum cafes (or cafeterias). Mitsitam has unusual dishes, so it makes for a nice change.

Glad you said that too, obx. I have never understood why people rave about the Mitsitam food. I think its different, but of the caliber of most museum food. I agree that the food that is coordinated with the NGA exhibits does have some good meals to offer.

I've been readng the restaurant in the son to be opened African American Museum is supposed to be good -- we'll see!

Gotta be better than the McDonald's at Udvar Hazy! (Actually I've eaten at Mitsitam and liked it, but as everyone said, liked it "within its genre").

I think I'm the one who mentioned Mitsitam first on this thread, and I never meant to suggest that it was anything other than what it is -- a decent in-museum option for people on / near that part of the mall when they decide they want lunch. Sorry if I somehow gave the wrong impression!

Or the McDonalds at Air & Space which has long lines and is ghastly!
How are you SF?

Mitsitam calls to me for the possibility of finally experiencing Navajo fry bread.