Granville Moore's

My dad and brother came to DC for a visit and last night we took them to Granville Moore's. My dad loves mussels and my brother, a brewer (www.thecovey.com), loves belgian beer, so we figured it would be a home run.

After the crabby cabbie scoffed at our choice of restaurant, saying "it was a really bad part of town", we got to H St and got a table with no problem just before 7:00. The restaurant is small and was soon crowded, overflowing with people and bad music. But, we weren't waiting long before we had our first round of beers. They have over 60 Belgian beers by the bottle, and were only out of four! (three of which we tried to order). Leland and Jamie were more creative with their beer choices, but I had a pale ale that I thought was delicious, hoppy and thick, Popperings Hommel.

We had been there once before, and I was most excited about the dipping sauces for the frites. We had chipotle mayo, garlic ranch (everyone's favorite), horseradish and truffle aioli. My bro got the fish of the day and was unimpressed. For the second time I got the Moules Fromage Bleu, as did my dad. It was definitely a good choice. The bleu cheese melts a little to make the wine sauce creamy, and shallots and bacon are a welcome addition to any meal! I was disappointed when I realized my dad's bowl was swimming in bacon and I had only gotten a few pieces. The moules were really fat and delicious and I filled up quickly, so I let my brother finishe them off. Leland had the Moules Champignon and loved them. They were really tasty and simple, but the heavy cream in the sauce made it a little too... heavy for me. We got more beers, finished off the fries and went home happy with no room for dessert.

Taste of the Nation

On April 12, we went to Taste of the Nation, in DC at the National Building Museum - an awesome venue and a much better choice than the previous year, which got a little over crowded. Our plan of attack was to get a beverage and start going down the rows of tables, so we could try as many dishes as possible. Once Leland found the beer we were good to go. We started with a sausage and pepper on a bun that was delicious, but made us realize we should split as much as possible so we could eat as many dishes as possible :). Next was a braized beef slider... YUM. And while the first few dishes were delicious they weren't good enough that I remembered the name of the restaurant.

I had a really awful puff pastry with some mushy veggies and an anchovy, got another glass of wine (also bad) and got back to it.

Last year there were maybe half a dozen alcohol vendors... This year the entire perimeter of the place was lined with mixologists, local vineyards, wine bars, etc., including a Courvoisier table. You could sip the cognac and try a bite of filet and a shrimp that had been marinated in it and then grilled... and wow, the beef was so tender and delicious and I may attempt to recreate it if there is ever a bottle floating around, but as for sipping... not my thing.

To be brief, the highlights were basically two: Vidalia , served up a piece of filet with leeks, something creamy and a garlic chip on top. So simple, but so delicious... the whole thing just melted in your mouth. It was also the only small bite of meat I ate at TOTN that was actually served at the temperature it is meant to be eaten. Tasting what Brasserie Beck served up made us wonder why we still haven't eaten there. It was a lamb stew with lots of cumin, tasted almost like a chili and topped with a potato puree. Heaven. I will eat a full meal there soon.

We went home incapable of having another bite and holding our bellies in pain. I can't wait until next year!