Dr. Granville Moore's

Address: 1238 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. 202.399.2546.

Review: Having just finished with the Federalist Society National Convention in DC, there was an entire evening of free time before flying home to Salt Lake. Under such circumstances, dinner at a venerable DC eating house was on the menu. After some research, Dr. Granville Moore's, with its wide range of mussels and fries options won the day.

First thing I noticed upon arriving at Granville's is that its a bar that serves food, not a restaurant that serves intoxicating liquors. I ended up eating at the bar. On one side was a eating mussels and fries and downing a variety of beers. On the other, two ladies looking for love in all the wrong places. Thankfully, there was enough elbow room to enjoy the food.

And the food was, you guessed it, mussels and fries. The mussels were perfectly cooked, with no hint of rubberiness. The broth they came in, was a beautiful mix of mussel liquor, white wine, lemon juice, blue cheese, pork belly, and spinach. The blue cheese, which was nice and bitter and pungent, had so thoroughly melted into the broth that it became a back ubiquitous back drop flavor. The pork belly added a nice bit of saltiness, although it was a bit overcooked. The spinach honestly didn't add much flavor to the party, but it certainly didn't take away from the other flavors. More than anything, I could have used a little sweetness to counter the bitterness of the blue cheese; but this notwithstanding, sopping up the broth with Granville's crusty baguette was a real pleasure.

Now, on to the fries. They were of the Belgian twice-cooked variety. This process creates a fluffy interior and a crisp exterior, and, as far as I'm concerned, is the only way fries should be made. These Granville fries weren't as crispy as I would have liked, but I ate the entire bowl thanks in large part to the stellar variety of mayonnaise provided. I tried three: curry, chipotle, and truffle. Truffle, as it always does, imparted a nice earthiness to the mayonnaise and the fries. The chipotle was enjoyable and slightly spicy. The curry was the best of the three, with wonderful flavor that I simply didn't expect.

By the end of the meal, I was more than satisfied with the food and the place itself.

Rating: 7/10 (5/10 is average).