H Street NE

After a period of indecisiveness over evening activities and a quick stop at Home Rule to assess new kitchen gear (and to purchase a pastry cutter, some plastic squeeze bottles and a double jigger), we eventually decided to finally visit Granville Moore together.  I knew that there would be a line, and at 6.45 PM, I expected a one-hour wait, but due to being extremely popular and extremely gorgeous space (at least in my humble, euro-tinged opinion), when we arrived, we were asked to leave our number and wait a couple of hours. 

No problem – H Street NE, the “newest” (well about 3.5 years and running) nightlife/colonization-style gentrification district, has tons of options for places to get a small plate and a couple of drinks.  Sticky Rice next door (and prolific offerer of Living Social and Groupons) had a one-hour wait.  With more Groupons in hand, we instead made our way to the H Street Country Club to spend our wait.  We were noshy, so I had the St. Norita Margarita (tequila, st. germain elderflower blossom liqueur and a splash of cava and lime juice) and he had a Smuttynose IPA.  We also shared the queso cheese-topped guacamole and a Napolito salad (supposedly with grilled cactus).  Guac was great – I would not recommend the salad.  There were about 7 tiny slivers of “cactus” which were kind of tough and salty.  We also played a round of mini golf in a precious course that details D.C. life, including meter maids, the beltway mixing bowl, U Street and the Washington Monument.  After about 1 hour and 40 minutes, Granville Moore’s called.

We were offered what we consider one of the top tables - a little wooden one by the window, perfect for bar watching and street watching (which apparently even at 9 PM can be pretty interesting over there).  Granville Moore’s is a dark row house converted into a restaurant. There are about 8 tables and a bar downstairs, and roughly the same upstairs.  The walls and ceiling are dark wood and it really does feel like a Belgian pub (minus the long beer list, as a former resident of Belgium, I feel obligated to point out that Belgian Bars never have 5-10 page menus outlining all of the tiny breweries throughout the country with flavor descriptions).  ALSO- fruit beers and lambics, my favorites are CHEAP.  And they always serve Jupiler (not the highest quality but about the same as the much-touted Stella Artois).

Moving along from the atmosphere, which did include a jukebox specializing in 60’s psychedelic rock and Motown, Granville Moore has a simple menu.  There is a list of appetizers, but most are full of pork* and are not moules/frites so I don’t really bother with them.  They have burgers too, but I don’t understand that either - why have those when you can have moules frites!?  Moules frites, served in enormous white bowls, come piping hot and steamed in a variety of mixtures from the classic marinere in white wine, cream and herbs to “Diablo” in tomatoes, shallots and chilies, to the “wilder” with mushrooms and the bleu (with bleu cheese and white wine that can be made without the pork belly). Fries are offered in large and small (I’d go small for two people and large for more) with sauces (as they would be in Belgium, except there you could even have up to 20 to choose from, in a restaurant it would probably be only mayonnaise and ketchup).   Of the long list of beers, we tried the Corsondonk, Maredsous and the Petrus Blonde.  YUM!  Ask your server to help you choose, they know the menu and delight in making recommendations.

While the two-hour wait was long, it was really fun to be at Granville Moore on a Saturday night.  The atmosphere is buzzing with great food and fun music.  If you are not out to get drunk and stay out until dawn, try to get to H Street around 7PM or earlier as the restaurants are tiny and all have multi-hour waits (most take reservations, but not Granville Moore).  At 7PM, the H Street Country Club is really pleasant, people are there, but no long lines or craziness;  by 11 PM, you will wait in line outside.  If you turn up somewhere like Granville Moore much later than 8.15/8.30 you may not be able to even put your name on the list for a table as the kitchen will close by the time you’re seated.  That said, fun times!  Where do you like to go on H Street?  My next place to try is Ethiopic.

*Just a note for readers, I don’t eat pork and try not to mix red meat and milk to respect - to a degree - Jewish dietary restrictions. FYI, my rabbi gave me permission to treat mussels as vegetables for the evening. J