Moule Frites at Granville Moore's

Who would've thought that a small country like Belgium would be famous for some of the best food items in the world like waffles, fries, mussles, chocolate, and of course beer!!! Granville Moore is one of the several Belgian restaurants in Washington, DC. Despite its convenient location in NE DC, there is always a line outside this small dive known for its mussels. This probably has to do with the publicity it got when it was featured on "The Throwdown with Bobby Flay", a show on the Food Network.

A friend suggested this place when a group of us wanted to take another friend out for her birthday dinner. We had agreed to meet up early at 5:45pm so that we won't have to wait too long for a table. Well, we didn't get in until about 7pm. The restaurant is small and has 2 floors, each with a bar. There are several appetizers on the menu, but everyone comes for one thing, their mussels, fries, and beer. Their beer list has over 60 different types of bottled beer from Belgium. There are 5 different mussel dishes, each priced at $16. The 3 of us ordered "Moules Maniere", which is flavored with white wine, herbs, and butter, and "Moules Navigateur", which has a red curry flavor to it. The meal of "moule frites" couldn't be complete, of course, without an order of fries which came with a choice of sauces in which we chose the truffle aioli.

The mussels were fresh and meaty, and the sauce tasted refreshing. Yet, I did came across 2 or 3 mussels that wasn't very fresh. I personally preferred the white wine sauce better because I was able to taste the natural sweetness of the mussels. The red curry sauce was too overpowering for a mussels dish. However, that doesn't mean I can't soak up all the delicious juices with the sides of bread. Mussels on its own aren't very filling as a dish, but after 3 plates of bread dipped in the yummy juice, I was stuffed. The fries were average, it was a bit soggy and greasy. The truffle aioli was the only thing that made it a tad better. I have yet to find a place in DC that can actually do fries the "Belgian way."
Granville Moore definitely could be a cool hang out place if it isn't so crowded. I was satisfied with my meal, but is it really worth the trek up to NE and an hour and a half wait? I'm going to have to say no.
Granville Moore is located at 1238 H Street NE, Washington, DC.

Want an easy to make, delicious, and healthy dessert?

A few days ago, I came across something that mentioned baked apple. That was what got me the idea of making something that I bite into almost everyday into something a little fancier. This really one of the easiest desserts out there, and you will not feel the slighest guilt when you eat it!

For 1 Serving:

Ingredients

• 1 apple (any kind)


• 2 or 3 TBSP yogurt


• cinnamon


• sugar (if you like it on the sweeter side)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the apple in half and get rid of the core. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray the sheet of foil with non-stick spray. Put the apple face down and bake for about 30-35 minutes. Meanwhile combine the cinnamon and sugar. Stir up the yogurt a bit to make it creamier if you're using a thicker yogurt.

Once the apple is done baking, save the juices on the bottom. Pour that over the yogurt and stir it. This gives it a nice sweet and tangy taste. Put the apples on the plate, drizzle yogurt over the apple and top with cinnamon. And there you have it! Something so simple, healthy and yummy!

Lunch at the bar at 701 Restaurant

I love dining out, but at the same time, I can't afford to eat off the regular menu in the majority of the restaurants in DC, so I take full advantage when I know of a special lunch deal. Many fancy restaurants in DC offers deals if you dine at the bar/lounge area during lunch hour. This attracts many business people around the neighborhood or people like me who have nothing to do on a Tuesday afternoon. I have been to Proof a few times for their $12 lunch at the bar special. You get to pick a glass of red or white wine and an entree. A great deal given the quality of the food and wine. It also gives you an excuse to have a glass of wine at lunch!
After meeting a friend in Chinatown for coffee today, I decided to treat myself to lunch. I was close to walking into the doors of Proof, knowing that I would not be disappointed. However, at the very last minute I decided to be adventurous and try something different. So I walked a few blocksd own to Pennsylvania Avenue, into 701 Restaurant. The lunch special at 701 is similar to that of Proof. You get a glass of wine and an entree, but for $15. What 701 offers is a choice between the 3 white wines and 3 red wines, whereas Proof only offers one of each.
I asked for a tasting of the Chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc. The bartender was more than willing to let me try both. I usually like the full body character of Chardonnay, but in the end I decided on the Horse Heaven Sauvignon Blanc from Washington State. It had a light and crisp grapefruit flavor to it. The Chardonnay from Argentina had a bit of a cough medicine aftertaste which I didn't appreciate too much.
They had a great selection for entrees. It offered 2 pasta dishes, a burger, a grilled cheese, and a steak salad. I debated between the 2 pastas and decided on the Goat Cheese Cavatellis in the end. I have never had cavatellis before, and was excited to try it. The dish had a beautiful presentation. It was topped with artichokes, oyster mushrooms, broccoli, goat cheese, parmesean cheese, and a perfectly poached slow cooked egg. The sauce was made of white wine and butter and complemented well with the pasta and vegetables. The cavatellis had a doughy and chewy texture. The egg was soft with a runny yolk. I loved the way the egg was cooked, however, I felt like it was a bit out of place with the dish. My favorite by far was the generous portions of oyster mushrooms in the dish. While the dish was called "Goat Cheese Cavatellis", I found that there was actually more parmesean cheese than goat cheese. The dish was also a bit too greasy. After I scooped off my last piece of cavatellis, I found a pool of oil still lingering on the plate. The dish would've had more of a kick to it had I asked for hot pepper flakes to go with it. My selection of wine though ended up being a great pairing for te dish. It had enough taste to it yet didn't overpower the dish.
The service was great. The bartender was nice and chatty. He even poured me a little extra wine after I had finished my last sip.
I was really surprised to find how empty the bar was when I walked in at 1:30pm, but I wasn't complaining. It's not everyday that you can dine quietly and peacefully at one of the most touristy areas in DC.
I highly recommend 701's lunch at the bar for their selection of wine and entrees, the ambiance, great service and location. I will definitely go back to try some of their other entrees (and wine, of course!)

Making Terrine: take 1!

During my trip to France this past March, I discovered the world of pates and terrines. The French are so adept at taking parts of animals that we typically wouldn't want or use into something that looks and tastes amazing.

My parents and I raided butcher shops in France trying out different things made from rabbit, livers, "head cheese", etc. the possibilities were endless!! The best ones were those that had a flaky crust surrounding the terrine.

Before we left France, I bought a cookbook and 2 packages of gelatin ready to take up the challenge on my own.

However, I was afraid to try at first. Most of the meat described in the recipes weren't widely available in this area. Yesterday, I finally decided to tackle it with Salmon (yes, I still have a freezer full of Salmon left from my last restaurant job.) I look through various recipes for salmon rillettes and ended up creating my own recipe that I can incorporate into the terrine.

For 4 servings

• 4-6 oz Salmon


• 2 hard boiled eggs


• Juice of 1 lemon


• 6 - 8 cornichons (I like lots and lots)


• 1 TBSP Rice Wine Vinegar


• 1-2 spring onion (depending on size)


• Fresh Parsley


• Dried or Fresh Dill


• 2 TBSP grainy mustard (please don't use gross French's mustard for this!)


• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

• Poach the salmon in a large pot; remove and let cool


• Boiled the eggs; let it cool; peel the shells and slice it into 4 or 5 pieces


• Follow the directions on whichever gelatin mix you have


• In a mixing bowl combine all other ingredients


• Once the salmon cools combine with the mixture


• Set out 4 molds (or 1 large one or 2, doesn't really matter)


• Scoop about 2 TBSPs worth of mixture into each of the 4 molds


• Once the gelatin liquid has cooled of a bit pour it into the molds


• Carefully put 2 egg slices into each mold


• Refrigerate for at least 3 hours

Trust me once it comes out, you'll feel like you've never seen anything more beautiful! Try out your own variations, the possibilities are endless!