Granville Moore's, Chef Teddy Folkman on 12th & H Streets NE

[Pat]

Eric Reid said:

Congrats! Good Job Teddy!!!

Absolutely!

(Did I see starfish too?)

[hillvalley]

How could you miss him

[Pat]

hillvalley said:

How could you miss him

I knew i was going to miss something! I was doing several things and wasn't looking at the tv full-time.

[monsterriffs]

Headed over here Friday night for some dinner and drinks and were initially met with an estimated 2 hour wait for a table, but decided to brave the crowds and headed to the upstairs and markedly more serene bar to wait it out. We were immediately swept up by the very friendly bar staff and were informed that if we didn't mind sitting at the bar, that a couple of stools would be opening up very shortly. Lucky for us, that was the truth, and we hunkered down for what turned out to be a meal that probably surpassed anything I've had at the other big-name Belgian joint in town :-D

Since Granville's and les moules are pretty much synonymous, I decided to go for the classic combo and got Les Moules Navigateur and a large bowl of frites to split with the lady while she enjoyed the beet salad. After Folkman's appearance on the Food Network, the air was thick with the scent of his signature blue cheese mussels and, thus, I was a square peg in this situation. However, I was absolutely enthralled with the light spice and fragrance of this recipe of coconut milk, serrano, garlic, and lime. While, there were a few bum mussels in the bowl (funky taste or some grit), it was hard to tear me away especially when the bartendress decided to arm me with a baguette to sop up the broth.

I'm clearly a very amiable diner as it's hard for me to find a restaurant or restaurant dish that I dislike, but I could safely argue that GM's is climbing fast to the top of my favorites list.

[u-bet!]

Is it my imagination, or did Teddy's frites look a little bit too well-done on the Food Network show?

[JoeHoya]

Is it my imagination, or did Teddy's frites look a little bit too well-done on the Food Network show?

Having been there for the taping, I can safely say that Teddy's frites were spot-on, for the most part. Considering the fact that he and Flay were sharing the fryer at the Argonaut and rushing them out as soon as they were able, it was impressive that most of them came out as well as they did. Even though I didn't like Flay's fries (too much like fast food fries, not enough frite-ness to them), I can attest to their being cooked properly.

Best. Sick day. Ever. So worth not going to work.

[edenman]

Went over to Granville's last night, intending to get some mussels. Waylaid by a duck confit salad and entree of pork chop (marinated in bacon fat, sage, and something else) cooked to a perfect medium. Add the excellent beers into the equation (De Dolle Ara, Petrus Aged Pale) and it was a great destination dinner.

[Ericandblueboy]

What makes their mussels special? Is it their relatively unique broths? Or do they somehow cook their mussels better than other restaurants? For example, is their mussels marinere better than Beck, Cafe du Parc, or Westend Bistro's?

[JoeHoya]

What makes their mussels special?

For my money, it's the unique recipes. Sure, they're quick to point out the fact that their mussels are rope-grown in PEI, but there are other places that can make the same claim.

The moules fromage bleu are a great blend of complimentary flavors that could easily overwhelm the mussels themselves...but they don't.

The moules pesto was rich and savory without using too much garlic.

The moules navigateur are a clever riff on Bobby Flay's chipotle-inflected recipe.

I think it's the lack of formal Belgian culinary education that gives GM's mussels a boost over the competition.

But that's just me.

[monavano]

From DCist:

"For the poor guy who was told that Granville Moore's chef Teddy Folkman was going to open a Granville Moore's in New York... he's not. And go figure, he also wasn't on an Alaskan cruise or fishing in the Caribbean. Those were just some of the excuses made up by staff for Folkman's recent six week hiatus while he filmed the next season of the Food Network's The Next Food Network Star, DCist has learned."

The new season premieres June 7, 2009.

[MelGold]

From DCist:

"For the poor guy who was told that Granville Moore's chef Teddy Folkman was going to open a Granville Moore's in New York... he's not. And go figure, he also wasn't on an Alaskan cruise or fishing in the Caribbean. Those were just some of the excuses made up by staff for Folkman's recent six week hiatus while he filmed the next season of the Food Network's The Next Food Network Star, DCist has learned."

The new season premieres June 7, 2009.

I can not wait!

[Ericandblueboy]

He's a contestant on that show?

[dgreen]

Closed on Mother's Day? We tried to go for lunch yesterday and it was closed. We were looking forward to our first visit there. Oh well, we'll have to try again some other time.

[Tujague]

Closed on Mother's Day? We tried to go for lunch yesterday and it was closed. We were looking forward to our first visit there. Oh well, we'll have to try again some other time.

To my knowledge, they've never done a lunch or brunch operation. A quick look at the Web site would have told you they're open evenings only.

[dgreen]

To my knowledge, they've never done a lunch or brunch operation. A quick look at the Web site would have told you they're open evenings only.

Hmm, apparently so. I generally don't even think about whether a place is open for lunch or not, so I didn't even think to look.

[susanmab]

So what's to be recommended here these days if one is not eating moules? I looked for the menu on their website, but it's still reading April 09 so I'm not sure if it's changed much lately.

I recall the frites as being pretty remarkable. I'm afraid to recommend them for the whole of someone's dinner though. Although I do recall seeing Emeril at a small creperie in NOLA a few years back. What does Emeril order when he's in someone else's restaurant, I wondered? Big plate of frites.

[Pat]

So what's to be recommended here these days if one is not eating moules? I looked for the menu on their website, but it's still reading April 09 so I'm not sure if it's changed much lately.

I haven't been there in quite a while, so I'm not even sure it qualifies as a recommendation, but I thought the bison steak and cheese was pretty good.

[xcanuck]

I went to Granville Moore's last night prior to a show at the Rock and Roll Hotel. While every table was taken at 8pm on a Monday night, the bar was completely deserted. I sat down, ordered a Bavik and perused the menu. I know that you should go with a restaurant's strong suit, but I just wasn't in the mood for moules. I wanted something more filling so I ordered the Bison Steak and Cheese.

The bison brisket itself was outstanding. Excellent flavour and wonderfully moist. To be honest, I don't think I could have told the difference between this and beef brisket, given the cheese and seasoning, but that's OK. What was atrocious was the bun that it was served on. It was dripping - and I mean dripping - with grease. There's juicy. There's greasy. I understand the difference. And this was fucking inedible. I think they grill the sandwich to get the bread crispy and it was probably grilled in a puddle of 10W40.

I ate about half the bun before I got fed up. I used a fork to eat the brisket, which really was wonderful. But by that time, I had been so turned off my meal that little could save it. Honestly - I don't think I've ever walked away so annoyed that I was separated from my money like I was last night.

Oh, and I thought the frites looked overcooked. When they first arrived, I thought they might be sweet potato fries because of the colour. The taste was OK, though. Not good, but not bad.

Can't say I'm enthused about my first and only experience. I know it's unfair to judge a place based on one visit. But sometimes that's all you get. Sorry GM.

[susanmab]

I went to Granville Moore's last night prior to a show at the Rock and Roll Hotel.

Ha, I was upstairs doing the same.

I was pretty surprised to see asparagus salad on the "late summer" menu in November. I'll admit that the bison hot dog my friend ordered looked pretty good.

The frites weren't as good as I remembered them, I wonder if it was an off night?

[Pat]

The bison brisket itself was outstanding. Excellent flavour and wonderfully moist. To be honest, I don't think I could have told the difference between this and beef brisket, given the cheese and seasoning, but that's OK. What was atrocious was the bun that it was served on. It was dripping - and I mean dripping - with grease. There's juicy. There's greasy. I understand the difference. And this was fucking inedible. I think they grill the sandwich to get the bread crispy and it was probably grilled in a puddle of 10W40.

I ate about half the bun before I got fed up. I used a fork to eat the brisket, which really was wonderful. But by that time, I had been so turned off my meal that little could save it. Honestly - I don't think I've ever walked away so annoyed that I was separated from my money like I was last night.

I hate greasy sandwiches. I would not have done well with that. What a shame to wreck such good meat by messing up something comparatively simple

[DaRiv18]

I wanted something more filling so I ordered the Bison Steak and Cheese. . . The bison brisket itself was outstanding. Excellent flavour and wonderfully moist. . . What was atrocious was the bun that it was served on. It was dripping - and I mean dripping - with grease. There's juicy. There's greasy. I understand the difference.

I don't understand this difference. I've ordered several high-end burgers (here in DC and in other cities) and I must say that often the bottom bun is just too wet to hold. I like soft buns (please don't quote that out of context) but they don't stand up well to either juice or grease, as you put it. It's to the point where I now order burgers at Medium temperature or higher, and even then I often have to resort to using silverware to finish my sandwich.

I was actually going to start a new topic on this, but I see the bun vs. juice debate has been explored in other threads here. Didn't seem to get a definitive answer on what the right balance is, but many people still go back for juicy burgers it seems.

BTW, too bad you didn't do the Happy Hour moules yesterday at GM. I think you're missing out. It's a huge plate, and is more than enough for most appetites.

[xcanuck]

I don't understand this difference.

First off, picture taking a sandwich and trying to crisp the bun in about an inch of cooking oil. That's about what I got. That's entirely different from a juicy burger that makes the bun moist.

There's a difference between the cooking oil providing the moisture versus the inherent fat/water in the meat. The former is greasy, the latter is juicy. IMNSHO.

[AlexC]

There's a difference between the cooking oil providing the moisture versus the inherent fat/water in the meat. The former is greasy, the latter is juicy. IMNSHO.

I love Granville Moore's, specifically the moules, the fries and the dipping sauces... but I had the same reaction to the sandwich. I felt like the intention was to crisp up the bread and glaze it with a fat to combat the level of juice coming off the bison, but the oil soaked through so much of the bread that it was overwhelming. I largely ignored the bread.

I can see someone throwing up their hands and saying "hell, it's a cheesesteak, it's gonna be greasy!", but I'm a fat-eating glutton and this was too much for me.

[The Doctor]

Wow, over two years without a comment. (But I'm just asking a question, so I won't break the record.) If one were to show up here on a Friday evening, by what time should one arrive before things get so crowded that there'd be a long (say 30 mins or more) wait for a table for two or two seats at the bar? Or is crowding not a problem any more now that there are many other good options on H Street?

[lindzjax]

Significantly less crowded than a few years ago, though wait times/crowds seem to fluctuate. From recent experiences, I would say if you are there by 7:30, if shouldnt be much of a wait.

[Mark Dedrick]

I would tend to agree with this. It really depends on the specific day, with little rhyme or reason to it, although it also often depends on whether or not you're willing to sit at the bar. On a recent visit my wife and I were told that it would be a two hour wait (probably around 8 pm on a Friday), but were able to walk right upstairs and sit at the bar.

[The Doctor]

OK, thanks. That's encouraging. I would actually prefer to sit at the bar.

[Mark Dedrick]

When it is just the two of us that's our preference as well. My service when at the bar is always fantastic (it is typically good when at a table, but always good at the bar), and you get more knowledgeable/better beer advice and recommendations there as well.

[ChiantiandFava]

I've gotten some surly and slurring service at the bar after 9pm so I'd second 7:30...

[The Doctor]

I arrived last night (Friday) just before 7 p.m. and was given a 45-minute wait time for a party of two. We decided to check out the upstairs bar, which was very crowded. But upon our return downstairs, a few parties were wrapping things up at the bar, so we snagged two seats. Several other parties did this as the night went on, too. The downstairs bar service was excellent. The mussels and fries were great, too. My only complaint was that the dipping sauces for the fries didn't have that much kick. Both the truffle mayo and horseradish cream barely had hints of their signature ingredient.

[Mark Dedrick]

I don't choose to post every time we head to Granville's, but some time over the past year it has become the place on H Street that we hit up the most often. On nights like last night when it was about 8 pm, we didn't have anything at home to cook, and we wanted to eat in the neighborhood because it was cold as hell and lots of travel wasn't a pleasant thought. Granville's has replaced the Queen Vic and Toki because the food is way more consistently good (in the case of the former) and we can pretty much always snag a couple of seats at the bar with no wait (in the case of the latter). The lack of a wait is only on a weekday, I don't think I've tried to eat at Granville's or Toki on a weekend night in a long time.

At the bar we consistently have good service, our Tequila Lime Moules were great, although they would be slightly more to my taste with a bit more heat, and as always the frites were fantastic. The bartender is extremely helpful in describing the beers they have on their rotating taps (Belgian beers are very far from my are of expertise), and I enjoyed my Mad Fox The Funk a great deal. Light, and a bit citrus-y, and delicious.

Anyhow, not a ton to say here, but I'm very glad they're in my neighborhood.

[thetrain]

They seem to regularly have Mad Fox on tap - so if you don't want to venture out to VA, but want to try some of their beer, this is the place to go.

[saf]

They seem to regularly have Mad Fox on tap - so if you don't want to venture out to VA, but want to try some of their beer, this is the place to go.

Meridian Pint gets Mad Fox regularly too.

[Mark Dedrick]

Posting this in part to bump the restaurant I visit most, but Granville's was closed yesterday and will be closed today as they're installing an oven, something they've never had before. They also should have a whole bunch of new beers on tap when they re-open. 

[Mark Dedrick]

Last night we went straight from the airport (and Oregon) to the Pug to watch the fourth quarter of the Chargers'/Chief/s game (thankfully my Chargers backdoored into the playoffs). At that point, we had no food in the house, so went to our default (since Toki isn't open) and went to Granville's for dinner. As always, it delivered.  Their beers right now are mostly Christmas and Holiday beers, which I don't have a lot of experience with, but the servers have a good sense of their beers and are very capable of steering you towards what you like.

The kale salad right now is good, although not quite as good as it was with the smoked trout, but it's still a very good salad. And the current Navigator Mussels are their best yet. The harissa provides a level of heat they haven't reached with previous versions, and there is just wonderful flavor, which led to me eating most of the bread provided.  This place doesn't get a ton of attention on here, but it's quite good. Underrated on H Street, just because it's been here so long.

[DaRiv18]

Took the fam here last night, enjoyed a braised pork belly app, fancy mac and cheese with pork belly bits for the kids, and moules and frites for my wife and I.  We agreed that these smaller mussels were tastier than what we recalled (it's been a couple years since we visited, our bad) and the broth has improved too from our recollection.  I enjoyed a couple peach sour beers, that program is still excellent.  I don't recall seeing many salad or vegetable sides on the menu, do they do that?

[Mark Dedrick]

There aren't a lot of vegetable options, particularly non-fried, although there typically is at least one salad. I can't remember with the current menu if there is one on there.

I'll also point out that their late night menu, which features all of their mussels, and a handful of sandwiches, runs until at least midnight on the weekends, and 11:30 on weeknights. It came in very handy this past Friday when my flight landed at 10:15 pm and I was starving and looking for some non fast food to eat.

[Josh]

Stopped in Friday night after the Nats-Twins game.  Don't sleep on ordering the burger here.  There were 3 options: bison, beef, and veggie.  I've had the bison before (during brunch service), and it's always been cooked to temperature, and tasty.  The veggie burger is generally good as well, but nothing exceptional.

I went with the beef this time, which comes as 2 4oz patties with cheese and the standard fixins.  The "smaller" patties (still really substantial, and felt larger than 4oz each) were cooked to a medium-ish temperature, but retained a TON of juice.  This thing was a greasy gutbomb in all the best ways.  Of course served with perfectly fried frites that I finished despite being full.

[lhollers]

Man, big bump for this thread, huh?

Just wanted to add that the mussel shipment Granville Moore's just got in is ridiculous. Went last night with a buddy that just moved to DC, and they were easily the largest, sweetest I've ever had. Legitimately enormous. Some great bowls currently on offer, too (we did the Miso and the Adobo), in addition to the always stellar beer selection.

Cheers!

[Simul Parikh]

On lhollers rec, went here last night. Forgot how good it was.

Went with the frites to start. Truffle mayo and horseradish cream. Awesome. For the mussels, got the chipotle. Damn, that broth was good, and legit spicy. And he's right, the mussels were fantastic.

Place has been reviewed to death, so not really wanting to go into food related details, but we both agreed that Will was an excellent server. We really appreciated that he told us specifically what he likes, and told us what he didn't like. For example, the olive based mayo/sauce for the frites - he said, 'don't get it'. When we were down to our final choices for the mussels, they were the two that he liked the best, and he said that. And, then when I picked out a certain beer, he dug into what I was looking for, and said, "No, no go for this." When I was getting my 2nd one, I picked something and he brought that one and another one, and said, "I think you're going to like this better." 

I just liked that he had opinions, and also was very knowledgeable. Didn't just rubber stamp my choices. 

[Mark Dedrick]

59 minutes ago, Simul Parikh said:

For the mussels, got the chipotle. Damn, that broth was good, and legit spicy.

My wife and I are here probably three times a month, and really my only complaint is that the mussels with chilis or some other spicy element in the title don't usually pack heat. But these definitely do, and are delicious.

On the service front, we will sit at the bar probably 95% of the time, and always find the service fantastic (acknowledging that the fact that we're regulars may skew things). Everyone there has such a good handle on their beer lists, and are often able to steer people in the correct direction even if they don't really know what they want. 

[DonRocks]

I used to be a semi-regular (as much as someone like me can be) at Granville Moore's, but in all honesty, I think the restaurant dropped in quality on several consecutive visits, and I stopped going. Is it back to what it was 5-10 years ago? Did the quality actually go downhill, or did I just hit it on some bad nights? If so, what has changed that would bring it back?

For me, this had turned into one of those "I wanted to like it more than I did" types of places.

[Ericandblueboy]

On ‎5‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 10:06 AM, lhollers said:

Man, big bump for this thread, huh?

Just wanted to add that the mussel shipment Granville Moore's just got in is ridiculous. Went last night with a buddy that just moved to DC, and they were easily the largest, sweetest I've ever had. Legitimately enormous. Some great bowls currently on offer, too (we did the Miso and the Adobo), in addition to the always stellar beer selection.

Cheers!

I find large mussels disgusting (freaks out the kids too).  Okay, maybe not disgusting, but somewhat off-putting.

[Simul Parikh]

2 hours ago, DonRocks said:

I used to be a semi-regular (as much as someone like me can be) at Granville Moore's, but in all honesty, I think the restaurant dropped in quality on several consecutive visits, and I stopped going. Is it back to what it was 5-10 years ago? Did the quality actually go downhill, or did I just hit it on some bad nights? If so, what has changed that would bring it back?

For me, this had turned into one of those "I wanted to like it more than I did" types of places.

I last went probably 4.5 years ago. I liked it then. Like it now. Not sure how they were in the middle. Beers are very $$$. 

[Mark Dedrick]

3 hours ago, DonRocks said:

I used to be a semi-regular (as much as someone like me can be) at Granville Moore's, but in all honesty, I think the restaurant dropped in quality on several consecutive visits, and I stopped going. Is it back to what it was 5-10 years ago? Did the quality actually go downhill, or did I just hit it on some bad nights? If so, what has changed that would bring it back?

For me, this had turned into one of those "I wanted to like it more than I did" types of places.

I don't know all of the specifics, but it seemed like there was a slight downturn, probably around 4/5 years ago or so? Menu was stagnant and execution seemed uneven. This might be completely off, but I think the owners and Teddy the opening chef were getting involved in a number of other spots (Capitol Lounge, Vendetta). They then brought in a new beverage manager (Matt, who has since left) and a new person to run the kitchen (who has also left, IIRC). Since then, I think it's been as good as it's ever been perhaps even better. The beer list is much smaller in terms of total number of beers, but I think it's better because of it, and more interesting on the whole. Erin currently does a great job managing their beer list, and the staff really know it, inside and out. 

With the exception of Rappahannock Oyster Bar we are at Granville's more than any other restaurant in the city, and we are never disappointed in choosing it. If you go on a weeknight you can always sit down immediately at the bar, and get great service. 

Only somewhat related, I strongly recommend any of the beer dinners that they do. Years ago they used to do them regularly, and I think they're starting to do so again. We went a few weeks ago to one with Right Proper, and it was fantastic, and what I felt was a very good value ($60 per person, inclusive, for five courses with beer pairings). Their kitchen is tiny, and their ability to execute lamb loin and Cornish hen for the entire upstairs was impressive. 

[lhollers]

3 hours ago, DonRocks said:

I used to be a semi-regular (as much as someone like me can be) at Granville Moore's, but in all honesty, I think the restaurant dropped in quality on several consecutive visits, and I stopped going. Is it back to what it was 5-10 years ago? Did the quality actually go downhill, or did I just hit it on some bad nights? If so, what has changed that would bring it back?

35 minutes ago, Mark Dedrick said:

I don't know all of the specifics, but it seemed like there was a slight downturn, probably around 4/5 years ago or so? Menu was stagnant and execution seemed uneven. The beer list is much smaller in terms of total number of beers, but I think it's better because of it, and more interesting on the whole.

Definitely agree with Mark on the beer menu, and I honestly think they did the same with the food menu. When I first moved to DC four or so years ago (and even for a while after that), their menu kept getting bigger and bigger. The last few times we've been in, I've noticed that they've significantly chopped down the menu to what they do best: mussels, two (great) burgers, another sandwich or two, wings, and some appetizers / salads. I have no idea if this actually led to them improving overall (I never really noticed a decline), but it seems pretty sure that they'd improve once they chose to focus on a smaller group of defined, sure-fire items. Just my two cents. Place still rules, and yes, their beer selection and, almost more importantly, knowledge is out of sight.

[DonRocks]

38 minutes ago, Mark Dedrick said:

With the exception of Rappahannock Oyster Bar we are at Granville's more than any other restaurant in the city, and we are never disappointed in choosing it. If you go on a weeknight you can always sit down immediately at the bar, and get great service. 

5 minutes ago, lhollers said:

Place still rules, and yes, their beer selection and, almost more importantly, knowledge is out of sight.

I trust both of your opinions more than I trust mine, which is clearly outdated.

[Josh]

I'm really going to miss their brunch sandwich ("The Good Doctor").  In my pre-kids life, it helped soothe many a hangover.

And while they are certainly not a place geared to handle kids (no high chairs), we've stopped in at off times (either early on a weekday, or on the early side for brunch) with ours and they've handled it very well.

Thinking back, this was actually the first restaurant I ate at in DC.  Back in 2008 when I was in town to interview for my current position, I stayed with a friend near Lincoln Park, and he took me here.  Coming from Manhattan, this place seemed so cool and completely at odds with my perception of DC restaurants at the time.  I remember making a comment about how H St. looked a bit "bombed out."  Little did I know I would live nearby a couple years later.

[Pat]

They're celebrating their 9th anniversary this week, with specials each day, the 8th through the 12th. Tomorrow, for instance, is $20 AYCE mussels.

It's been way too long since I've been here.

 

[horacebailey14]

We stopped in for dinner on Sunday. We ordered our usual: two bowls of mussels (Saison and Roasted this time), fries, and a couple of Belgian drafts. Their beer selection is always spot on and I overheard the bartender say they were quite busy during the craft brewers conference last week. The mussels and fries were excellent as always. We haven't tried all the renditions of these in DC, but their's is still our favorite. My lone complaint was the quality of the bread. A delicious bowl of mussels needs a good quality bread for sopping up all that brothy goodness. The bread was a bit stale and didn't seem like it would have been that great even if it had been fresh.

This marks 5 years in a row we've gone to Granville Moore's around this time of year. A bit of a tradition for us and few things I enjoy more. Looking back, the quality of the mussels and fries has never wavered. I can't speak to the rest of the menu as we never stray from the basics. The bread used to be much better, definitely a disappointment this year. The prices have gone up a few dollars but still well worth it and well deserved.