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Brasserie Beck, 11th and K Street Downtown - Belgian Moules-Frites Specialists with Outstanding Belgian Beers


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The wife and I, along with some friends, went to BB for the first time on Friday night. While I not impressed with the food- the service was excellent. The server was patient and took the time to explain all the beer options and provided us with numerous samples. We are not beer drinkers; however we found one that we liked with the help of the server. For the appetizer I ordered the Frisee salad along with the mussels with chorizo and frites. The salad had too much going on for me. It was overloaded with little fried onions and the egg was over-poached, overall the salad too weighted down and flat.I like the version at Central a lot better. The mussels were good, but not anything special. I have had better at West End and Belga. The frites on the other hand were amazingly perfect. I wished there was more. For dinner I ordered the Choucroute "en Croute" and the wife had the Grilled beef steak and Frites. The Choucroute "en Croute" sounded amazing; however it did not live up to my expectations. The pastry bottom was undercooked and chewy to the point I had to removed the meat and eat a good portion outside the shell. The steak was prepared as ordered, however was a little tough and lacked any depth of flavor. I have had better at Bistrot Du Coin. We did order the side of Brussels sprouts gratin, which were perfect, tender little sprouts topped with a perfect amount of cheese on top. We liked the space and the service was excellent, and will give it another shot, hopefully we were there on a off night.

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We had our first visit to Brasserie Beck last night and had a wonderful time. Everything we ate was great. Even the bread service was spot-on with warm baguette slices and room temperature butter. We were also given an assortment of salts and I can't remember what they were but one was pink and fine. Another was red and very coarse. And the third was white and coarse.

After reading previous posters' comments, I knew that the salads were large so my husband and I shared the spinach salad. The split version was a perfect portion and it was a nice salad. I particularly liked the thick bits of bacon. It may have been a touch overdressed, but no complaints here.

Although I had asked previously about the croque monsieur, I opted for the steak frites and I am glad I did! One of my dining companions ordered the croque, and it looked different than any other croque I have ever eaten. It looked more like a ham sandwich on ciabatta bread? I didn't taste it, but I am used to the sliced bread, griddled version.

The frites are awesome! And addictive. The steak was different than what I typically see: it came in two pieces and was thicker than most. Is this hangar steak? It didn't seem to be. The sauce that accompanied the steak frites was great and I enjoyed dipping my fries in it too.

We shared the belgian waffle of the day for dessert. It came topped with blueberry compote and their cinnamon honey ice cream. It was amazing! I am glad we shared but I certainly could have eaten more.

The restaurant was packed the entire time but service was flawless. We look forward to returning soon.

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It would be a fun (and fattening) day to walk around Penn Quarter and the surrounding area and have a Pork Sandwich Tasting. The options, while fairly diverse, are all very appealing, starting with the Croque Monsieur at Poste, moving to the Pork Panini at Proof, then Pulled Pork Sandwich at PS7s, and maybe even throwing in a Baby Pig Confit taco from Oyamel for good measure. The finale of this day for me would be the Croque Monsieur at BB, an enormous sandwich oozing with plenty of grease and flavor. The gruyere and great quality prosciutto are naturally a nice pair, but I detected something that tasted like a garlic or onion mayo on the inside of the bun that gave it a nice extra kick. Along with the generous portion of fries and dipping sauce, the Croque Monsieur is easily enough for two to share, but is almost as easily scarfed down by one, as the joy that you get out of this sandwich makes it hard to stop eating.

It wouldn't be BB if there weren't missteps, though, as the service at a not-so-crowded bar would best be described as "uninterested" and the pea soup I was given was a shadow of the first bowl I got six months ago. Painfully overcooked meatballs and a gritty, flavorless soup could not be saved by the glob of cream in the middle of the bowl or the great De Konnick that I had while consuming it. What was previously a revelation for me was an abomination at $11 last Friday.

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We have recently discovered brunch at Beck, and it is excellent! So good in fact that we have gone 3 out of the past four Sundays. Everything that we tried has been great. Today, I finally tried the mussels (with curry and apples) for the first time since my first, not-so-great, experience soon after the opening, and they too were wonderful! I am so happy that this place is so close to us.
. . .. but perfection is not always so easily found. The mussels this afternoon were not so consistent. A good third were closed and several of those that did bother to open were gritty. And everything needed a touch of salt.

On the other hand, the service was excellent, and I was perfectly content!

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Had a great second visit to Beck last night. The bread service was just as good as last time, but this time the baguette came piping hot. Always a plus in my book. Since I enjoyed the spinach salad so much last time, I ordered it again. Unfortunately, it was not as good as the first, extremely light on the bacon and bleu cheese and very heavy on the chopped egg and fried shallots. I would have preferred the opposite in both cases. I wasn't starving, so I decided to try the quiche lorraine. Am glad I did. Beck puts out a very satisfying version. We split the waffle of the day which came with bananas foster and some sort of chocolate cream. Ordered a scoop of the honey cinnamon ice cream too because I love ice cream with the waffles.

Service was excellent throughout.

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I'm surprised that folks aren't talking about Todd Kliman's report in his chat this week that Robert Wiedmaier is opening a new restaurant in Old Town in February.

The restaurant, which the chef himself designed (one of the perks of another arduous negotiation) will go into the new Kimpton property on King St., The Lorien Hotel and Spa. The 80-seat dining room will be flanked by a 45-seat wine-tasting room with its own wood burning oven. The cuisine? French. Chris Watson, an acolyte of the chef's, will oversee the kitchen.

Wiedmaier was chary about divulging more details, other than to say that this time around he's splitting the difference: "It's not going to be as refined as Marcel's and not as casual as Beck." ...

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Anyone who hasn't had the Pear Tarte Tatin yet should put this dessert on their next-item-to-try-list, especially if you are a caramel-lover. The bread coming out piping hot was a warm touch to a cool, fall night (happy post-harvest-moon festival!). Service was nice and patient with us three gabbing ladies.

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I love beer and it saddens me to see so many good restaurants only focus on wine while the beer selection is abysmal. Brasserie Beck to the rescue. Their beer list was impressive and the Beer Specialist Bill Catron was fun and engaging. We ordered a bottle of Stille Nacht at his recommendation. It was more hoppy than a typical Belgium ale and hides the alcohol very well. You weren't know it has 12% alcohol by tasting it.

For food, we ordered several appetizer and skipped the entree. My dinning companion got the 3 piece cheese tasting (Pere Joseph, Petit Basque, and Chimay) and I got the onion soup. The cheese portions were bigger than I expected, the condiments were spanish almond, some kind of fruity gelee, and pickled onion. All were tasty and mild enough to not overpower the cheese. The onion soup was made unique by the addition of crispy fried shallots on top and the onion was sweet and nicely caramalized, my only complaint is that it doesn't have a beefy component to it. We also shared a steak tartar and an order or frites. The steak tartar was tender and the portion was generous, I detected a faint gamey taste to it, therefore, I still prefer tuna tartar over steak tartar any day. The frites were cut thin and crispy, without any excess grease. I liked three dipping sauce that accompany the frites (garlic mayo, maria rose, and curry), so much more flavor than the boring old ketchup.

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Bad news at Beck losing what for me was a big draw to the restaurant. Sounds like something strange must have happened, as Bill appeared to not only have left but turned down a promotion in doing so. Hmmm......

Sad to see such a capable and well-connected beer man go, especially under suspicious circumstances. At the same time, Beck isn't simply left twisting in the wind here -- Thor Cheston is capable of running a top-flight beer program, as anyone who spent time at Pizzeria Paradiso during his tenure can attest.

One of the commenters on the City Paper article made a remark about Beck being turned into the "new Pizzeria Paradiso" by this move. It's an unfair comparison. Today's Birreria is a a substantially different animal than it was under Cheston, and I'm confident Beck will continue to serve well-researched, unique and appropriate beers.

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Sad to see such a capable and well-connected beer man go, especially under suspicious circumstances. At the same time, Beck isn't simply left twisting in the wind here -- Thor Cheston is capable of running a top-flight beer program, as anyone who spent time at Pizzeria Paradiso during his tenure can attest.

One of the commenters on the City Paper article made a remark about Beck being turned into the "new Pizzeria Paradiso" by this move. It's an unfair comparison. Today's Birreria is a a substantially different animal than it was under Cheston, and I'm confident Beck will continue to serve well-researched, unique and appropriate beers.

Ditto. I agree completely. Thor knows what he's doing.

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Bad news at Beck losing what for me was a big draw to the restaurant. Sounds like something strange must have happened, as Bill appeared to not only have left but turned down a promotion in doing so. Hmmm......

That's too bad. I had a great time talking to Bill during my last meal there during Inauguration Weekend. Maybe he's thinking of opening his own place...seems a little odd.

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The food menu has not changed since day 1 (that I can tell) but they had two mussels specials, so I went with the most unusual-sounding one: veal bolognese mussels. And yes, definitely unusual, tasting mostly of decent veal bolonese and occasionally noticing that there were mussels in the thick and chunky broth. Frites were good as always. But where the food menu lacks innovation, the beer list here is still rocking. De Glazen Toren Canaster (a "Winter-Scotch") on draught is delicious, and there are still some great winter beers in bottle (De Ranke Pere Noel!). Also notable that American-brewed stuff has started showing up here: Ommegang's wonderful Hennepin was on draught. Thor seems to have taken over the list without a hitch.

Also this is coming up:

Join us at Brasserie Beck for dinner with the owners of Huyghe, Het Anker &

Van Honsebrouck who will be showcasing nine beers on the evenings of

March 16th, 17th & 18th, as well as a few other surprises.

Limited seating, please call 202.408.1717. Only $85 per person, all inclusive

Aperitif

{Floris Apple}

First Course

Pan Seared Skate Wing

Ragout of Salsify, Dill Beurre Blanc

{Delirium Tremens & Brigand}

Second Course

Duck Sausage, Red Currants & Pistachio, White Bean Puree

{Delirium Nocturnum & Gouden Carolus Grand Cru of the Emperor}

Third Course

Pheasant Roulade with Wild Mushrooms

Sauce of Pheasant & Ghent Mustard

{Gouden Carolus Triple & Gouden Carolus Hopsinjour}

Dessert Course

Trio of Chocolate Mousse

{St. Louis Framboise & Kasteel Rouge}

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Has anyone been to Beck since they lost their beer specialist? I was thinking of bringing my beer-adoring brother there when he visits, and while the food is good, the incredible beer list and the informed, um, "counseling" would be the real draw for us. Thanks!

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Has anyone been to Beck since they lost their beer specialist? I was thinking of bringing my beer-adoring brother there when he visits, and while the food is good, the incredible beer list and the informed, um, "counseling" would be the real draw for us. Thanks!

GM Thor Cheston is one of the greatest beer sommeliers in the area, and would (I assume) be happy to help guide you in your selections - maybe you should call to see if he's working on a night you wish to go?

Cheers,

Rocks.

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Had a very nice dinner they other night with some beer loving friends. As I don't prefer beer I ordered a glass of Domaine de la Villaudiere, J.M. Reverdy, Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre, France. I know this place has wonderful beer and in the past they have given me some small tastes to help me find something I would like, but really I prefer wine, so I was pleased to order something that I really liked, it was so light without being to fruity, tart or oaky which was nice because it was so hot and I wanted something refreshing.

For entree I had the mussels and fries with the tomatoes in a rocca, basil and butter sauce. The mussels were plump and flavorful, I like the full tomatoes and it was the perfect time to order them as they were beautifully ripe. The fries were good, but I like dipping their very good bread in the sauce more than the fries. The fried I like in the curry mayonnaise. Hubby had the rabbit which must have been great because he polished it off astonishingly quick.

For dessert I had the gateau of chocolate which had a layer of crispy chocolate almost cookie bits (like very good smaller cocoa pebbles) rich mousse and chocolate sauce, so decadent. It was so good I couldn't stop eating it even though I was so overwhelmingly full. I also had a bite of the belgian waffle which was very moist and soft, it had a wonderful texture, and Hubby's pear tarte which I liked almost as much as my cake, it was a lovely tarte, not to thick, the pears were excellent they were soft enough that it was easy to eat, but had great flavor. Another good meal here.

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I know this place has wonderful beer and in the past they have given me some small tastes to help me find something I would like, but really I prefer wine, so I was pleased to order something that I really liked, it was so light without being to fruity, tart or oaky which was nice because it was so hot and I wanted something refreshing.

Brasserie Beck is likely my favorite place to go. While it has its defects, I can get there way more often then some of the more fine dining places, and it is always true to what it is--Belgian Brasserie.

But, I have to say the wine is actually one of the things I respect about it. It received this year a Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence." Now that is there lowest tier, but this means they are carrying at least 100 labels and have made a serious economic commitment... It still speaks to their level of commitment and effort. I think its one of hidden gems about the place. I truly appreciate the effort they put into all facets of the restaurant, and one that is really a high end Brasserie.

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Brasserie Beck is likely my favorite place to go. While it has its defects, I can get there way more often then some of the more fine dining places, and it is always true to what it is--Belgian Brasserie.

But, I have to say the wine is actually one of the things I respect about it. It received this year a Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence." Now that is there lowest tier, but this means they are carrying at least 100 labels and have made a serious economic commitment... It still speaks to their level of commitment and effort. I think its one of hidden gems about the place. I truly appreciate the effort they put into all facets of the restaurant, and one that is really a high end Brasserie.

Yes, we have friends that LOVE beer. They make their own beer, they have a beer club, and they are our favorite people to double date with. So I really appreciate places with good beer AND wine lists. You wouldn't expect that there, except knowing that Marcel's has a really nice wine list. And the wine list isn't as pricey as many places, they keep it pretty reasonable which is really nice. I think you are right it is very good for what it is. It's one of those nice to have nearby kind of places (it isn't nearby to me, but if it was I would go way too often).

What they found so neat was how many of the real beer glasses they stock for all the beers.

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But, I have to say the wine is actually one of the things I respect about it. It received this year a Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence." Now that is there lowest tier, but this means they are carrying at least 100 labels and have made a serious economic commitment... It still speaks to their level of commitment and effort. I think its one of hidden gems about the place. I truly appreciate the effort they put into all facets of the restaurant, and one that is really a high end Brasserie.

Isn't this the "award" that is basically attained by paying a fee?

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Interesting. I just came back from Vegas. Should I talk about City Center (Dubai World is half owner by the way) whose 2,500+ condos go to closing the middle of next month? Or Echelon which is an 80 acre $10 billion+ Boyd Gaming development where construction has stopped a block or so down Las Vegas Boulevard from the Wynn? Two blocks further down on the opposite side of the street(towards the Stratosphere Tower) is another huge block of vacant land.

Perhaps the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City whose e-mail list I am on and has a "window" of $69 a night rooms from December 12th through 23rd with some priced as low as $49 a night. That's the Taj Mahal!

As badly as I would like to see these chefs succeed I am just afraid that the next few years in A. C. are going to be rather "skinny." Perhaps elsewhere, also.

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The other night my friend had a party at Brasserie Beck (full disclosure: he works there). A cassoulet was offered as a special. I eat mostly vegetables and fish, but I let my friend who knows the menu extremely well order for me. He suggested I order the cassoulet. So I did.

When it came out, a warm, rectangular, earthenware dish was set before me, and the server heaped several ladles of cannellini beans cooked with a mirepoix and some bacon into it. On top of the beans, the server set down two slices of pork belly, then next to it a piece of duck confit roulade, and then a link of lamb sausage next to that. The beans were creamy and flavorful, but it was not like a stew, which was what I expected. Each piece of meat was luscious and the lamb sausage was my favorite. Together with the beans, the dish was comforting, rich, and simply gosh darned delicious.

This was the first cassoulet I've ever had, so I cannot testify to its "authenticity" or compare it to other iterations. But if you're ever there, I'd encourage you to ask if it's available. I think all the meats are available in separate dishes, so it might be a regular off-menu dish they can make if you request it.

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I went to Brasserie Beck last night. The food was excellent - my tabled shared the frites, and then the spinach mushroom Gruyère crepe, an asparagus salad and duck entree plus several beers. The service was really weird at the beginning. The host sat us down without menus and then we were ignored for about 15 minutes before someone got up and tried to track down a server for us.

They need to update their website, there were a few things on their website I had wanted to try (pea soup with veal meatballs) that were missing from the real menu.

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The service was really weird at the beginning. The host sat us down without menus and then we were ignored for about 15 minutes before someone got up and tried to track down a server for us.

The first part is SOP - they always seat people without menus*. But a 15 minute wait is unusual.

*btw, can someone explain this practice? Beck isn't the only place that does it, and I've always wondered why.

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I hear so much about The Wiedmaier Empire being spread too thin (Alexandria, Downtown, Bethesda, Atlantic City, etc.). Last night at Beck: Chef David Ashwell present and cooking? Check. GM Thor Cheston working the room and tending his wonderful beers? Check.

Out of the 111 beers currently on the list, there's one (*) that they really want you to buy: The Antigoon ($9). It's front-and-center on page one, and the only beer listed in red ink. The menu says it's "brewed exclusively for chef Robert Wiedmaier," with tasting notes that tout the "hints of wonder bread and honey suckle." How could I not try this?

And I'm glad I did, because it's a terrific beer - a double blond that has, yes, hints of wonder bread and honey suckle - you'll find them if you look. For a house beer, this is awesome.

Cheers,

Rocks.

(*) Actually, they also want you to buy the Bavik ($5). Or at least I assume they do since it's on two taps, and they're selling T-Shirts ($8, may (or may not) be 100% cotton) which say, "I got Bavik'd at Becks."

P.S. An interesting thing I noticed on the beer list last night is that, for many of the beers on tap, they'll have a note underneath that says "When this keg kicks we will have X" (X being another beer). Two of the three beers I was going to order were, in fact, kicked - I'm not sure if this is a good thing (after all, it announces what's coming) or a bad thing (it allows a buffer for not keeping the list current). Or maybe it just is what it is.

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I hear so much about The Wiedmaier Empire being spread too thin (Alexandria, Downtown, Bethesda, Atlantic City, etc.). Last night at Beck: Chef David Ashwell present and cooking? Check. GM Thor Cheston working the room and tending his wonderful beers? Check.

Out of the 111 beers currently on the list, there's one (*) that they really want you to buy: The Antigoon ($9). It's front-and-center on page one, and the only beer listed in red ink. The menu says it's "brewed exclusively for chef Robert Wiedmaier," with tasting notes that tout the "hints of wonder bread and honey suckle." How could I not try this?

And I'm glad I did, because it's a terrific beer - a double blond that has, yes, hints of wonder bread and honey suckle - you'll find them if you look. For a house beer, this is awesome.

Cheers,

Rocks.

(*) Actually, they also want you to buy the Bavik ($5). Or at least I assume they do since it's on two taps, and they're selling T-Shirts ($8, may (or may not) be 100% cotton) which say, "I got Bavik'd at Becks."

P.S. An interesting thing I noticed on the beer list last night is that, for many of the beers on tap, they'll have a note underneath that says "When this keg kicks we will have X" (X being another beer). Two of the three beers I was going to order were, in fact, kicked - I'm not sure if this is a good thing (after all, it announces what's coming) or a bad thing (it allows a buffer for not keeping the list current). Or maybe it just is what it is.

They probably have Bavik on two of the taps because it's (relatively) cheap and appeals to people who don't really like the taste of beer all that much and thus is probably quite popular. My impression of the bar at Beck's is that it;s more of a scene and less of a place filled with people who really enjoy their beer (for contrast see Granville Moore's). To me, Bavik is just an alternative to Stella, or fllls in for Miller Lite for those folks who like that kind of thing. I guess I'd call it a starter beer (or a gateway beer!)

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I'd tried to get to Brasserie Beck previously but it was always too busy; this was probably 2-3 years ago, when I was in the area quite often. Well I'm back in the area and made it back to Brasserie Beck the last two weeks. Last week was very good (with mussels with bacon and mushroom), good enough to get me to come back again tonight to get my mussels-and-beer fix. Tonight was a wild mushroom soup with seared sea scallops (which was quite good) and a couple of wonderful belgian beers (including a belgian beer made in the american IPA style that was quite interesting).

What I'm here to write about though is the bratwurst. Its currently a special and wasn't on the menu last week (I don't think) so I don't know how long it will be around. I was close to not ordering it as I had come to order mussels. I'm glad I listened to Brian behind the bar as it was absolutely great. Very possibly the best bratwurst I've ever had. Served on a brioche roll (I think) with a bed of sauerkraut that was just enough to cut through a bit of the fattiness of the bratwurst and a thin layer of shredded gruyere (again, I think), the bratwurst itself was still the king of the show. It didn't have the thick skin that I dislike about many bratwursts, but rather had a firm texture with just a bit of garlic flavor, it was an awesome example of everything I like about bratwursts. It was so rich that I don't think I could eat another one for a week, but man its good!

I don't know what its like the rest of the week, how much it is about the "scene", etc, but I've been in the last two Mondays and really enjoyed it. Very laid back, with the bartenders chatting and giving good advice about the food, beer, and wine menus and giving tastes to anyone that was unsure (in fact, one of the beers I ordered last week was a bit odd and so they wanted me to try it before I ordered it to make sure I'd like it).

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Dropped in last night for a quick "date night" dinner. There are few things I find more comforting on a windy, cold night than the bar at Beck.

We didn't go to the well with the mussels with frites and opted for a number of small plates. Lisa raved and raved over her roasted beet salad (note: I was not offered any). The steak tartare was delicious (though I would have replaced the fried quail egg with a raw one and a little less mustard in the steak). The small charcuterie board was a steal - I hate to think how big the full size one would be. Almost completely sliced meats and a white bean spread. A pate or terrine and maybe a but more diversity in the meats (e.g. a spicy sopressata) would have mixed things up nicely. But the real treat were the fried sweetbreads on risotto. Oh, wow....the sweetbreads were crispy on the outside yet almost creamy on the inside. The risotto itself was rich with cream and flavoured with pureed squash (I think). Easily our favorite. Too much beer and a Caps game on the TV topped off the evening.

Expensive, crowded, and noisy...yes. But there's something great about that bar that keeps me coming back.

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Dropped in last night for a quick "date night" dinner. There are few things I find more comforting on a windy, cold night than the bar at Beck.

We didn't go to the well with the mussels with frites and opted for a number of small plates. Lisa raved and raved over her roasted beet salad (note: I was not offered any). The steak tartare was delicious (though I would have replaced the fried quail egg with a raw one and a little less mustard in the steak). The small charcuterie board was a steal - I hate to think how big the full size one would be. Almost completely sliced meats and a white bean spread. A pate or terrine and maybe a but more diversity in the meats (e.g. a spicy sopressata) would have mixed things up nicely.

Funny, my impromptu date night last week saw us getting a small charcuterie plate that had an awesome pot of rabbit rillettes but no white bean spread. The group next to us had the Flintstonian large plate, which looked to have at least one other type of meat and an additional pot of... something? Maybe they gave us the wrong pot and we lucked out. Regardless, we were both full before the mussels even showed up. That thing is a steal.

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Stopped in for brunch (didn't realize they served both Saturday and Sunday brunch) this morning with the +1. At 1130 we were two of the first customers in the place and were immediately greeted and seated, even though we were 30 min early for our reservation.

She started off with some elderflower / champagne cocktail and I had an Antigoon, both of which were good...I tend to get the Antigoon whenever I'm there b/c while a bit pricey at 10 bucks, its a terrific beer.

To kick off the eating we split an order of mussels with mushrooms and truffle cream. This was tremendous and I would highly recommend it. The plump mussels were perfectly cooked and worked very well with the earthy flavors of the mushrooms. I followed that with an order of scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and creme fraiche which were fine although I had ordered a side of pork belly bacon that was out of this world, so maybe they were overshadowed by that. The +1 had their version of eggs benedict which she enjoyed (enough so that I didn't get to steal a bite).

All in all, a great (if pricey) spot for a Saturday brunch. Today I used the LivingSocial ($30 for $60) which blunted the tab nicely.

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I had my first softshells of the season there last Saturday night.

1. I also had the soft shells with pork belly, dandelion greens, and citrus brown butter. I enjoyed the dish but thought the dandelion greens were much too bitter. I understand you want to cut through the richness of the dish, but it should be done without masking the sweetness of the crab.

2. I asked for the 2008 BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien by the glass (citing your precedent!) but was refused. Disappointing.

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1. I also had the soft shells with pork belly, dandelion greens, and citrus brown butter. I enjoyed the dish but thought the dandelion greens were much too bitter. I understand you want to cut through the richness of the dish, but it should be done without masking the sweetness of the crab.

2. I asked for the 2008 BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien by the glass (citing your precedent!) but was refused. Disappointing.

Say "hi" next time (only if you were there on Friday around 5:30pm). A tall glass of Antigoon ($9) really hit the spot after a rough week last week (although none of last week beat Saturday night's ick). Probably should have gone back for the Antigoon AND soft shells.

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First attempt at a real meal here was pretty disappointing. I usually just stick with beer and maybe a sandwich/fries/oysters, but this time split the sweetbread app, preserved lemon, fennel goat cheese mussels and a pear dessert. Sweetbreads were really good, and the dessert got high praises from my sweets loving companion, but the mussels...

About 1/4 of the mussels were bad/off. And all of the mussels were over cooked. Broth was okay, but hard to tell when every couple mussels you have a horrible taste in your mouth. Never had a bad mussel before, at a restaurant or my house, so I was surprised I came across so many at such a high price point.

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Did you send the mussels back to the kitchen?

No, for several reasons. 1) I kept hoping it was just one, because while everyone makes mistakes and I assumed a place like Brasserie Beck wouldn't make a lot of them...then it was another...the first few were only a little off as well..situation snowballed near the end of the bowl 2) It was late, didn't want to wait for a new order 3) We were sitting in the bar area, and our server wasn't coming by too often because he was busy (understandable) 4) was finally using my Living Social coupon, so the cost annoyance was minimized. I am sure if i brought it to their attention, they would have taken care of it immediately. Just not the kind of thing you expect to happen in the first place.

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No, for several reasons. 1) I kept hoping it was just one, because while everyone makes mistakes and I assumed a place like Brasserie Beck wouldn't make a lot of them...then it was another...the first few were only a little off as well..situation snowballed near the end of the bowl 2) It was late, didn't want to wait for a new order 3) We were sitting in the bar area, and our server wasn't coming by too often because he was busy (understandable) 4) was finally using my Living Social coupon, so the cost annoyance was minimized. I am sure if i brought it to their attention, they would have taken care of it immediately. Just not the kind of thing you expect to happen in the first place.

I can't help but think that if I were management, I would have really appreciated you bringing this to my attention - not just to remedy your batch, but because if they had a shipment that was generally sub-par, it may be worthwhile to pull the whole lot, or at least check the rest more carefully. Even responsible places can at times just run into a bad shipment (I will NEVER forget the rancid oyster I had once at Old Ebbitt - and say what you want about Ebbitt but the oysters are generally spot on). If shellfish is going bad, you could be saving other customers more than just a bad taste in their mouth.

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I can't help but think that if I were management, I would have really appreciated you bringing this to my attention - not just to remedy your batch, but because if they had a shipment that was generally sub-par, it may be worthwhile to pull the whole lot, or at least check the rest more carefully. Even responsible places can at times just run into a bad shipment (I will NEVER forget the rancid oyster I had once at Old Ebbitt - and say what you want about Ebbitt but the oysters are generally spot on). If shellfish is going bad, you could be saving other customers more than just a bad taste in their mouth.

Of the buckets and buckets of mussels I've had at Beck, there was one time I had a similarly off bowl at the bar. I didn't mention it that evening due to similar late night/busy bar concerns but I did send an email to the address on the website. Never heard anything back. It hasn't stopped me from continuing to eat there - every restaurant can have off nights.

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The Drunken Kiss oysters are in and of themselves worth a trip to Beck. These plump west-coasters have a decidedly briny east-coast taste to them and are some of the best oysters I've tasted in a long while. Absolutely delicious with just a spritz of lemon juice, and totally made me forget it was July (until, of course, I stepped back outside after my meal).

(After a second trip just to have more of these, I'm feeling a little more reserved in my assessment. I still recommend them, but of the dozen I had today there were definitely some duds in the bunch.)

Edited by Rhone1998
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I had a $60 Living Social certificate and a $20 Open Table certificate. It's Summer time and the living is easy eh?

We checked in with the hostess with our toddler and proffered that we had a reservation for 2. We were immediately corrected - we need a table for 3. Okay, as long as we can eat.

I started with a Kasteel Rouge draft ($10) - which is interesting, a little sweet but not unpleasant. For appetizers, we did a small charcuterie plate (two sizes now available, small for $16 and large for $28, IIRC), onion soup, fries, and a dozen oysters ($28). Even the small charcuterie had at least 7 varieties - a rillet, lardo, some other fatty meat product, spicy salami, non spicy salami, and 2 types of prosciutto. I didn't taste the soup because I was busy scarfing down a selection of west coast oysters - which were large and required a little chewing. In the mean time, our daughter was creating a masterpiece using the fries as her brush and the curry sauce, red pepper aioli and mayo as her medium.

Our next courses were veal sweetbreads, steak tartar, lamb pappardelle, and roasted beet salad. My wife said the salad was good (but not as good as the one she had at Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal). We both thought the breaded and deep-fried sweetbreads were fantastic - nicely seasoned with salt & pepper, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. If you've never had sweetbread before and wanted to try it, this is a good introduction. The steak tartar came with lots of chopped onions, relish, and chives - the combined flavor reminded me of egg salad, which is something I like and thus I enjoyed the tartar. The lamb in the pasta is a little gamy (as expected and lets you know you're eating something that goes "meh" instead of "moo") and I think the pasta is a little overcooked but it could be just the texture of fresh pasta.

Anyhow, dinner turned out to be $160 before tip (with 2 beers for me). Since the food was generally very good, the meal didn't end tragically like Porgy & Bess.

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I finally had the chance to make my way here yesterday...I was signed up for a seminar at the nearby Sheraton, and was thrilled when I saw how close I was going to be. It was hard to focus while dreaming of my lunch...

At first, I was told all the mussel dishes had garlic, so I chose to start with some oysters and beer, while perusing the menu to see if a salad or something else might go nicely with my starter. While chatting with the bartender he offered to ask the chef re: options and came back with the best news, that any of the mussel dishes could be prepared without the garlic-they would instead use vermouth in the base. I had a difficult time choosing, but decided to splurge and went with the half order of mushroom, bacon and truffle cream. The mussels were excellent; the mushrooms, "bacon" (more likely pork belly) and truffle cream were to die for. Literally--I don't want to know how much fat was in the dish, but it was worth it in every bite. The sweetness of the butter and cream, the saltiness of the pork and the earthiness of the mushrooms were the ultimate combination and savored in every bite. And I knew I shouldn't soak up the leftover cream with the bread, but I did anyway. And did not regret it. Nicely balanced with the Whit beer on draft. (Sorry I didn't write down what it was and I don't see it on the online menu.)

Oysters were fresh and delicious. I kept the receipt with the names, but I don't remember which one was from where. Sting Ray, York and Chef's creek, and I was told one was from VA, one from Rhode Island, and one from the west coast. A nice assortment. Barely made it back to the seminar in time, but I so wished I could have stayed for some coffee. I am a sucker for a French Press. I will just have to find my way back again. And soon.

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Robert Wiedmaier will be taking over the Kentlands location currently occupied by O'Donnell's Sea Grill, after the latter closes on the 27th of this month. Details of the new restaurant are unknown at this time.

http://www.mymcmedia.org/new-kentlands-restaurant-coming-soon-video/

Bill is such a nice person [he was a cycling coach of mine - always tried to tell me we were going downhill or were almost there]. I stumbled on the lease map for Kentlands Square a few weeks ago while looking for an place to buy new sunglasses. See Lot 32 - "Brasserie Beck"

http://www.saulcenters.com/Lease%20Plans-PDF/Kentlands%20SquareIandIIandKentlands%20Place%20Leaseplan.pdf

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We had reservations here tonight at 7:30, and got here purposefully early, around 6 to have some happy hour drinks at the bar.  We checked in with the hostess to let her know this, and she was very nice, telling us to stop back whenever we were ready.  Service at the bar was very friendly and prompt at first, and then veered towards "do you think they're ignoring us because happy hour is 10 mins away from being over??".  Right around our 7:30 reservation time, we checked in and were led to a seat on the patio at our request.  It took awhile for us to get menus and then it was at least another 15/20 mins before we were checked in on again and our order was taken.  Our waiter asked if we wanted another round of drinks, but we had our drinks that we'd brought from the bar that were still almost half full, so we declined.

We placed an order of a half charcuterie plate and steak tartare, noting that's it was what we'd like to start with (and the implication that we'd be ordering more).  The food was great - the half charcuterie plate was delicious and a great value at $16.  The steak tartare was accompanied with gaufrette potatoes which were great.  Even though it was a lot of food, we were planning on getting a full order of mussels to share.

We changed our minds however when it became apparent that our waiter was not coming back around anytime soon.  An hour and a half passed since we were seated, and our waiter had never checked in since we placed our order of starters.  We realized how not-super-hungry we were and how much we didn't want to hang around being ignored.  We eventually got our bill and paid - on the way out I registered our complaints with the hostess and was met with an apology that didn't really make sense - she said that today was "special" because they got slammed with people coming in all at once (patio was never totally full when we saw it) and that 3 servers had gone home earlier because they were bored (!!).  We had already paid at that point, so weren't looking for any sort of comp - we would have preferred a sincere apology without the bs excuses.

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