Last night we headed to MARVIN's (www.marvindc.com) at 2007 14th Street (at U St), NW in an area that has truly had a major renaissance foodwise in the last decade. This wonderful Belgian style bistro is just that with wooden chairs, a pub-ish feel and a very relaxed atmosphere, dedicated to Marvin Gaye's two years in "exile" in Ostend, Belgium. There is some jazz music, but the star here is the food and it was impressive, and very reasonably priced as well.
We started with a bottle of refreshing Mas de la Dame "Rose du Mas: 2008 a very dry rose from Les Baux de Provence that goes with almost everything (save the steak, which Will ordered a glass of house red for!).
The food is Belgian bistro with that American twist with some delectable starters such as LIVER & ONIONS which is a monstrous slab of Hudson Valley FOIE GRAS with Sweet VIDALIA Onions, Pear and BANYULS Vinegar. At $17.00 this might be an indulgence, but it's size makes it worth every cent and every bite. If you feel the need for duck, you can also have the less pricy DUCK CONFIT, a filling leg and thigh with PICKLED BEETS, CHEVRE cheese and a small MACHE Salad with a tasty yet light vinaigrette. The SEARED SEA SCALLOPS are three large nicely browned on the edge scallops on a bed of superb BRAISED LEEKS with Beurre Rouge.
We were all impressed at this point, and we kept telling our server Lenore (we did really want the cute blond guy in the shorts, but Lenore was perfect in all her suggestions!) when she asked how everything was, that it was indeed, FABULOUS. Chef James Claudio must be very proud of the plates that come out here.
Our main courses were just as superb starting with the Southern-influenced Free Range COUNTRY FRIED CHICKEN Breast & WAFFLES which comes over a bed of COLLARD GREENS with traditional rich gravy and for those in need of sweet indulgence, Maple Syrup on the side. The STEAK FRITES is a hit here with a very low priced yet wonderfully tasty Cowgirl (which I did not know means off the bone!) 18 ounce RIBEYE with Petite Salade, SAUCE BORDELAISE & ROSEMARY Caper Sauce. A divine and yes huge (at 18 ounces of all meat with no bone, so there was leftovers for sure) steak with some of the best frites in DC!
I opted for the very Belgian MOULES FRITES which can be had in several sauces here. My choice was the COCONUT CURRY when Lenore said it was indeed not a sweet sauce, but a mildly spicy one and she hit this one on the nose. There were scattered jalapeno slices for a bite if you chose to devour them and the plump mussels bathes in a rich sauce that did require massive mopping up at the end with the traditional tasty French bread. The FRITES were truly the stars here and they come served with three sauces: a nice ketchup and two divinely thick mayonnaise sauces--one Wasabi and one Curry, both of which I could not resist.
MARVIN is a spot to consider on its own or when you are anywhere near the U Street Corridor...we will be back very soon!
