High Five'n "Marvin"

C Says...

After a protest from dear J over my first choice of November's restaurant, I decided upon Marvin at 14th and U. I'd never been to Marvin for dinner, but went there a few times over the summer for drinks seeing as it's one of the few places with a roof deck.

Named after DC native, Marvin Gaye, the restaurant pays homage to Gaye's time in Belgium with a menu pairing traditional moules frites, steak frites, Belgian beers, with more Southern cuisine like chicken and waffles. The decor is lovely with dark wood, pictures of Gaye all along the walls, and dim enough lighting that your dining partner looks amazing, but you can still see what you're eating.

I opted for an appetizer (hell it was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, why not) of goat cheese croquettes in a fig vinaigrette and micro greens. This was ridiculously good, and light. I would have ordered 3 more plates if I wasn't intrigued by the entrees. Sticking to the Belgian theme of the restaurant, I selected moules frites in a coconut curry sauce.

Now, normally when I've ordered moules frites, I'm lucky if I can get through the two dozen or so mussels that are delivered. Well, Marvin's doesn't disappoint. J and I ventured a guess that there must have been three dozen of them bursting from the bowl. While they were tasty, I have to say that Granville Moore 's are sublimely better. Now, this could have been because I was fighting a cold at the time, but I could barely taste any of the curry, while the hint of coconut was there to get the essence without overpowering sweetness.

Overall, it was a good dish, just not a great one. The frites were delicious (not too many I might add) and paired with a trio of dipping sauces. All in all, I would recommend Marvin and hope that it becomes a neighborhood destination in the vein of Bar Pilar, St. Ex, and other bars and restaurants along 14th Street.
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J Says...

After reaffirming to C that our monthly dinner should not include fast food establishments (though I offered to do a special with our top FF places), she saw the errors of her way and selected Marvin. Having never heard of the joint, I was happy to try it out.

History aside, the fresh look and boutique feel were quite enjoyable for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. While the table was small, the food portions were anything but as evidenced by C's bevy of mussels and my extra large (and very tasty) steak. Even my scallop appetizer was more generous than expected, though truth be told, not nearly as delicious as I had wanted. Though I concur with C that the frites were fabulous, even if I couldn't identify each of the dipping sauces.

And the service - a quite chatty, though in a good way, waiter named Jason - made the return of the original C & J even more delightful.

In the end, the pricing was what I would expect and the food was definitely worth the trip. While not an instant favorite for me, I'll certainly return regularly and bring out-of-town guests to a local institution that encompasses the history yet present-day livelihood of the city.


Marvin - 2007 14th Street (@ V Street) NW, 202.797.7171, www.marvindc.com