Blah on "Belga Cafe"

C Says...

After a month-long hiatus, that was all my fault, we embarked for our June dinner at Cafe Belga in Eastern Market. I've heard great things about Belga, and had been wanting to try it for months. Sadly, it didn't live up to the hype. While the decor is quite lovely, and outdoor seating offers great people watching (when it's not 85 and humid out), the food did not live up to my expectations.

As the name implies, Belga's menu is an ode to all things Belgian -- beer, croquettes, and frites. I ordered the Chimey mussels which come w/ "real" Belgian fries and "real" Belgian mayonnaise. The mussels on their own were tasty, but the broth was bland and nothing I'd want to slop up with a piece of crusty bread. The fries were tasty and not overly salty, but I'll just never get dunking them in mayo. I've lauded Granville Moore's mussels in this blog before, and so far, nothing I've tried since comes close.

I'm not sure I'll be back to Belga for their take on these tasty little morsels from the sea, but maybe I'll be back for a nice beer outside with some good friends and good conversation.
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J Says...

Boy was that a long break from eating! But we roared back in June with a blah restaurant choice by C. While I liked Belga Cafe's decor, the service was only decent. And that would be the mantra for the night.

I started with the oven-grilled mussels on the half-shell with garlic butter, which were new to me given I've only had steamed mussels before. Quite delicious, so I remained hopeful for the main course. Sadly, the beer roasted chicken, braised Belgian endives with purple potatoes left me blue.

While I heart Belgium and spent several weeks at university in Brugge, I'm not fully in love with Belga Cafe. Perhaps if the line at Matchbox across the street is too long, I'll return to the restaurant for some wine (quite a good selection by the way) or maybe a beer.


Cafe Belga - 514 8th Street SE, 202.544.0100, www.belgacafe.com