We've heard about this place for a while and just hadn't managed to get a seat. Because of their small dining room, it was a little tough getting reservations. But we finally did it! We were booked for dinner on Friday night at Marvin in DC's Shaw neighborhood. I had been dreaming of their famous fried chicken and waffles for months, and was ecstatic at the chance to finally devour some!
We met up with our friends early at the roof top bar upstairs. The vibe was definitely pretty cool -- think young professionals mingling in the open air bar and mix in the whiffing smells of delicious burgers on the grill. So you can get your libations flowing and work up your appetite for dinner at the same time! And somewhere in the background, you get New Orleans jazz playing, tying everything together. As you're winding down the work week with a beverage or two, your phone rings and the hostess on the other end lets you know your table is ready! Quick walk downstairs and next thing you know, you're seated with a menu filled with tempting options.
My first impression of the menu was that it was very eclectic, a mix of Brussels moulles and frites along side shrimp and grits from the deep south, how could you go wrong with that. I definitely wanted to try a few items, but settled on the mussels to start and then fried chicken and waffles for my entree.
We ordered two types of mussels -- chorizo and fennel and coconut curry. As with any true moulles and frites bistro, we got a good helping of crusty bread to use to soak up the savory sauces. The mussels were cooked perfectly and weren't over done, tasteless or rubbery. I really liked that they still had a subtle briny taste. They were definitely on par with Brasserie Beck and Granville Moore's. With each order of mussels, you also get a heaping portion of french fries with 3 dipping sauces - saffron aolli, horseradish mayo and traditional ketchup. Needless to say, there wasn't anything left but crumbs, we inhaled the fries and mussels! We should have timed how quickly we devoured everything.
And for the piece de resistance...free range fried chicken and Belgian waffle. When it came out, the chicken and waffle were served on top of collard greens! I wasn't about to complain about the combo, it looked great. The chicken was a generous portion of perfectly seasoned chicken breast and the breading was super flaky and crunchy. Now I by no means consider myself a fried chicken connoisseur, but I love it with a passion (my cholesterol level begs to differ) and can appreciate one that is fried to the wonderful golden crispiness perfection! And it was served with a little honey on the side. Now imagine cutting a piece of fried chicken, getting a piece of the waffle, some collard greens and a little dollop of honey all in one bite, it was an explosion of flavor in my mouth -- sweet and savory, crunchy and soft. I was very very impressed. The meal was totally worth the hype and worth the wait!
There were a few other entrees on the menu that I want to try -- shrimp and grits, seared sea scallops (my favorite seafood dish of all time), and lobster waterzooi. I can't wait to go back. Parking was a pain, but I feel that the end result was worth it. I feel like you get two great things all in one place, a cool bar to hang out and a great dinner! In my book, that's a win win combo.
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