Belga Cafe

- 514 8th Street, SE (Eastern Market)
- Belgian & Flemish
- mussels, pommes frites (fries) supposed to be good
- recommended by people
- around $20 per entree

This summary had been on my "places to try" post for a while. I went during what was deemed "mussels" week, during which Belga was claimed to have wider variety of mussels dishes available.

There was some kind of gathering or event going on in the front, which probably made it louder than usual, but I liked the decor and atmosphere nonetheless.

I ordered a Green Curry mussels dish, I think. My mussels were solid, but I certainly wouldn't include them in the top tier of mussels I have had in D.C. Certainly, the ones at Brasserie Beck, some bar on Wisconsin, or some other place that I ate outside of also on 8th street were better. Perhaps I went for an experimental dish that is not a good example of Belga's best, but I found the flavoring to be weak, pleasant, but weak, and certainly not delicious. My (white) wine was average and unmemorable. So, in my initial foray, Belga's disappointed. While I won't make an attempt to return there, not with so many other proven options, I wouldn't oppose going again if someone else really wanted to.

Note: Belga's is supposed to have a good Belgian beer selection, but I did not try any.

European

Hey, it's a region and I haven't had enough of any type to give it their own space. Pizza, even if Italian, has its own post.

Cava Mezze - A very good Greek place on 8th Street in Eastern Market. I had a rushed meal so I only got four non-meat mezze, but everything was spectacular, as was my cherry mojito. See full review HERE.

Granville Moore's - good Belgian beer selection, good burgers, haven't tried other food. A bit pricey for what it is.

Brasserie Beck - good beer selection, quite good food. We had clams and something else. The cheese tray was pretty good too.

Belga Cafe - I had mussels here during mussels week. It wasn't bad, but it was disappointing after the good things I had heard. See full review HERE

Pines of Florence - Old Town: a bit shabby inside, but food was good, cheap, and generous portions. Italian.

Old Europe - The food here didn't seem exciting or exotic, but it was very good. It really stuck to your ribs (filled you up without being huge). You can order liters of good German beer too, but it's not really a bar. The decor was tacky, but that's pretty much German as far as I can tell. German. Cathedral.

Yanni's Greek Taverna - It's been over two years since I ate here, but I clearly remember that I came away unimpressed. It was by no means bad, but it was unimpressive. Even my beloved Saganaki (flaming cheese) was unimpressive (other than the flaming spectacle part). Cleveland Park