A plate of mussels from Brasserie Beck. (Photo by Stacy Z. Goldberg)

Dish of the week: Mussels (and fries)

Where to get it: St. Arnold’s Mussel Bar, Belga Café, The Black Squirrel, Granville Moore’s, Brasserie Beck, The Sovereign, Black Jack

It took almost until November, but crisp autumn weather is finally settling in here in D.C. Along with the decreasing sunlight, it’s enough to start reaching for richer, warmer dishes that can raise spirits as winter looms. For a comforting bowl of food fit for the season, dig into a pile of fresh steamed mussels.

Mussels are big part of French and Belgian cooking, where the meaty bivalves are often served by the pot, swimming in fragrant sauces built around wine, herbs, and garlic. And most come with a side of thin and crispy fries (“frites,” if you’re in France) or crusty bread to add filling carbs to the meal and help sop up the flavorful broth.

Here in D.C., a handfull of Belgian-style pubs have perfected the classic “moules frites.” Granville Moore’s (1238 H St. NE) has long been the definitive tavern for enjoying the dish alongside a pint of local or European beer. The five varieties include the “Biere” with fennel, leek, mushroom, house-made sausage, and roasted garlic. Fries are separate, and come with dips like chipotle mayo, horseradish, pesto mayo, and curry.

If you are looking for maximum choice, head to St. Arnold’s Mussel Bar (3433 Connecticut Ave. NW and 1827 Jefferson Pl. NW). The cozy beer pub has more than 20 styles of mussels to pick from, each accompanied by fries and bread. Pots are $11 on Mondays at the Cleveland Park location, with fries a few dollars extra. Both locations have discounted mussel pots during their weekday happy hours.

At Brasserie Beck (1101 K St. NW), chef Robert Wiedmaier has developed five preparations featuring international ingredients like spicy red thai curry, veal bolognese, goat cheese, wild mushroom, and merguez sausage. They are available in half and whole portions.

The Sovereign (1206 Wisconsin Ave. NW) in Georgetown is known for its library of Belgian and Belgian-style beers and also serves several styles of what it calls “Dutch-style” mussels, sourced from a farmer in Bar Harbor, Maine.

For mussels without the tavern or beer vibe, try the new dish at the French-Asian Kyirisan (1924 8th St. NW), where chef Tim Ma is cooking them up with Asian sofrito, saffron coconut, pork belly, a Thai basil salad, and focaccia.

As far as seafood goes, mussels are an affordable luxury. They show up on several happy hour menus and weekly deals around the city. The Black Squirrel (2427 18th St. NW) offers half-priced ($7.50) mussels on Tuesdays with choices like pork belly and blue cheese or Spanish chorizo and sweet pepper.

Tuesday is also the day to visit Belga Café (514 8th St. SE) for $16.95 mussels and fries (regularly $22 to $26) cooked with everything from a decadent half lobster to a spicy calamari and jalapeno broth.

And some of the city’s very best mussels come out of the kitchen at Black Jack (1612 14th St. NW), and the spicy and garlicky dish is just $11 during happy hour (that includes 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and all day Sundays). Don’t be shy about asking for some extra grilled bread for dipping.

Previously on Dish Of The Week:
The (real) Wagyu Beef
Churros
A Roast Chicken For The Table
Eggs In Purgatory
Chirashi Sushi

Updated to reflect that Belga Café is in SE, not NE