bistro d'oc

bistro d'oc
518 10th street NW (between e street & f street), washington, DC 20004
tel: 202) 393-5444

what was consumed: bread, mussels, sausage, tripe, anchovy salad ...

i've passed in front of ford's theatre on my way to/from landmark e street cinema (one of my favorite theatres here in DC) what feels like a hundred times, but i had never seen bistro d'oc. or maybe it's that i just never payed any attention to it ... so, when friends proposed having dinner there, i was curious to see what it had to offer. per usual, i did my internet search to see what was recommended, what other people thought, etc. the reviews were hopeful, but not stellar - too bad!

we walked in, having made reservations (note, there weren't very many people in the restaurant to begin with), but the host/server seemed to be confused that reservations were made at all (i found this rather odd ... or maybe they just never get reservations? i don't know). no matter - we were immediately seated and the hostess/server came to take our drink orders. while they didn't have a large selection of beers or wines (and they only have bottled sodas), they did have hoegarden, which i like. we were given menus; additionally, the server brought out a large white-board with the day's specials ... and this specials list was as long (or longer!) than the menu. i was happy to see mussels on the specials list, though, because i had read about them, but didn't see them on the regular menu.

anyway, we quickly ordered and waited for our food to come out, which it did in a timely fashion - total plus. the mussels i ordered were good, though not anywhere near the best that i've ever had (unfortunately). they were mostly creamy and could use a bit more seasoning (but again, these are just my opinions). of course, that didn't prevent me from sopping up the sauce/juice with bread (which was pretty good). the best part of the meal? the fries. i love fries, but these were really delicious! and all this despite the reviews that i had read about them. turns out, they're fried in palm oil (i think she said palm), bringing out a different flavor, a delicious flavor.

there seem to be quite a few french and belgian restaurants in the city. while i am glad to have visited bistro d'oc and try their cuisine, i have a feeling i'll select other options for future dining experiences. - sigh -

online: www.bistrodoc.com/