DC Gastronome: Back to Brasserie Beck

On Friday I was lucky enough to get a few folks together to check out Brasserie Beck, for me as a second time. I was there on its third day of operation in April for a birthday dinner and had a wonderful experience, and was very pleased to be back. The bar was quite crowded, particularly for an evening in late August, but the crowd was bubbly and fun and the vibe was very positive. I ordered a glass of Melon Muscadet "Sur Lie" Domaine la Quilla, Sevre & Maine Loire. The taste was just slightly sweet but overall fresh and crisp. Perfect for a steamy night in late August. My Dad loves Belgian beers and was more than excited when he took a peek at Beck's really quite phenomenal beer list. He made a plan to sample several varieties over the course of the evening and to start with a lighter Saison. I had a taste and it was light and delicious and reminded me of a Hefeweizen with a bit of spice. I got a bit or coriander and orange peel on the nose. Really a nice choice. Others arrived and we were seated at a table toward the back of the space. I was a little disappointed we were not in view of one of the flat-screen tv's throughout the restaurant that showcase the food going out to the restaurant, but no worries. We started off with a bottle of the Muscadet and my Dad went on to order one fo the three Rocheforts on the menu. This was darker and much more full-bodied. Very delicious though. We ordered a dozen oysters and this evening got four each of Miyagi, Gold Creek and Kumamoto. The Gold Creeks were quite large and creamy - nice but I prefer small, briny oysters generally speaking. The Miyagis and Kumamotos were more to my liking and fresh and delicious. I ordered the Spinach Salad with Caramelized Shallots, Blue Tag Cheese and Mustard Vinaigrette. The salad is quite large and also has a nice amount of egg and bacon bits and the vinaigrette it is served with is beautifully light and mustardy. I also had some of the Curry and Apple Mussels which were delicious. Others ordered the Napoleon of Vine Ripe Tomato with Pipe Dream Goat Cheese and Scallion Balsamic Dressing. It looked beautiful, and note for vegetarians the salad comes with a slice of dried meat as a garnish. The Frissee Salad with Lardons, Poached Egg and Sherry Vinaigrette also got a good review. All in all great food and drink and a really nice newish venue I'd recommend popping by when you can for sure.