Marvin's - 2007 14th Street NW

My girlfriends family was in town this past weekend and I was put to task to find the restaurant for Friday night. I've eaten at Marvin before and was very pleased so I was pumped for round two. There were going to be 5 of us: myself, Danielle, her mom, her aunt, and her cousin. Danielle and I got there a little early and helped ourself to their very extensive beer list. The restaurant was running a little behind and we were offered some complimentary frites, but you can't jump the gun at a place like Marvin.

We were seated about 15 min after our rez, which is pretty normal for Friday night, and started with a very affordable bottle of sauvignon blanc. We decided to try a few of the appetizers while we browsed the rest of the menu...Shrimp and Grits (some had never had a "grit" haha), Goat Cheese Croquettes with Fig Vinaigrette, and Seared Sea Scallops with Braised leeks & beurre rouge. To be honest, if you wanted to just chill here and drink inexpensive wine while you try every appetizer they have you would NOT be disappointed. Seriously though, these apps were all fantastic and they each had a very distinct flavor. My favorite was probably the croquettes with the mix of stinky cheese and sweet vinaigrette.

Now for the entrees. We ordered the seared, pepper-crusted tuna, Maine lobster with mussels, clams, and shrimp, the special (smoked Foie Gras with field strawberries), and the roasted halibut. The standout was the Foie Gras. Although the portion was more on the app side, the salty liver fat with the strawberries was something I had never tasted before and it was a 5-star dish. The tuna. Umm I flip-flopped back and forth all night on the tuna. If it wasn't so damn fresh and seared perfectly I would have been pissed I was eating a block of pepper. I mean I LOVE spicy food, but this was pepperfest. The fresh spinach served with it acted as a nice break from the spice though. The halibut was also delicious and this dish is the "popular" one in most reviews. I didn't try too much of it, but what I had was delicious. The lobster waterzooi is a task to say the least. As Danielle's aunt put it, this is for people who want to fight their food. If you fight it though it is worth it. All of this goodness still paled in comparison to the Foie Gras. I could have eaten a bucket of it. Dessert included rice pudding and crepes. Marvin still get bullied for having weak dessert, but being more of a salt guy I dont really care...at all...about "great dessert".

Marvin is a great place to eat and enjoy yourself in an atmosphere that makes you feel like you are already at the party rather than eating before it. Try to get there early and enjoy the bar scene if you can since they have a deep beer menu. All in all I would give Marvin a low A for the menu and an A+ for value with all entrees being under 30 bucks.

Highlights: Service, Foie Gras, Cheaply priced wine

Lowlight: can't think of one of the top of my head.