Cafe Du Parc -- DC's Best Moules Frites

DC has an abundance of restaurants that serve moules frites (mussels and french fries) in a variety of preparations. I've enjoyed the andouille sausage and the wild mushroom moules frites at Marvin, the curry and apple moules frites at Brasserie Beck, and the provencale moules frites at Bistro Du Coin. But for the very best, I always return to Cafe Du Parc.

Cafe Du Parc is a classic french bistro that will transport you to Paris. When the french-speaking hostess escorts you to a candlelit table on the tree-lined sidewalk, it is easy to forget you are in Washington DC. The menu serves a variety of french classics very well, especially their buttery french onion soup topped with a generous portion of creamy gruyere cheese -- it is the perfect soup for a cool fall or winter evening. Their wine list offers a lot of great french wines at reasonable prices. On our recent visit, we enjoyed a bottle of Chateau Coupe de Roses, Minervois -- an easy-drinking blend of syrah and grenache. It was the perfect compliment to the fall evening and my steaming bowl of mussels!

Cafe Du Parc prepares its mussels only one way - a la mariniere - with white wine, garlic, shallots, parsley and butter... lots of butter! As with most preparations, this one is truly all about the sauce, which is perfect for dipping a french fry, dunking some crusty baguette, or drinking with a spoon (okay, I haven't actually done that... yet!). The mussels are a nice medium size (not like the tiny ones at Marvin or the too-big ones I have had at Brasserie Beck) and cooked to perfection. I've had mussels prepared the same way (white wine, garlic, shallot, and butter) at many places, but the sauce at Cafe Du Parc is my favorite because the flavor of garlic is prominent, but not overpowering, and there is only enough white wine to cut the richness of the butter -- not so much that you can't taste the butter. As an accompaniment, the lightly salted french fries are super-crispy on the outside and soft on the inside -- and they taste delicious after they soak up some of the garlic and butter in the sauce. If you're a fan of moules frites, you will really enjoy these!

Cafe Du Parc is located at 15th and Pennsylvania Ave NW in the Willard Intercontinental hotel.