Within a few blocks of music venues and dollar stores, the just-opened Dr. Granville Moore’s Brickyard is a gastro-pub focused on Belgian-inspired mussels, frites, and 55 beers. Set in a dark, cramped space that used to be a doctor’s office (hence the name), Dr. Granville Moore’s is easy to miss. The front door even sticks a bit. Is it locked? Nope—all part of the extra effort it takes to get here.

Though a little shabby and gritty, the storefront appealed to proprietor Chris Surrusco, who last oversaw the beer selection at Alexandria’s Rustico. Most nights, he’s fixing drinks behind the bar, placing mussel orders with fishermen, or tweaking the menu with new executive chef Teddy Folkman, who has worked in such kitchens as Vermilion in Alexandria and the Reef in Adams Morgan. Folkman filled the role left vacant by original chef David Nugent, a former cook at Napa Valley’s exalted French Laundry.