After Shortage, Mussels Return to Granville Moore’s This Week

Chowda, mariniere and smoked chili mussels are expected to be back at Granville Moore’s on H Street NE this week after the favorites were in short supply because of a national shortage.

The Belgian gastropub should be serving mussels again on Wednesday, said Jeremy Kermisch, chef and co-owner 0f the restaurant at 1238 H St. NE. Since last Monday, Granville Moore’s only has had the bivalves on Thursday and Friday. The restaurant received 80 pounds of mussels for those two days as ice-covered East Coast waters made harvesting mussels difficult. Normally, Granville Moore’s goes through 600 pounds a week.

Business took a hit from the mussel shortage, Kermisch said, with about 25 percent of reservations cancelled. But it could have been worse.

“It didn’t hurt us as much as we thought it would,” Kermisch said.

The lack of mussels had a silver lining for Granville Moore’s, which opened in 2007. The shortage gave the restaurant a chance to showcase its pork chops and whole-roasted snapper, among other entrees.

“People are realizing Granville Moore’s is much more than mussels,” Kermisch said.

Photos via Granville Moore’s