MIchael Donahue
Moondance Grill
Michael Donahue
Moondance Grill
Coinciding with a near full moon, Moondance Grill, a new Germantown restaurant, will open September 12th. Taking some liberties with Van Morrison’s lyrics, it should be a marvelous night for a “Moondance.”
But the restaurant, which will open at 11 a.m., will also serve lunch and dinner well before the moon rises.
“Cozy,” “warm,” with a “nice mellow vibe,” is how Tommy Peters describes the restaurant he and his wife, Liz, and the Beale Street Blues Co. are opening at 1730 Germantown Parkway. Tommy is president of Beale Street Blues Co., which owns Itta Bena, the restaurant above B. B. King’s Blues Club, and Lafayette’s Music Room in Overton Square.
Tommy’s description is right on the money. Throw in “classy,” too. The restaurant, which is decorated in brown and teal with lots of exposed brick, is elegant and casual at the same time. A painting above a fireplace in the bar area sums up the restaurant. The moonscape includes the Germantown water tower. There also are two people in the painting. “Liz and I dancing to ‘Moondance,’” Tommy says.
The restaurant, located in front of Germantown Performing Arts Center, was named in honor of Morrison, who is Tommy’s favorite artist. He’s seen him in concert 22 times.
Liz says she wanted the restaurant to be “a nice, social bar in Germantown and a place for people to have fun.” They didn’t want it to be formal or too casual, but somewhere in between, she says.
The expansive rectangular bar can seat 32 people, but there’s still an intimate feel. Same goes for the generous booths in one area and the tables in another. Moondance Grill is roomy, but, as Tommy says, cozy. And guests will probably hear “Moondance” played more than once on the digitally-operated Yamaha grand piano in the bar.
Joel LeMay, executive chef, will be in the open kitchen, preparing the fare, which includes pan-seared sand dab, shrimp and grits, grilled salmon, boneless braised short ribs, and some “Moondance”-themed items, including the “Moondance Club,” “Moondance Classic Burger,” and “The Moondance” — a salad made with mixed greens, ham, chicken, bacon, egg, cheddar jack cheese, tomatoes, corn, carrots, garlic roasted croutons, and honey mustard dressing.
Those who’ve eagerly awaited the opening of Moondance Grill will probably agree with another line in Morrison’s “Moondance”: “And I know now the time is just right.”
Michael Donahue
Moondance Grill
Michael Donahue
Moondance Grill
Michael Donahue
Liz and Tommy Peters at Moondance Grill
Michael Donahue
Moondance Grill
Michael Donahue
Moondance Grill executive chef Joel LeMay and Beale Street Blues Co. corporate chef Oscar Pena.
Michael Donahue
