by Cal Wilson ’14

Want a quiet, little place to take your significant other for a special Valentine’s Day dinner? Mannequin Pis, located at 18064 Georgia Avenue, in the same structure as Wasabi Zen, is a quaint, Belgian restaurant that is sure to provide a quality night of fine dining.

Speaking as someone who has traveled to Belgium, the restaurant does a nice job replicating the atmosphere of the owner’s home country, playing faint Belgian music paired with authentic food right down to the frites. Wine bottles, abstract art work and impressive awards of praise hang on the walls to give it that high end, romantic ambiance.

The arrangement is sure to make you and your date feel a little claustrophobic at first, with the small room and extremely limited amounts of space between tables, but the setup does indeed have its benefits. The close seating and small tables allows for intimate conversation without having to lean across the table or raise your voice.

If you happen to step into a crowded Mannequin Pis on a really busy night, as I was unfortunate enough to encounter, then the arrangement works to your disadvantage. The close tables and small room causes customers’ voices to mix, and you cannot help but overhear the conversation between the two strangers beside you. If seated with your back to the aisle, you will be constantly aware of waiters and waitress’s transporting food back and forth as they brush up against your back.

Skipping an appetizer, my date and I both went directly for entrees. A wide variety of mussel platters fills the menu: English, Hawaiian, Red Devil, Poulette. We ordered a serving of garlic pommes frites, and I decided to go along with a kilo of one of their more American looking mussel dishes: Pop eye. Perhaps the average teenager has never tried oysters or mussels, and Mannequin Pis is a safe place to try something adventurous. My partner ordered a Frisée salad, a secure choice for someone who does not want to be as daring. The food arrived at a reasonable time and was well worth the wait. The waiter brought us a dessert menu, and we both agreed to share a chocolate mousse. With our spoons in hand, we both finished our evening with a delicious chocolate treat.

The last thing to do, and probably the most important, was to pay. At such a fine establishment, one would think the bill would be steep, but to my surprise, a dinner for two was cheaper than expected, costing less than $60.

The Mannequin Pis is an establishment that could very well be considered the hidden gem of Olney. With good food, rapid service and a romantic atmosphere. Mannequin Pis is an ideal spot to take that special someone out for a romantic Valentine’s Day meal.