Blue Duck Tavern :: 💡💡💡💡
For my inaugural restaurant review, I decided to see what all the
fuss was about behind the one Michelin star at Blue Duck Tavern. Back
when I had a desk job, I worked next door, and used to make reservations for my
managers there, but being an admin assistant I never got to go with them on the
company dime. I must say, I can see the appeal and now understand why my
bosses went back again and again.
Location: 💡💡💡💡
The Blue Duck Tavern is located at 1201 24th St, NW in the West
End neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Strangely enough, it is the hotel
restaurant for the Park Hyatt. I was initially confused as to why a hotel
restaurant, especially a Park Hyatt, would have such highly-rated cuisine.
While I'm not familiar with the history of the restaurant, for as long as
I have lived and worked in DC, it has been a place that locals and visitors
alike treasure. Unfortunately we can't give it the full five lightbulbs
for location, but that’s okay. This section is the least weighted on our scale.
The closest metro station is the Foggy Bottom stop on the Blue,
Orange and Silver Lines. It’s about a ten minute walk to The Blue Duck Tavern from there.
Our suggestion would be to grab a Lyft, as in the winter months, that is
a long, cold, and slightly uphill walk (and in the summer months, a long, sticky,
and still slightly uphill walk).
Ambiance: 💡💡💡💡💡
The first words that comes to mind when you walk in to the main
entry of the Blue Duck Tavern are “classic American.” The overall impression is slightly rustic, with wood chairs
and tables that look like they were inspired by Thomas
Moser;
the entire dining room feels cozy. With its open kitchen, you can see the
chefs working on their culinary creations right in front of you. Or, if
you'd prefer, you may request a table against their wall of windows. The
wine fridges are built into the walls and add an extra layer of sophistication
to the dining experience. The best part
about the Blue Duck Tavern for me, however, was in its simplicity. I
didn't feel the oppressive stuffiness that is usually accompanies a Michelin
star. I would have felt equally as comfortable in jeans and a collard
shirt as I would in in a full suit.
Service:💡💡💡💡💡
This is probably where I am the most judgmental. And I will
say, Blue Duck deserves all five lightbulbs here. I showed up fifteen
minutes before my reservation and they were able to accommodate me. Not
only that, but they offered me a choice of table by the kitchen or the window.
I requested they choose their favorite and I was seated at a quaint table
right along the service alley by the kitchen. I was able to watch the
chefs and runners create the dishes and serve to the half-full dining room.
My experience was probably helped by the fact I had a 1:15PM
reservation on a very cold January day. However, that would only help me
get my foot in the door. Once seated, the level of service only got
better. My server greeted me placing the wine menu on the table and
asking my choice of water (filtered tap, bottled flat or sparkling) within a
minute of me being seated. Her prompt attention created a great first
impression.
One of my biggest pet peeves is waiters who do not check in on the
table. I'm not saying they need to be there every two minutes, but I tend
to drink my water fast and hate having to flag someone down to get a refill.
That was never an issue at the Blue Duck Tavern. My server was
great at checking in at the right intervals, about once every 8-10 minutes.
She was also able to rattle off the non-menu specials (one of
which I ended up ordering) with no trouble. To top it off, and a lot of
people don't really care about this, she took my order without writing anything
down. If a waiter is ever in doubt of their ability to do this, I would
never ding them for having their handy note pad to write down the specifics of
an order, but when you get a skilled server who can keep track of everything
accurately without writing it down, to me, that is another sign of high
service. And yes, all of my food came out accurately!
Menu: 💡💡💡
I fully recognize that this is where my personal bias most comes
in to play. I admit I am not the most adventurous of eaters. The
menu at the Blue Duck Tavern is more on the gamier side than I was
anticipating. Only one appetizer sounded good (it was actually the
off-menu special my server let me know about). For those that would like something a little
more adventurous, they had dry aged beef tartar and bone marrow as options.
I settled on the potato soup. It was served uniquely.
The runner brought a dressed bowl, complete with a chive-sour cream and
pickled vegetables. I was unsure of the pickled vegetables, but when the
warm creamy soup was poured into the bowl and I took my first bite, I was
pleasantly surprised at how well the flavors worked together. It added a
much needed lightness to what would have otherwise been a heavy soup.
The cranberry walnut and white bread were also delicious. I may or may not have used used the white
bread, and by white bread I mean home made rustic French bread, to sop up some
of my soup (hint: I did).
For my entrée, I, again, was disappointed by the menu choices for
those less adventurous eaters. I
The burger, however, was quite tasty. It came out piping hot
and juicy. It was very salty, but in a good way. Unfortunately, it was
served on a wooden cutting board, so when the juices spilled, there was no lip
to catch them and prevent them from spilling on to the table.
Finally, for dessert, I chose to get the frozen banana parfait
with tempura fried marshmallow fluff and toast cream. The other options
on the menu looked interesting, but I as a single diner, was disappointed to
see that the most enticing treat was made to share: an apple pie for two.
I asked my server what her favorite dessert was, and she mentioned
she liked the banana parfait, which was already what I had been leaning
towards. After a quick ten minutes, the parfait arrived at my table.
My biggest concern with anything banana is that it can overpower
the other flavors with which it is mixed. However, this was an exquisite
juxtaposition of banana, marshmallow and peanut butter. To sweeten the
experience, the textures in the dish all played very well with one another.
There was the creamy custard of the parfait, the sweet stickiness of the
marshmallows, and the creamy smoothness of the peanut butter all danced off one
another. There were roasted candied peanuts added to the dish as well to
give it that little extra crunch. The dessert was my favorite course.
Price: 💡💡
Being a Michelin restaurant, I was expecting a hefty bill. I
was, however, disheartened to pay $75 for soup, a burger, two diet cokes and a
dessert, especially when each diet coke cost $5 each and was served out of a glass
bottle. In fairness to the Blue Duck Tavern, probably my biggest pet
peeves is when an any restaurant does not offer free refills for soda.
The markup on a 12oz bottle of diet coke is still pretty high at $2.50
for unlimited soda. There is no reason
to pay $5 per 12oz bottle. To make
matters worse, I probably wouldn’t have minded as much for the $5 soda if my burger didn’t cost $22.
There are plenty of other restaurants in DC that make better burgers for
less money.
That being said, if you aren't worried about your budget, are
culinarily adventurous, and want an excellent dining experience , I whole
heartedly recommend the Blue Duck Tavern.
Overall rating: 💡💡💡💡
Lunch Service on January 5, 2018
Lunch Service on January 5, 2018
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