Blue Duck Tavern, in the Park Hyatt, West End - Chef Daniel Hoefler the Latest in an Ever-Growing List

[mr food]

We had a nice time last night. We were seated at the chef's table which was excellent as we were doing a wine dinner and there was plenty of room for our bottles. Service was also excellent and they provided as many stems as we needed for the bottles of 89 and 90 Bordeaux we were drinking. I wish I could say the food was top tier but it just wasn't. Nothing was bad but nothing was truly compelling, IMO. Portions were large and not overly priced. I had the signature duck which was properly cooked but just not that flavorful especially the confit. Unfortunately, they had had an oven fire the previous saturday and the marrow was not available. Bryan came out towards the end of the meal and we gave him a glass of 89 L'Angelus which he seemed to enjoy ( I certainly enjoyed my glass). The entrees were served family style so we all could share which was fine with us. The foie gras terrine received mixed reviews, attractive presentation but again not that melt in your mouth consistency-they use Hudson Valley/River? foie gras in this dish like so many other restaurants The various sides were ok (mashed, spinach, and leeks which were slightly overcooked). I ordered the apple pie which was hohum-fresh ingrediants but again timidly spiced-the large portion is enough for three or four people. We all enjoyed walking around the busy kitchen and all the employees were very cordial and welcoming. In BD's defense the menu was very new so I predict the food will pick up after a week or two. We'll get back there at some point at least for the marrow.

[bilrus]

We had a nice time last night. We were seated at the chef's table

This is a nice room - my compnay had our Christmas dinner there. Separated enough from the rest of the the restaurant that it doesn't have the noise issues I remembered from the main dining room.

[FunnyJohn]

So I guess the kitchen fire that occured there the other day has not affected things. I heard last Friday that they were only able to serve things that did not require cooking.

[rbh]

I was here with my gf on valentine's day. concur on the apple pie - very very good. the duck and cod were quite good - not earth-shattering great, but well done. the sides of leeks and corn grits left something to be desired... I think I'd be more enthusiastic if they had summer vegetables to work with... which I tend to like much better. we were seated along the windows - which was pretty quiet - you don't get a view of the kitchen... but if you want conversation, it was much better. service was very attentive and professional w/o hovering. especially for one of the busiest nights of the year.

[silentbob]

I won't say the dinner that my friends and I had here was bad (because it wasn't) but for what we'd spent, I'd rather go elsewhere.

On the one hand, some of the dishes we tried were as good as advertised. Like the marrow. Oh, how I love marrow. I also enjoyed the succulence of the Berkshire pork chop (and its sauce).

The veal pot pie, on the other hand, was a bit too salty (and I like salt). The glazed carrots were a skimpy in portion and glaze. The fries, which I had really looked forward to, were not at all crispy and there were so few of them!

I did like their homemade ice cream though. About comparable to Moorenko's (i.e., as good as it gets around here).

IMO, too many misses, not enough hits.

[KeithA]

Last night for my birthday, my wife and best friend took me to Blue Duck Tavern, which I had been really excited to try for the first time (we hadn't been back since it was Melrose) and it did not disappoint. Unlike some other comments here, we had mostly hits and only a few misses.

Service was laid back - a little too much for my taste, they didn't rush us at all, but they also left us holding our jackets for 5 minutes while they "checked on our table" instead of offering to check them, then seated us and promptly brought bread and butter, but no menus or anything to drink. Also, unlike many people who dislike the sometimes lengthy explanations of "different" menus, I would have preferred the explanation that the menu was a la carte (i.e. no sides at all, dishes served family style) when we got our menus instead of mid way through ordering. Overall though the service was good, there was just several of these minor snafus (plus the hint of a hard sell/"it's a steal" for a pricier bottle from the sommelier, who was still very helpful). Nuff said though, onto the food.

We started with the Boston lettuce salad, spiced pumpkin bisque, and pot of smoked trout. The salad consists of big leaves of lettuces studded with bits of nuts and a light dousing of hearty mustard vinagrette. I liked it, but I like strong flavors - this one is only for those who like strong nut flavors. The bisque was great - creamy with a strong ginger flavor that went well with the pumpkin base. We all enjoyed the smoked trout, which as my friend said was "the best whitefish salad I've ever had." It is a small, but deceptively deep terrine of nicely salted fish with a layer of mustard sauce on top and some fish roe to cut the flavors. It is a pretty large portion, easily enough for a table of four to share. The only complaint is it is served with these super frail seasoned bread crisps that easily break when you try to spoon some of the trout on it. We resorted to slathering it on the bread from the bread basket, which worked better.

For mains we had the beef "long rib", venison sausage, and whole roasted seam bream. The fish was good, but nothing special - typical flaky white fish with citrus and herbs preparation. The long rib was great - falling apart richly flavored beef with a thick savory sauce contain bits of what appeared to be carrot. The presentation is nice too - a terrine with a big flintstone-like bone sticking out with the meat lying atop the rib, but not attached with a pool of the sauce below ready for spooning over the meat. The venison sausage was my favorite - it is 2 big moist tasty, but not too gamey sausages served with german accents of not very sweet sauerkraut, an earthy sauce and a small pot of grain mustard to spread on it. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was great.

For sides, we had the sweet potato grits (the best), pot of chanterreles (very good), and braised leeks (only big miss - too tough to cut with a knife and not very tasty).

For dessert, we had the caramel goat cheesecake with cranberry sauce (nice, different, but not my cup of tea - I'll stick to regular cream cheese style cheesecake) and the apple pie. The apple pie was PERFECT - so much so I sought out one of the pastry chefs to compliment her. Like other said it is a big deep dish - easily a full size dessert for 3-4 people and I thought just the right amount of spice, flaky crust, and not too tart, not too sweet apples. We got it a la mode with vanilla ice cream which came served in a chilled dish on the side and was not necessary at all and nothing special on its own.

Overall a very nice birthday feast - can't wait to go back.

[plunk]

What is the bar like at BDT? We'll be in the area and may want to meet some friends for drinks here. Would Circle Bistro be better?

[Capital Icebox]

What is the bar like at BDT? We'll be in the area and may want to meet some friends for drinks here. Would Circle Bistro be better?

Depends how long you want to wait for your drinks. CB has good happy hour deals and the drinks are a little cheaper, but the service is far better and more efficient at BDT. Also keep in mind that CB is a dimly-lit, modern lounge -- a warm, small, space, while BDT is much brighter and you are surrounded by glass panels and cathedral ceilings, the sort of place where you would take a client. Maybe Westend Bistro as a third option?

[wdcbrucefan]

First time to Blue Duck Tavern, and we thought we'd go for Restaurant Week. Arrived to find it wasn't participating, but that's our fault for not checking. Whatever, not a problem.

Initially seated at a table that kinda hung off the dining area, and felt a bit "left out" there. Didn't receive a wine list either. Asked for that, then asked to move to a table that had just freed up. Staff was smooth to move us, and did so with no problem.

Appetizer: Alaskan king crab mac & cheese: Superb, cheesy, crabby with big and small chunks & strips. (Note though: Since we only ordered 1 app, waiter asked if we wanted the single app portion or the double entree portion to split. We took the single, which very large and more than enough to split and still feel like we were over eating. If there really is a double entree portion, it could easily suffice for 2 entrees!) The dish was superb, and its a different riff on the lobster mac & cheeses that have cropped up around (Zola, etc.)

Entrees: I had the duck breast with medjool date compote. Its actually a full sliced breast and a leg. The breast slices -- with their beautiful outer coating and nice layer of fat -- are to die for. Cooked to a perfect medium rare (or less), combined with the dates, was great. And the leg just falls off the bone. And the stuffed quail recommended by the chef (chestnuts, prosciutto, etc. stuffing) was really excellent too. It also had a date compote squirt, although it had a very different taste to it in the different sauce... We had a bet that it was not date, because tasting them side by side showed a lot of differences, but waiter said it too was date.

Sides: Sweet potato grits were creamy and tasty, but were far too overpowering to go with the duck. I shoulda thought of that, and I mentioned to waiter so he could suggest an alternative in the future. The chanterelle mushrooms were good, but a bit more spongy than we usually get. Both portions were far too big to finish, despite our best efforts or desires.

Portions: Items are a la carte & served family style (each entree comes in a skillet). Waiter said sides are sized for an individual, however, they are really quite large. 1 side or veggie per person is more than enough to share for 2 or more people.

Service was hot & cold throughout the meal. The 2 waiters were always pleasant and well informed when they were at the table. But they didn't appear when you'd expect (ordering initial drinks, for example) but became a bit too frequent when we didn't want it (like when we had dessert menus, plus a glass of wine each to finish... asked him to give us more time a couple times.... Note that they weren't rushing us, as our reservation was for 8:30 and they weren't looking to just turn the table over). Waiters were knowledgeable of the menu and definitely friendly. While the staff looked to be significant, perhaps 1-2 additional floor staff are warranted. Each table seems to be assigned 2 waiters.

One staff member lead me thru the pasty kitchen to find the bathroom & upon trying to retrace my steps to return, I was stuck on the blind side of a panel door that isn't marked, doesn't open & isn't intended for customer use. Someone finally opened it from inside, and she was surprised to find me there, looking lost. It was a funny experience, and enjoyable for having gotten an up close look at the goodies. (I later realized you get the same view from the entry walkway, but I guess I was asleep walking thru on the way in.)

Dessert: Carmel cheesecake with pears and raspberry sauce was a nice ending. I thought the pears were too hard, but she enjoyed them very much.

Wine list: Very lengthy. The "selections" in front is a short list to focus you (with a couple $35 bottle), but they have a full regional breakdown also, and plenty of bottles starting at around $55, and the prices were wide ranging and decent.

Prices: Overall, fairly priced items. Espresso & other coffees start at $6, which felt excessive though. Desserts at $7 was great for the excellent pastry chef's options.

Bottom Lines:

* Wait staff have eyes far too big for their stomachs.... diners would be grossly obese if they believed their descriptions of portion sizes

* Definitely will return... maybe for next Restaurant Week...

[KeithA]

Great lunch at BDT today. I had a bite of the green lettuce and walnut salad which had a very nice nutty, mustard-based vinagrette on it. For main I had the very good braised beef rib - which is essentially very tender steak. It could have been a bit more fork tender, but once you splashed it with the steak sauce it was plenty moist and flavorful. Also shared the excellent and rather filling goat cheese grits and the very good mixed mushroom side which had what looked like a few big porciinis, morels, and another type with very skinny stems and a small button on the end. Both went very good with the beef, especially the mushroom which became even better with a drizzle of the steak sauce. The last side we had was the white asparagus with almonds which was pretty good - a good lighter flavor after all the heavy, earthiness of the other dishes I had. Other had and enjoyed the scallops which look large and nicely sauteed and the veggie gnocchi with an egg and what looked like morel mushrooms. For dessert we shared an apple pie which is wonderful - just the right amount of spice, not to thick crust (although not really flaky for those that like that kind) and tasty apples and some vanilla bean ice cream. Overall everyone raved about the meal. Service was pretty good except toward the end of the meal all of the wait staff disappeared as our lunch extended a little later than the typical lunch hour - which wasn't so bad except for a few waits, but my one gripe is I was left with nothing to drink, just an empty water glass for most of our dessert till I snagged a waiter for a refill. If not for these minor service problems, a perfect meal.

[ScotteeM]

Five quacks (out of five) for last night's dinner--my first, although my husband had been there previously. I'll let him comment on his meal separately.

I started with the bone marrow, which seemed huge when it was served--3 long halves of bone. Spread on the toasts with roasted garlic and shallots, it was rich but not overwhelming, and I managed to finish it, slowly, with a little help from my husband.

The Berkshire pork "rack" was enough for two hungry people! I brought about 2/3 of it home with me last night. It was perfectly roasted, moist, flavorful, and nicely seasoned. The sauce was nice, and the fruit with it (nectarines? peaches?) was a great complement (and I don't usually like fruit with my main course). The fries were almost as described above: large, crisp outside and soft inside, nicely seasoned, pretty presentation. But I didn't detect any difference that might suggest duck fat, as opposed to another frying medium. But maybe my palate was overworked in that department by the time I tasted them.

The merlot I had with my pork was a lovely match, thanks to our waiter.

I usually avoid chocolate deserts because the caffeine aggravates my insomnia, but I threw caution to the wind and had their hand-cranked chocolate ice cream with macadamias, and it was heavenly. Six dollars for an espresso (decaf) seems high, but it was a larger quantity in the demitasse than I've had elswhere recently, so I didn't mind.

The space is beautiful, blending modern decor with homey baskets of produce and shelves of canned pickles and veggies. I can see that it might get noisy when it is full, but was not a problem for our 5:45 pm reservation. I loved the bar space, too, and would love to go there for a cocktail and a bite sometime.

I know the restaurant is in a hotel, and as such welcomes hotel guests (tourists), but come on, people, you can do better than jeans and grubby tee-shirts. What kind of lesson are you teaching your children? If you're staying in the Park Hyatt, pack some slacks and a sportshirt, at least, for dinner.

[WWMeade]

An early dinner on Saturday evening:

The waited favored the scallops over the softshell as an appetizer and the advice paid off. More often than not I have been disappointed by scallop preparations, the flavor muted or lost. Three large diver scallops had wonderful flavor and terrific caramelization on top, complemented with shaved fennel. The sommelier's recommendation of St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc was a very good choice. The duck--leg confit and sliced smoked breast (medium rare)--was very good. The French fries, about which I had read much, were not much more than ok, with underlying duck flavor accents, but I would not get them again in light of other options. While $10/glass as the lowest price wine was not cheap, I found the pours quite generous and hence redeeming. My pet peeve is the parsimonious pours at too many restaurants, so thank you Blue Duck for turning the tide. The airy space was very nice, the food portions sizable, and I look forward to the next visit.

[Waitman]

I know the restaurant is in a hotel, and as such welcomes hotel guests (tourists), but come on, people, you can do better than jeans and grubby tee-shirts. What kind of lesson are you teaching your children? If you're staying in the Park Hyatt, pack some slacks and a sportshirt, at least, for dinner.

A-men.

[KeithA]

Service was pretty good except toward the end of the meal all of the wait staff disappeared as our lunch extended a little later than the typical lunch hour - which wasn't so bad except for a few waits, but my one gripe is I was left with nothing to drink, just an empty water glass for most of our dessert till I snagged a waiter for a refill. If not for these minor service problems, a perfect meal.

I forgot to update my post from awhile ago. Very soon after I made the restaurant aware of this minor service problem (I did so through a means separate from this board and more as an informative note, then a big gripe seeking reparation), the manager called me and profusely apologized (which was not necessary and I told him so) and thanked me for letting him know of the service problem and proceeded to offer me an unsolicited freebie on my next visit. I point this out to show that BDT's management clearly takes service seriously and is seeking to avoid any future issues. Kudos to them for going above and beyond to leave this diner with all good feelings about the restaurant.

[ryant68]

BDT has been on my list of places to try for awhile. I used a friend visiting from out of town to go for dinner last night. The dinner started with a stumbling out of the gate, but ended well.

We had an 8:30 reservation and showed up 5 minutes early. The hostess told us the table wasn't ready yet and directed us t the bar to wait. We rolled with it, had a drink and waited for them to retrieve us. After 30 minutes I finally went back over to check in. It seemed pretty clear they had forgotten about us. The two people working the desk seemed frazzled. I had to remind them my name and reservation time. Luckily they had an open table at that point and we were seated.

In the first 5 minutes or so we were hit up by two different people about drink and/or wine orders. The waiter came over to explain the menu and inform us that any tomato dish was out for the evening. It is a market based restaurant, these things can happen, though I couldn't help but wonder if they had run out in the last 30 minutes. My friend and I looked over the menu and settled on some choices and I made a wine choice based on that. Ordered the wine from the other waiter, but then he came back to tell us that they were out of that choice. I asked a question about another wine. He came back with the wine, but did not have an answer to my question (which was a basic question about the kind/percentage of grapes in the wine). It seemed like something that if he didn't know, someone else should have been able to help him out. He opened the wine and then we waited for several more minutes until I flagged the waiter over to take our food order. While the staff seemed to disappear for stretches during the meal, they always seemed to be around to top off our wine glasses. My cynical side thought couldn't feel like drinking gets a higher priority than the food because the different margins. I realize this is a fact of life for restaurants, and I don't mind the markup on wine for that reason. But it shouldn't seem so obvious.

After that rough start, things got better. The waiter brought over a plate of shaved ham (though he only said something along the lines of "something while you wait" without saying what it was or where it came from. Tasted great and we gobbled it up.)

For apps, we split an order of the bone marrow which was a huge portion. I thought the flavor was a little weak, but I was comparing it to a smaller cut with a very intense beef flavor that I had last year. The whole roasted garlic tasted really good when spread on the bread. In retrospect I wish I could have just ordered the garlic and bread.

My friend got the braised beef for her main course. The sauce was rich and tasty. The beef was done well, with that almost falling apart texture. I got the duck, which is really two different pieces. One was a leg confit that was very good - not too greasy, the herbs adding complexity. And the breast was tender and pure in flavor. It doesn't come with a sauce, but I thought this worked well allowing the natural flavor to shine through. We got a side of brocolli that was good but nothing memorable.

For sweets my friend got the peanut butter/banana ice cream and chocolate sauce on the side. The sauce was just bitter enough to pack a punch, and was divine with the ice cream. I got the goat cheese custard. It was decadent and tasted great, but I thought it was a little too custard and not enough goat cheese in the flavor. But it was a large portion and I ate the whole thing. The waiter also managed to redeem the earlier service missteps. When he brought the ice cream he forgot the sauce. A couple minutes later we flagged him down and he went to get the sauce. When he came back he brought a fresh serving of the ice cream because the first one had started to melt.

The bottom line was the food was very good, but I'm not sure it was worth the price. For those kind of prices I expect the whole experience to be enjoyable. I can cross BDT off my places that I haven't been to, but I won't be adding to places where I'm eager to return.

[edenman]

Enjoyable lunch at the bar here yesterday. Had called ahead to check on sweetbreads, which were sadly not available. However, since everywhere else I felt like going was closed, we ended up here anyway. Smoked Mackerel Terrine ($12) was very nice, but too large a portion for the 3 pieces of toast it came with. Defaulted to the free bread for soaking up the not-overwhelmingly-smoky fish and creme fraiche layer on top. Half Roast Chicken ($19) was less of a hit: good flavor, but soggy skin. I'd go back, but I'm not sure I'll rush back unless someone else is paying: the booze in particular seemed pretty steep, but I guess it's probably on par with other upscale bar/resto locations in DC hotels.

[ruslev]

Went last night and had a great dinner. The lamb shank was excellent. The table really enjoyed the duck. There were some interesting starters: pumpkin custard that was most unusual but everyone really liked. The mackerel starter was very flavorful. The sides: grits with gorganzola, beans with rabbit confit and of course the fries were great. Everyone enjoyed the meal, but if you do not like smokiness in food or lots of game-like confits, it may not be your thing. I have been there 3 times now and the food has been great.

[edenman]

Dinner for a friend's birthday here tonight. Hits were the side of beans with rabbit confit (proportions were ridiculously in favor of the rabbit confit, which was fine by me, and the flavor was thus outstandingly rich) and the braised beef rib entree. The rest was fairly middling: my veal liver was aggressively liverish (and I can take a fair bit of liver aggression), the scallops were good but not great, and the fries were underwhelming. Lamb shank earned a "hey, that's pretty tasty" mention. The side of grits with bleu cheese, on the other hand, were runny and lukewarm.

The booze continues to be almost egregiously expensive here, but not across the board. The cheapest glasses of wine (one red, one white) are both $9. A new infusion of American craft brews is welcome, but they are all $9, from Allagash White (seriously?) to Troegs Hopback Amber (great beer, but $9 is a bit steep) to Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA (the only one in the right range price-wise). The imported beers are cheaper, even Chimay "Rouge" for $8. Funny, when Marvin is charging $12 for the same bottle: somebody desperately needs to balance out BDT's booze prices if it's going to be worth a visit on a regular basis.

At least the menu is up-to-date on their website. I checked a few things out just now and it's literally the exact same dinner menu I looked at this evening. A major plus.

[ScotteeM]

Saturday night was our third visit this year to BDT, and our waiter welcomed us back like we were weekly regulars. He was delighted to inform us that the menu had just changed, with some exciting new choices. Roasted bone marrow is back! Veal liver has been replaced by veal kidney. We had a hard time narrowing down our order, and I decided to go with two "starters" in place of an entree. I also tried to select items I won't be able to enjoy when I start my gluten-free diet in a few weeks.

I didn't get to taste my husband's roasted beet salad, but he raved about how delicious it was as he ate every bite. It was beautifully presented and he said that the elements went well together.

The roasted bone marrow was seasoned with smoked paprika, which added another layer of flavor to the unctuous richness of the marrow. I couldn't decide if I preferred it on the toast smeared with roasted garlic or shallot. Each leant a different note to the flavor of the marrow.

Husband's roasted guinea hen was a remarkable dish. The breast was, well, roasted, and sliced on the plate. It looked nicely prepared and moist but didn't knock his socks off. The leg, however, had been shredded and mixed with some ham into a sort of roulade (sorry, I didn't write down the description), set on end and topped with a poached quail egg. That packed a lot of wow factor for my husband. I did get a taste of it, and it was a rich harmony of flavors.

I'm not usually into kidneys, but I couldn't resist the veal kidneys on the appetizer side of the menu. They were just cooked (a tiny bit of pink inside, and tasted like kidneys, but without the overpowering gaminess I'm used to in kidneys. Even husband tried a bite and liked it. It was served with an herb-y pan sauce that was quite tasty.

The mustard mac 'n' cheese, with duck confit and crumbs toasted in duck fat (!) was very rich but made a nice side with the kidneys and the guinea hen. The seasonal vegetable of the day was salsify, braised and sauteed and served in a light creamy sauce. Salsify quickly became my new favorite vegetable.

Yes, it was a very rich meal, but not overwhelmingly so. I found that I really liked the "family style" service, which facilitated sharing everything.

We couldn't leave without dessert, so we spit a serving of the seasonal house-made ice cream, which turned out to be black currant. I don't think I've ever had ice cream so good, except for the last time we had it at BDT. The decaf coffee I had with it was just perfect (Illy, probably brewed a cup at a time).

We headed home feeling sated but not stuffed, and very happy!

[qwertyy]

Anyone been to Blue Duck lately? I'm thinking of taking the tourists on a foray there tonight, but I've never been.

[dag556]

Anyone been to Blue Duck lately? I'm thinking of taking the tourists on a foray there tonight, but I've never been.

I took my husband here last night for his birthday, and we both really enjoyed our meals. I had the roast chicken, which was impossibly moist and delicious, and my husband had the guinea hen, which he contends is some of the best guinea hen he's ever tasted (I only tasted the leg roulade and not the breast, but the roulade was outstanding). The cocktails were also killer -- $15 price tag and all...

[qwertyy]

So I did make my first foray to Blue Duck with the family this week and can't believe I'd never been--and plan to rectify that for the future.

We shared the scallops and winter salad to start; the salad was nice--good but nothing terribly special--but the scallops were lovely, with a nice crust and gorgeously perfect center (some day I've GOT to figure out how restaurants do that).

The youngun had the spaetzle mustard "mac and cheese" with duck confit; she'd never had duck before and, while I was worried that I'd gone a step to far in helping her "branch out" culinarily, she cleaned her plate and LOVED it. (Yay!)

We also shared the crab cake (next to zero filler, but a little fishy tasting), house-made weisssurst with red cabbage and mustard (serious YUM), brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts (all excellent except the sort of flavorless chestnuts), and fries (double YUM).

Youngun finished with the apple pie, which is a total show-stopper. It's not a slice, but a full mini-pie, almost the size of a salad plate, topped with caramel, that they "carve" at the table. It's an excellent apple pie, and a great show to match.

The service was wonderful and gracious and welcoming, though I wish the waiter would have talked a little louder, especially after we kept responding, "Excuse me?"

Blue Duck is definitely going on my list for the future!

[DonRocks]

I normally don't publicize events, but I consider Allen Meadows (aka Burghound) to be a dear friend, and I'm more than happy to alert everyone to both the Friday-night tasting and the Saturday-night dinner, both of which are filling up quickly. Allen is widely considered to be the most knowledgeable Burgundy expert in the world (certainly outside of Burgundy proper). I'll be at the Friday tasting, and hope to meet some of you there. Here are the details:

Following the tasting last night, Blue Duck went all-out on a couple large dinners, and I was lucky enough to sit at the chef's table. From my perspective sitting at the end, looking down the large, communal table reminded me of just how much china and stemware a restaurant has to go through on a night like this. Three courses in name only, this was a family-style feast that makes me want to come back to Blue Duck soon. They were hopping-busy last night, and the staff (both kitchen and service) rose to the occasion on all counts. If anyone is looking for a high-energy dinner for around 12 people, where you'd be perfectly comfortable in a jacket and tie (but also want to loosen your tie during the plate-passing orgy and lighten up a bit), the chef's table at Blue Duck Tavern is a great choice.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[DanielK]

Dude, what did you EAT?!??!

[leleboo]

Dude, what did you EAT?!??!

No kidding; this is where we often take our clients and while most couldn't care less -- cardiologists, after all -- my committee chair (who's a serious foodie) likes it and next time I need to take full advantage of the expense account. Help a girl out?

[DonRocks]

The Obamas celebrated their 17th anniversary here last night (click).

Dude, what did you EAT?!??!

No kidding; this is where we often take our clients and while most couldn't care less -- cardiologists, after all -- my committee chair (who's a serious foodie) likes it and next time I need to take full advantage of the expense account. Help a girl out?

Following up on these questions, I was at the BurgHound wine dinner (part 1), and we had seemingly everything, brought out in multiple courses and passed around family style. Incidentally, I left the largest percentage tip I've ever left at a restaurant: 1,150,000%. (Yes, that's one million, one hundred fifty thousand percent.)

[Lola007]

I'm not surprised that the Obamas chose the Blue Duck Tavern for their anniversary dinner. It's such a solid, consistently good restaurant that it's become my go-to place with out-of-town guests (my parents love it), clients, and friends. I especially like the steak and beef entrees served family style and the apple pie a la mode (house-made vanilla ice cream). My vegetarian friends have also been pleased with the veggie dishes. Yet for some reason, I've never been wowed Blue Duck's sides (the potato dishes are especially bland). Last but certainly not least, the wine list is very good. I've had some excellent California Pinot Noir. I've also heard great things about BDT'S weekend brunch and am looking forward to trying it soon.

[stickmoon]

I find the family-style service a bit awkward. For example, my dining companion ordered a salad as an appetizer. It arrived beautifully composed, and was sat beside her. She had to clumsily fork-and-spoon it over to the plate she was supposed to eat it off. I mean, the family style works for the side dishes, but why take a nicely composed dish like a salad and then ask the customer to move it over to another plate? It's clearly not meant to share. Also, one person in my party of four got an appetizer (the sweetbreads) set right before him, not served family style.

[leleboo]

Smoked sturgeon rillettes were like the whitefish salad of my youth cranked up to eleven. I half wanted to cancel the rest of my order and dive into these with a massive spoon. (Good thing I didn't; the veal cheeks were meltingly tender and perfectly sauced, and I managed to get a finicky cardiologist to try the swiss chard pie, after telling him, "It's kind of vaguely like spinach. Really. Taste it.")

Seriously, though, can I go back and have the rillettes again right now?

*This adventure was made only funnier by the fact that I was not only dining with a cardiologist, but also ran into several others in the dining room and bar, including the current president of the AHA. Then again, they're all in town for a meeting, staying at the Park Hyatt. Didn't make it any less amusing to see all the orders of fries and mashed potatoes ...

[Lola007]

I find the family-style service a bit awkward. For example, my dining companion ordered a salad as an appetizer. It arrived beautifully composed, and was sat beside her. She had to clumsily fork-and-spoon it over to the plate she was supposed to eat it off. I mean, the family style works for the side dishes, but why take a nicely composed dish like a salad and then ask the customer to move it over to another plate? It's clearly not meant to share. Also, one person in my party of four got an appetizer (the sweetbreads) set right before him, not served family style.

I know what you mean. Every dinner entree and side dish that my dining companions and I have ordered have been served family style. I haven't had salads there, but I agree it would be odd to have an appetizer salad served that way. BDT should do something about this. I know that some people hesitate going there for business dinners precisely because they don't feel comfortable with the family style presentation of dishes. I myself am a fan of BDT's food and ambiance, but think they should look into the issue.

[goodeats]

Here are a few ideas. Blue Duck Tavern's website says they're open daily for breakfast at 6:30 am

Many thanks to cheezepowder's recommendation, as this morning's breakfast by the huge panel windows fit the bill for my friend and I to feel grown-up and elegant; not to mention a bit more serene, as there were no little tykes to tug at our sleeves as we daintily sipped our water and juice (I did not see a cocktail list, so I don't think one was available; however, many detox/health juice options were available). My friend's Low-fat yogurt, granola and fruit ($13) was some of the best granola I have had. The yogurt was not too heavy and everything complimented well. I enjoyed my Belgian waffle, with honey, glazed pecans with whipped cream ($14) and was delighted by the extra touch of personal, mini-bottles of warm maple syrup that accompanied the dish. Service was leisurely, which is nice when you are trying to catch up with an out-of-town friend.

[achrist]

I had another really great dining experience at Blue Duck. Sunday Brunch. It's a professionals brunch for sure and expensive if you are thirsty but worth it for a treat. Great service, good food and it feels good.

[DPop]

My friend's Low-fat yogurt, granola and fruit ($13) was some of the best granola I have had.

Yikes, I would hope it was that great at that price. Were there gold flakes or white truffles sprinkled on there as well?

[qwertyy]

Has anyone had dinner there recently? I planned on making reservations at Corduroy, but one of the out-of-towners asked specifically about going to Blue Duck.

[deangold]

My recent meal at the chef's table included some outstanding items....

Bone Marrow

Leg of Lamb

Grilled local lettuce

cheeses

Prawns

Asparagus

Sweetbreads

Surprisingly the disappointment of the night was the duck fat fried which were mealy and dry.

[JAZ]

Blue Duck has still got it, been there for dinner and brunch-with-the-in-laws in the past 3 months. Still making delicious, seasonal, rustic dishes that are extremely rich and somewhat pricey--with occasionally spotty service.

[yfunk3]

Has anyone been to their Restaurant Week lunch yet? I'm going this Friday, but just wanted to see if they were serving drastically smaller portions or inferior quality or what-have-you.

I'm sort of excited. The person I'm dining with is REALLY excited about the bone marrow!

[William Washington]

Has anyone been to their Restaurant Week lunch yet? I'm going this Friday, but just wanted to see if they were serving drastically smaller portions or inferior quality or what-have-you.

I'm sort of excited. The person I'm dining with is REALLY excited about the bone marrow!

Hi I'm glad you'll be joining us for the RW promotion.

We are serving our full portions, and pretty much our full regular lunch menu (with the exception of our crab cakes).

This being the first time we have participated we wanted to make it special so each diner gets a starter, entree, side dish and dessert; from what I've seen its the best deal in the city ( admittedly I might be a little biased).

FYI we are sold out for our remaining reservations, and serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays which is not part of the RW and will be served at our regular prices.

[Toogs]

I'm sort of excited. The person I'm dining with is REALLY excited about the bone marrow!

their marrow was meh. fine, but nothing special. I had a stuffed quail dish that was superb though. This was a couple years ago, it's not on the menu any more. I love the look of the place. Get a table by the kitchen if watching is your thing.

[astrid]

You're in for a treat. I had RW lunch there yesterday and it was basically a dream RW experience, the sort of experience that makes me wish I could afford to eat there regularly. It's definitely made my list of special occasion places.

We had the beef rib and duck confit, both were perfectly cooked, tasty, and were huge portions. I liked the marrow app I got, it went great with the garlic confit. The scallop app my dining partner got was great too. The service and setting were also great.

[yfunk3]

You're in for a treat. I had RW lunch there yesterday and it was basically a dream RW experience, the sort of experience that makes me wish I could afford to eat there regularly. It's definitely made my list of special occasion places.

We had the beef rib and duck confit, both were perfectly cooked, tasty, and were huge portions. I liked the marrow app I got, it went great with the garlic confit. The scallop app my dining partner got was great too. The service and setting were also great.

Ha! You got the same exact items that my dining partner and I had my eyes on! Good to know that this is something to get excited about.

Incidentally, is there a dress code? I want to know if I should go business casual or a bit more dressy...

[William Washington]

Ha! You got the same exact items that my dining partner and I had my eyes on! Good to know that this is something to get excited about.

Incidentally, is there a dress code? I want to know if I should go business casual or a bit more dressy...

Shirt and shoes required.

Seriously BDT has no dress code and most guest are in business casual attire, but we see everything from blue jeans to black tie; as long as your comfortable we are happy to have you

WW

[yfunk3]

Sorry for the delayed RW review of BDT, but I was away for the weekend...

Anyway, had a great lunch there Friday! To start, I had the corn soup and my sister had the bone marrow. The soup was served cold and it wasn't sweet corn, but it was delicious nonetheless. An interesting summer soup that's not your typical gazpacho or melon concoction. The bone marrow starter was three BIG bone halves with a whole bulb of roasted garlic. I'm not a bone marrow fan, but my sister loved it.

For entrees, I got the braised beef rib and my sis got the escolar (butterfish). Both were great. At first I thought the braised beef rib portion was sort of small (two small pieces on a big bone), but there was plenty of the side (pureed potatoes with garlic) to fill me up. My sis got the fries, which were great as well.

Dessert: The in-house chocolate cinnamon ice cream and the key lime tart. The key lime tart was a bit too much for me (too tart and too sweet at the same time), but that may be because I was already 110% full and my brain was trying to tell me something. The first bite of the tart was great, though. And the ice cream was perfect: not too sweet and sugary, perfect balance of bittersweet chocolate and cinnamon without one overpowering the other.

Would definitely love to come back for dinner.

Thanks to wwashington and everyone for answering my questions, and thanks to everyone at BDT for great service and a great RW experience!

[petercarrjones]

Blue Duck was recently mentioned on the cooking channel for its "upscale brunch."

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/unique-eats/brunch/index.html

Now my sister is requesting we stop by during her visit. While I'd first think of Cashion's (I live in Columbia Heights), this seems to be a fine choice.

[DannyNoonan]

Met a friend at the bar at Blue Duck for drinks and light dinner and was pleased with the experience. I like the bar's quiet ambiance - quiet and refined. I typically hate bars in hotels but this one doesn't feel like that at all. I didn't indulge but I like the fact that they offer a bourbon tasting menu. If it wasn't a Tuesday evening, I would have tried it.

I drank two Peroni and ordered the beet salad and the Carolina shrimp. The salad featured several beet halves cooked until just tender, a few knobs of tangy goat cheese, and a melange of lightly dressed greens. Simple, light, and good. The shrimp were served room temperature in a bowl of broth that didn't seem to add alot to the dish other than a nice reddish hue. Not bad, just not notable either. The shrimp were cooked nicely - tender not rubbery - and had a nice slightly briny shrimp flavor. My buddy got the Kobe burger, which looked fairly enormous and he enjoyed it.

[DannyNoonan]

I had a nice lunch with colleagues at Blue Duck today.

I started with a salad of lightly dressed watercress, thinly sliced fennel, a wedge of robiolo cheese, and some (I think) candied pecans. The salad was quite good. The ingredients were high quality and left to stand on their own and they did nicely. Not a huge salad for $11 but it tasted good.

Crabcakes were next, on my wife's recommendation after her lunch here last week. I was not disappointed. They were not assertively seasoned so they tasted mostly of crab, as they should. Maybe a pinch of salt would have livened them up a little more but overall I admire the light touch applied. Served atop a light salad of frisee and maybe more fennel, they were a nice, light - albeit pricey - lunch. I think the market price ended up being $30 or so for 2 crabcakes.

[darkstar965]

BDT was one of the few upper tier spots in DC, in business for at least a few years, to which I'd never been. On at least two occasions, I'd had plans to go there but, each time, something else got in the way. Until last night.

I was taken here for a celebration and enjoyed it. Carrying the rating scale devised (way) upthread, I'd say four quacks (still out of five).

HEADLINE

Technically excellent in a vast, elegant and gorgeous venue. Competent service. Points for transparency!

VENUE

Didn't try to find the restrooms but might have had I read this thread before going. Sounds like quite the adventure. Loved the huge open kitchen we walked past on our way to our table. Wondering retrospectively where the "chef's table" is that Dean enjoyed a couple of years ago as I didn't see any tables or counter right up against or in the kitchen (may have just missed it). The seats and tables are comfortable and elegant. The hostess warned us that BDT, "as with all restaurants in DC is pretty noisy" (huh?) but we didn't think that at all. It was easy to carry on a conversation. Didn't check if TS complained about noise in his review whenever that was written.

SERVICE

Competent and friendly; a perfect match for the food. Our waiters couldn't have been nicer or more eager to please. That said, their knowledge of the menu was a bit limited and not quite up to the standard implied by the detailed information on the menu. A bit of a language issue made some questions/answers difficult to convey or understand but this was a small issue. Much more importantly, the service was very efficient and effective. The kitchen also delivered on service in a big way. We had a gluten-free diner with us and, having been notified ahead of time, the kitchen had literally marked up a menu with what was to be avoided, what would be fine to order and what could be slightly altered if desired to comply with GF requirements. Really appreciated that--very unusual in our experience.

FOOD

BDT isn't at the level of the city's best (i.e., Komi, Palena, Eve, Fiola, CityZen maybe) but, then again, I'm not sure that it's trying to be. It also isn't nearly as expensive as the city's best. I might compare it more categorically and qualitatively to something like the Source which runs a bit more expensive and is perhaps a bit more interesting. Nevertheless, most of the BDT food we ordered was very good and fairly priced. More specifically, we had:

- Roasted Beet Salad w/ Endive, Apples, Walnuts, Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese ($13/Path Valley, PA): Tragically, a friend who ordered this didn't like goat cheese but, nevertheless, I was able to try it and thought it excellent. Didn't get a sense of the apples and walnuts but the beets were excellent in both ingredient quality and preparation technique. Not chilled (call me a stickler but I like when "roasted beets" are at least warm). Not too firm or too soft. The endive looked as if it had been prepared a la kimchee (which might have been more interesting) but was just slightly stained from the beets. A simple but excellent salad.

- Middle Neck Clams w/ Pee Wee Potatoes, Artichokes, Olives, Lemons ($14/Chincoteague, MD): A great dish. I hadn't heard of "pee wee" potatoes before but, sure enough, a bona fide variety of fingerling. The clams were excellent, perfectly cooked and, though not clear from the menu description, the broth was fantastic! This reminded me of a light Portuguese seafood stew (without the sausage). It was served with some thin and perfectly toasted crostini slices for which I was very thankful since too much of that delicious broth would have gone to waste with just the clams. I asked the waiter what was in the broth besides some wine and lemon. He claimed nothing else (aside from herbs) but I thought that couldn't be right since it tasted mainly neither of wine nor lemon. Nevertheless, this was my favorite dish of the night.

- Whole Roasted Fish of the Day ($30/Congressional, MD): For our day, this was a "sea bass" (not sure exactly what kind, we asked but were just told it was "from the North Atlantic"--guess "Congressional, MD was the distributor but unclear). Like everything else, served on a silver platter. The (very) good: wonderfully fresh fish perfectly cooked. The clean, mild flavor really came through in large part due to the quality of the fish but also a bit because...The not as good: it really had virtually no seasoning save a bit of salt. My +1 who ordered this loved it. I really enjoyed it too but though a bit of seasoning (some herbs? some green onion? something?) would have just enhanced it all the more.

- Braised Beef Rib w/ House Made Steak Sauce ($24/Creekstone, KS): Our waiter strongly suggested this and I always enjoy a good rib (whether beef, pork, baby back, spare, short or what have you) so I ordered this and liked it. The house sauce was a red wine reduction that was still fairly thin but the beef was delicious, marbled and barely attached to the large bone which overhang the silver serving dish in which it was served. This was good as I'll take "falling off the bone" over 'fell off the bone' any day. I thought maybe something else with this might have been nice but was and am hard pressed to identify what that might be.

- Creamy Carolina Heirloom Gold Rice w/ Kabocha Squash, Chestnut, Aged Gouda ($10/Anson Mills, SC): Tasty but a tad disappointing. I thought the squash (a delicious but heavier and starchier vegetable) an odd pairing for a creamy, cheesy rice. Didn't really taste any chestnut though did see a few very small dark shavings of something I'd have thought a dark green had it not been for the menu. At it's essence, this is a moderately heavy creamed and cheesed rice. Too much for one person. Maybe perfect size for two. Just okay.

- Charred Farm Onions, Roasted Apple, Sage, Smoked Salt ($9/Path Valley, PA): Sounded much better than it was in actuality. The onions were nice and, indeed charred. Likewise, the apples were apparent as were, I think (?) some potatoes (or maybe the "potatoes" were the apples, peeled, but lacked any sweetness?). The ingredients on this dish were nice but, overall, the flavors very straightforward and almost muted. They didn't meld is probably the best way to put it.

VALUE

We felt BDT was very fairly priced for what it is. We didn't order dessert but were intrigued by one of the more interesting tea selections I've seen recently in a restaurant. They offer about 7 or 8 teas with two oolongs and one puh-er priced at or above $14 for an individual pot. No doubt these are of excellent quality but seemed a bit out of synch with the generally value-priced fine-dining menu.

BOTTOM LINE

For me, BDT isn't a place I'd prioritize for out of town guests. Nor would I make it part of a regular rotation. But, we did enjoy it and would go back. I was surprised to be missing stronger flavor profiles on several of the dishes as I really value simplicity and often am disappointed with chefs who, in the effort to be creative, go overboard and forget about taste. This was more on the less common other end of the spectrum with flavors too simple or plain at times. But, ingredients were all excellent with a few dishes that really stood out. I loved that they listed the source (or some location) next to all menu items (that's the transparency point as most restaurants still do not do this) but it became apparent that the staff couldn't answer many questions about ingredients or provenance even after checking with the kitchen. That's okay--still worlds ahead of 95% of other restaurants on this measure.

[Tujague]

Eater is reporting that Brian McBride is leaving Blue Duck Tavern and hooking up with Robert Wiedmaier. Wiedmaier is opening a new place in Bethesda, but will collaborate with McBride on another operation.

[napoleonva]

I've had dinner at Blue Duck before and enjoyed it. Brunch on the other hand was very expensive and not good at all. I ordered the fried chicken and waffles. The waffle was OK, but I didn't care for the syrup at all. You would think for $20 they could afford to give you a piece of white meat, but nope, you get a wing and a thigh. I also ordered the polenta with blue cheese for $9. It had the consistency of soup. I could have done a better job of cooking it. The fries cooked in duck fat where nothing to write home about. They were bland. So for $50 apiece I got what I would hardly call a great meal. Definitely won't be going back.

[Ericandblueboy]

Fries or grits are each $10!? I haven't been in awhile, and Tom's 3 star review had me looking at the menu again. I don't mind the $14 apps of sweetbread, lamb pizza, or marrow but the $10 sides are silly.