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Categories: Bars, American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: West EndFoggy Bottom|GWU (Blue, Orange)
Mon-Sun. 6:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Mon-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
"Wow, this place was GOOOOOOOOD. Friends and I were looking for a place to eat for brunch in Georgetown since one of us was going to Jinx…" read more »
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Well it was good. Very good. The staff was on their toes, overfriendly, just as you would expect a high end restaurant to be. Eager to please, they are very careful and treat you like fragile glass.
The hostess were very nice, even if the restaurant was completely full on a Friday night, they really treated us like special guests !! (with a french : « happy birthday Monsieur » !)
Everything was great, nice restaurant with fantastic food, a modern feel and dark decor with amazing service that will make you glad you cam! Everything here is a la carte which is unique but lets you really have control of what you want to order. The waiter was helpful being that this was our first time dining with them and their unique way of ordering. The food was great. For my sweet tooth I got the apple pie...my kind of dessert ! Everything was wonderful and I would love to dine here again! Thank you : )
Everyone raved about the marrow, so we try to order two. The waiter kindly tells us that it's a big portion. We take his advice and order one only. Yes, the BONE is big, but the amount of marrow...not so much.
The restaurant is inside the Park Hyatt hotel. The ambiance is very cool yet there's a lot of warmth to it. The atmosphere and contemporary American food are both good reasons to go.
3.75 stars. While I have seen a number of reviews at Blue Duck Tavern focus on the bone marrow, the duck confit, the short ribs, and the crabcakes, I haven't seen a great deal of focus on any of the pastas at Chef McBride's restaurant conveniently located within the Hyatt Hotel in the West End neighborhood of DC. The omission is flagrant given that the Constant Bliss Agnolotti was a breathtaking amalgam of a pleasant seasonal cheese with bitter (artichoke), sweet (fig), and nutty (hazlenut) elements all adding depth to this decadent creation.
While a number of Yelpers suggest the crabcakes (and they are good), I would note that I found myself salivating for a single morsel of the duck confit and braised short ribs tabled adjacent to me. Having said that, anyone who claims that Old Ebbitt has mastered the art of making crabcakes no longer need to make a trip to Baltimore (almost any restaurant), Annapolis (Cantler's) or Alexandria (Restaurant Eve) to note the errors of their ways. A short trip to 24th and M will suffice to find a perfectly balanced (albeit miniscule) crab cake.
As I have often mentioned (much to the amazement of friends and Yelpers alike), I am not really a dessert person. Having said that, one would make an egregious error to avoid the undeniably rich in-house Snickers ice cream with chocolate cake.
Overall, Blue Duck Tavern has enticing food served in a slightly stuffy and lightly pretentious space. Yet despite these trivial concerns, the kitchen cannot be denied. This is a marvelous spot for dinner after a particularly trying work day.
I really wanted to like this place, but it was rather disappointing. The staff was over eager (I think I was asked about another latte 5 times--no joke). Even with so many waiters, there must have been a problem in the kitchen b/c it was a long wait to get our food. I had the sour dough baked pancake that was served in this giant pan. The flavor was bland and consistency odd. My friend had one of the quiches. The flavor was also bland and it was served at room temp. I ate two bites of the pancake and decided the table bread was better. I was not charged for my meal and did like the ambiance. Perhaps this is a better dinner location.
From the moment I walked through the giant, what seemed like 15 feet, doors of the BDT, I knew I was in for a treat. I'd been provided many recommendations here and therefore, I knew picking what to eat was going to be a difficult task. One might say that if the hardest part of your day is deciding between the Vitello Tonnato and the Bone Marrow appetizer, your day aint that hard!!
One thing to note is that this dinner was a special occasion - my birthday - and so nothing on the menu was off limits, it was acceptable to be extremely decadent with each and every course. Sorry, I got a little side tracked, back to the entrance. As you walk in, there are smaller tables to the left and in front of you an open station where it appears a pasty chef was molding and creating the magnificent deserts that would follow the truly delicious meal. We were escorted past the main dining room past the fully open kitchen to the outdoor patio area. Our table was next to the large fountain, and quite private.
And so it begins. We were greeted by our waitress, Jamie, who was immediately friendly and telling us BDT first-timers that all dishes are served family style on side plates (actually pots/pans) and that you can mix and match any courses. Hell, you could get 8 of the delectable side dishes they have.
I decided to order a cocktail - I tried to order a dark and stormy but was informed they did not have the ginger beer required for the drink. She recommended the mojito and she was not kidding about how good it was. It was sweet and sour, but nothing like a sour you might normally be accustomed to. My girlfriend ordered a plum cocktail, which came with plum slices and was not as sweet as I thought it might be.
For the appetizers, I wavered a bit, but in the end I ordered exactly what I was told to order and what I know I had to try - Bone Marrow. Let's talk for a moment about bone marrow. Most places that I have seen or eaten it, it was a small round bone to dip your steak into...not here. Three large split bones seasoned with paprika and (other spices im sure) a whole bulb, yes bulb, of garlic were served with toast points. The flavor was stunning, rich, a tad spicy, salty and scrumptious. I was immediately glad that I decided on this over the other choices.
Main course time. I had initially come here expecting myself to order the duck, after all, its in the name of the restaurant. However, after some deliberation and assistance from our waitress, I decided to order the "bbq" pork. What they really mean by BBQ is that they use the spices that would go into bbq, but its not bbq by any means -- more of a deconstructed sauce, more french than southern. Anyway, the pork was three parts, jowls, trotters and terrine. Honestly, other than the jowls, I don't have a clue what the rest of that stuff was. But guess what? Who cares! It was marvelous, succulent, flavorful, juicy, moist, *insert 10 more adjectives here*.
We must not forget the Constant Bliss Agnolloti that my girlfriend ordered, which, talk about decadent, were the most rich, yet tasty 'ravioli' I have ever had. To go with our already extravagant main dishes, we ordered a side of mushrooms and the BDT Triple fries, fried in duck fat. McDonalds, Cafe Belga, you name it, eat your heart out! Best.Fries.Ever. No contest, no question, don't even bother trying to argue. You and your fries will lose. The garlic mayo was a nice compliment, but i preferred the juices from my pork to act as the "dip."
O.K. So if the above meal didn't seem like enough food (don't worry, we didn't finish -- there are 3 containers of leftovers), it's time for dessert. I love pie, apple pie, blueberry pie, peach pie, you name it. Pie. So what did I get for dessert? You guessed it, PIE. Apple Pie. Not just a little slice. A freakin whole mini pie. After eating a bite I knew it was the best pie (except my mom's of course) I had ever tasted. Crust was soft yet flaky, the top was caramel coated and clearly was fired up with a torch. My girlfriend got a marscapone chocolate ice cream. My tiny taste nearly bumped me into a higher tax bracket -- it was that RICH.
The bottom line is that this place is one of the best restaurants in Washington D.C. and one of the best I have eaten, all time. From the great service, to one dish after another of perfection, there is nothing I can say about this place that isn't some form of high praise. I highly recommend it. Oh, and get the bone marrow, just do it.
4.5 stars. Bad news bears first--the much vaunted fries were a huge disappointment. I was expecting deliciously thin, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, super savory fries. Instead, they were the thick cut slab like things, undercooked, and without much flavor. Even though the portion was small--10 to 15? fries--my friend and I didn't finish it. The soap and lotion in the restrooms smell overpoweringly of strong Vol de Nuit--do not like.
The service:
Hover-y but exceptional. While I definitely had the feeling that we were being carefully observed (I was facing the dining room) and would signal my friend to lower her volume if we were being inappropriate (often) as someone walked by, the server definitely made an effort to be unobtrusive. As in, even though our server and other servers and the manager(?) were constantly making the rounds and making sure we were all happy, I saw a few times when our server started to approach us, realized we were deep in conversation, and stepped back.
Our server was great from the beginning, asking us if we had any questions, ably answering all our questions, and generally laying on the charm. I was coming down with a cold, so I asked him if they made hot toddies. Since he wasn't familiar with it, I told him the ingredients then asked that the bartender make one only if he had made them before. Lesson learned after asking bartenders who have no idea what mojitos are to make one based on my description. The bartender turned out a decent hot toddy, but it was comped for me anyways, which was nice. Our server was also really attentive in working with us to set the pacing of our meal and determine when we wanted each dish to appear.
The atmosphere:
Cozy, warmly lit, clean lines without fussiness. The very solid front doors are painfully heavy. The hostesses are elegant and European, and as a northerner, I much preferred being addressed as madam v. the ubiquitous ma'am I get in DC that makes me want to respond, I'm not 50, don't ma'am me. They were having a pretty slow night so it was nice and quiet for conversation but not so quiet you feel like you're in a museum and need to whisper. The bathrooms are gorgeous.
The food!
We had the bone marrow, which were three huge bones and a wonderfully flavorful roasted whole garlic clove. I enjoyed the marrow, which had a richer, fattier flavor than I'd been expecting. The soft roasted garlic was an amazing accompaniment, and I enjoyed just mixing the marrow with the garlic and eating it straight instead of spreading it on the nice toasted bread it came with.
The mignonette oysters were perfect; on the small side but plump, fresh, and the accompanying sauce was refreshing and let the flavor of the oysters shine through.
I love duck and crab cakes so it was hard to decide. But since our server told us the new menu would feature duck confit, which I love more than the braised duck currently on the menu, I decided to go with the crab cakes. I have to echo several yelpers and say I have never had better crab cakes. Small, but perfectly formed from almost 100% crab. As with the oysters, the flavor of the seafood was front and center, though I did like the tartar aioli on the side. Hmm I could have eaten them twice over.
We ended with the vanilla custard, which changed the way I feel about custards. Usually, I wouldn't eat a custard or flan unless it was going to be covered with delicious burnt sugar in a creme brulee. However, our server recommended this one and it far exceeded my expectations. The custard was well set and had a beautifully smooth texture. It was speckled with vanilla flecks, and the plum sauce and buttery crumble pieces worked so well with it. It was also a large enough portion to share with one or two other people. Along with our check, our server brought out chocolate embedded with pistachio and almonds--such a rich bite that I couldn't finish the small piece on top of the custard already in my stomach. He also brought out a parting present of a bag of pistachio almond cherry muffin cakes, which were delicate and moist.
I'll definitely be back for more crab cakes and to try the duck.
The restaurant is pretty small, with probably no more than 15 tables, and the decor has a casual elegance that asks a bit more of your appearance while avoiding the old-world stuffiness of other places. The kitchen is very much open, so much so that it actually seems like part of the dining room. Open kitchens are definitely trendy these days, but this one avoids all the cliches of being open for the sake of openness. It seems likely they did it because the restaurant would feel smaller with a closed kitchen, but in this case it works well. The kitchen is efficient, professional, subdued and far from a distraction. Should you choose not to pay attention to the cooks preparing meals, you won't notice they're there.
Warm Roasted Beets, Poached Hen Egg
Bayley Hazen Blue, Frisée and "Lardon"
Game Terrine with Foie Gras
Quince Jelly
Lamb Shank Braised in Stout
Gremolata
The food (my first 3 courses above) was surprisingly good. Going in, I expected a decent meal with nothing really impressing. While not all the dishes were home runs, most were pretty darn good. The portions seemed shockingly small at first but if you're doing the typical 3+ course meal, you won't likely finish all of them. (I think that says a lot about portion size conditioning in America.) My first and third courses were simply outstanding and had I gotten the bone marrow instead of the terrine for the second course, I think I would have gone 3 for 3. Our sides were baked endive, mashed potatoes and blue cheese grits; the latter two equally as delicious as my other winning courses. Desserts impressed everyone as much as any other dish, although I'd recommend sharing or getting 3 for 4 people.
The prices for mains were actually reasonable but I'm sure the margins are a lot higher on everything else, especially sides. After everything is said and done, expect to pay $80/head with 3+ courses and alcohol. All the courses were exceedingly rich, which I like in a nice meal, but you couldn't make a habit of eating there. Given the decor, the high level of service and good food, I'd recommend it as a date night, dinner for a special occasion or anything else where you're all dressed up and need somewhere to eat (hint: Kennedy Center is close).
Table of 4 with a reservation and we were seated pretty much on top of an AC vent. I had to put my coat on half way through the meal. It was just really really cold. Also, our server (for some reason) kept on calling his mom "honey" (yes, her husband was there) and saying ridiculous things like, "No, we don't normally have ketchup, but for you, honey, I'll get some." Also, at the beginning of our order, he specified that Chef would not tolerate many changes (e.g., dressing on the side was pushing it).
The food:
I started with the bone marrow appetizer (huge), which came with a head of roasted garlic, but none of the traditional parsley/shallot/caper salad thing (very useful for cutting the taste of the fat, but missing here).
For the main, I had the duck two ways. The breast was on the raw side of rare (but who is to argue with Chef and what he thinks you should eat?) and the leg confit was a overdone (definitely dried out).
For sides, we had the chard (there was no mention on the menu that it would come out as a thin slice of tart), the fries (which were recommended by the server, but frankly not good), and we did not get the vegetables because our server said that without the bacon (3 non-bacon eaters out of 4), the veggies weren't worth eating.
For dessert, I had the flaming chocolate cake, which was definitely worth getting. Mmm. I think it came with a semifreddo too (not mentioned) but I honestly can't remember if that was on my plate or someone else's plate.
Bottom line: This place is even snootier than Chez Panisse when it comes to "you will eat what the chef provides" -- and I don't think I like what the Chef provides, so I probably won't be going back.
You are delicious every time, BDT. The short rib is perfectly cooked, and the mashed potatoes are to die for. The water level in my glass never fell below 3/4 full, which was both nice and kind of annoying at the same time, but only because I constantly feel the need to say, "thank you." For his birthday, my husband had the duck. The menu said confit, but he thinks only the leg was made confit. The duck breast, though good, was not nearly as good as the leg. I think he should have had the short rib. You just cannot go wrong there.
They only get four stars because it is colder inside the restaurant than outside. It's not very comfortable, which is a big deal when you're paying so much for dinner. Please turn on the heat! I think the a/c made my food cold.
Best crab cakes ever. EVER. I can't emphasize that enough. And the drinks were phenomenal, especially the cucumber gin concoction. The bar scene had great lighting and ambience, and a mix of couples and creeper guys and...me, the 20something blonde by herself on business.
So although I adored the crab cakes and would return anytime to have more, I have to agree with those who were a little taken aback by the pricing (two smallish crab cakes, no sides, for $28). And the fact it is technically a hotel bar and restaurant means the crowd is somewhat mixed, and not necessarily in a good way.
Also, based on the other reviews I was hoping for a slightly larger menu. But no mascarpone ravioli -- or any pastas, for that matter -- or short ribs or marrow. Sad Claire.
But OMG, that cocktail and those all-lump meat crab cakes...I couldn't award anything BUT four stars.
A lovely dinner experience with, if you can get it, a great open kitchen experience.
They have a few tables so close to the open kitchen it's like eating at a chefs table. Fun! All the kitchen staff looked in sync and it was neat to watch food being prepared. Like Hell's Kitchen, only without the profanity and raw food.
The food selection was bigger than I expected this kind of fancy restaurant to have. Everything was listed with concerns to where the food came from and thanks given to the food providers. They have suitable options for vegetarians, but not vegans. (Oh, the marscapone ravioli!)
The drinks were varied, flavored. Had a delicious flight of honey brandys that made me wish I wrote what they were down.
My meal was a tad on the rich side - again, oh the marscapone ravioli! It had interesting mix of cheese, sweet, date and mystery herb. The portion size was appropriate filling for the dish, I was not left wanting.
The sides are huge. The toasted mushrooms had just the right amount of garlic hints, though big floppy mushrooms skeeve me out a little. I was assured by the other diners that they were delicious.
Overall, a wonderful dining experience worth the price.
I went here for a lunch meeting, and it was a perfect "ladies who lunch" place. We were fortunate enough to sit outside and enjoy the fountain and all the people-watching.
The staff were polite and accoomodating, but I found the prices to be a bit high, particularly since the menu is a la carte. Two crab cakes were $28. Now, granted, they were phenomenal crab cakes with virtually no breadcrumbs or whatever other restaurants use to pad their crab cakes, but $28 for two crab cakes for lunch is steep. No sides, no salads accompanied them.
I had the chicken salad. It was...exactly that. There was poached chicken next to a salad. It wasn't very exciting, and there wasn't much to it. It was very tasty, but it was also what I imagine is often ordered in a lot of LA restaurants: poached chicken breast and mixed greens with a couple of beets thrown in there for color.
Thankfully, we also ordered some of the most scrumptious fries this side of 14th Street. Thick, with crunchy outsides and warm soft innards, these fries were to die for. Perfectly seasoned and accompanied with a fantastic ailoi, these potatoes are a big reason I will return. Probably with someone else footing the bill, though. Speaking of the bill, upon receiving it, I utilized my father's excellent training and saw noted that we were charged for grits, which we hadn't ordered. After a brief discussion with our waiter (who seemed t have difficulty understanding what the issue was), it was corrected and we were brought a lovely little bag of rum raisin cookies to appease us. Cookies always appease me, so I was fine with that.
Oh, and while the decor is absolutely gorgeous and I loved the ladies room (private rooms complete with a sink), it was a veritable maze trying to get out and back onto the street.
Excellent meal, attentive service. Standouts included the roasted brace of quail appetizer, the poached quince, lettuces & herbs salad, the braised beef rib (one of the best beef dishes I've ever had, each chunk seemingly a perfect blend of beefy flavor and succulent fat) and the homemade snickers ice cream with caramel sauce. One weird note was the odd behavior of the sommelier. After I asked for assistance in choosing a wine, noting thay we preferred a pinot noir to go with my beef dish and my wife's fish, the sommelier produced a bottle and without showing it to me, opened it and offered a taste. I had to wonder what they would have done if I refused it. It was quite good and we accepted it. Strangely (for this business) it was one of the least expensive wines on the list. But how was he to know that I would have wanted that bottle? What I'm getting at is there was no communication. No options. No discussion at all. Turned out well but might not have. Then, we were charged for two bottles. Something I did not realize until later when I checked the online price list because I was not told of the bottle's price at the time it was offered. Management was responsive over the phone in promising to credit back to the card the bottle price plus tax. I look forward to a return visit.
Not much more to add to 174 reviews (and growing).
If you're in the area for a business lunch, I highly recommend it. Relaxing, airy and light atmosphere makes for a great break from business and meetings.
The food is as wonderful as everyone says, especially the dessert.
If you're trying to find it, look for the giant glass doors. I walked right past it twice!
Atmosphere and Service - both excellent - which is why they get two stars.
Here's the run down
Starter - Goat Cheese & Ricotta Dumplings / Blackened Heirloom Tomato & Cucumber Vinaigrette. Flavor was lost in a slurry of salt and oil.
1st Entree: "Beef Steak" Tomato Grilled Red Onion & Blue Cheese (vegetarian).
Entree was cold...
Big red tomato sans flavor (could of used some of the above slurry) the tomato was topped by a lonely fried onion and a minuscule plop of blue cheese.
I sent my food back.
Waiter returned with Constant Bliss Agnolloti, Artichoke, Date & Hazelnuts. Main ingredient - salt.
Dessert: Apple Pie. Made by gramma on Sunday and sat around until our Thursday visit. The crust was tough and stale and befriended a counter top for far too long.
But my beer... Ahhhh... My beer was really good...
To avoid the price shock, we went to their brunch on Sunday. We spent more than 2 hours enjoying their extraordinary food, in particular the ribs. Separated from the rib itself for easy eating, these cubes of meat do not need a knife, they are soft and bathed in a unfathomably tasty sauce. They are not on the menu anymore, but after requesting them, the chef made them ... that is service!
Any critique? The food and service was so good, we needed to find something wrong -- and we did: the hand-soap is the bathrooms is too smelly, it disturbs the scent of the food ... :)
Overall, this is probably the best brunch place in D.C.!
A lovely, serene and elegant restaurant, equally great for a business lunch or a romantic dinner. We dined there last week on a rainy and chilly day for lunch prior to a meeting at the Park Hyatt. Each of us had a bowl of the french onion soup (an elaborate version with the usual bread and cheese topping along with a puffy soufflé baked on top) and shared the sturgeon appetizer along with a cafe au lait. This was just the right amount of food for a light lunch and the bill ran just shy of 50 dollars. The presentation is impeccable and the service is spot on.
BDT is my wife and I's new favorite restaurant in DC. The steak marinated in bone marrow is excellent, especially with a side of steak fries. Service is top notch and the decor is very nice. The outdoor seating area is spacious and the mini fireplaces during the fall add a lot of warmth.
Went here for fathers day dinner and ate on the patio. I was impressed with the experience from beginning to end. ambience was modern and sophisticated but relaxing and every dish we ordered was delicious. this is definitely a place where you indulge. pricing is definitely fair and not overly expensive considering you leave full.
we ordered the following:
- oven roasted bone marrow w/country bread (id pass on this. i would have preferred that the portion was smaller being that its quite rich)
-roasted maine scallops (cant go wrong. scallops were big and juicy)
-roasted tavern steak - (cooked perfectly on an iron skillet)
-jumbo lump crab cakes (be in the mood for crab. lots of crab meat w/not much filler)
-young yorkshire pork terrine (a little dry but good flavor)
-cheddar heirloom grits (had a nice spicy kick but was very rich)
-baked rice w/homemade andouille (andouille was good but have had better sausage rice dishes)
-kohlrabi gratin (highly recommend)
-warm swiss chard, raisin, pinenut pie (must be a fan of raisins)
coming from LA i feel that a lot of the food in DC is a bit more heavy/hearty. this is a place to come for a special occasion.
3.5 stars
I enjoyed having dinner at the Blue Duck Tavern but I can't really say I'd hurry to come back. The open kitchen was neat and different and we lucked out with a table close by so we could watch the chefs at work. However, the rest of the set up felt scattered, with tables here and there. Initially, it took us a bit just to find someone to seat us because the large wooden doors were bolted shut. We found ourselves entering through the hotel and wandering through the restaurant in search of the hostess.
The cocktails were delicious, we tried the cherry blossom and the kiwi spritzer. A bit pricey though at $15 each.
We split the soft shell crab which was a bad beginning to the meal. I think the way to best describe it was "soggy" and it was entirely dependent on the remoulade sauce. I had just had a great soft shell crab the weekend before so the fresh comparison in my mind made this one seem even worse.
I had the Roasted Tavern Steak which was cooked very nicely and had lots of flavor. I also liked the cherry mustard marmalade it came with. My boyfriend had the Braised Beef Rib which was very good as well. We split the BDT Triple fries and I thought they were about average. A few were slightly undercooked.
For dessert we split the apple pie and, despite our waiter cautioning us that it was cooked for an individual, it was more than enough for two people. I asked if it was possible to have a scoop of vanilla ice cream with the pie and our waiter said yes, and then proceeded to give us the full five scoops at regular menu price. I didn't think it would be a problem to have just one scoop on an apple pie but apparently it's all or nothing. It would have been nice if the waiter had mentioned this. By this time we were pretty full so a good portion of the five scoops just sat and melted.
Overall, the entrees were very good but if I came back I'd try different appetizers and sides.
Blue Duck is not what I was expecting. Its place is light, hip, and modern--I was expecting a pub type, dark restaurant attached to a Hyatt Hotel.
Service staff is clearly well trained. Almost too service oriented so that we felt stifled by the attention and forced feeling of the service---example, no, I do not need an escorted tour to the ladies room. The service outfits for waiters are inappropriate--navy full suits for a guy that is trying to reach around and move plates/glasses???? I get the 'Blue' but scale it back to a practical outfit.
The crabcake is excellent--almost all crab and no filler. Very high quality. Other parts of the meal fell short--the sushi appetizer was bland (pickled watermelon was refreshing), the beet side dish was under cooked. Its clearly high quality food inputs, but the flavors and preparation fell short. For all the hype--I was expecting REALLY good food, which Blue Duck was not.
When entering the lounge I was held up by the secret service making way so the Dali Lama could go by. While waiting for my friends to arrive I had a drink in the lounge, their signature pear martini. It was wonderful. My friends arrived and we decided to have another drink, and I had the raspberry martini, which was even more wonderful than the pear martini. While enjoying my martini Richard Gere (the movie star) came in and sat down two chairs away from me. A great place for celeb. sightings.!!
The hostess was friendly and helpful and the wait staff were efficient. The food although good, was not great. They receive more points for presentation than taste. We had the bone marrow for an appetizer which made a great presentation, but not worth the fuss for the little taste of marrow you get. We had the tavern steak which was perfectly done, and for sides we had the chard also excellent but on the sweet side, the fries that were OK, (I don't understand what all the fuss about the fries is about) , and the polenta different from any polenta I have had in the past as this was soupy and runny. I don't know if the polenta I have had elsewhere was prepared correctly or not. The choices of sides were heavy on the carbs, not much green to choose from. I would have liked to order the pheasant, but it was for two and none of my dining companions were willing to go for it. Dessert was fun, we had the apple pie which was good but not as good as a scratch made homemade pie, the ice cream also good, the burbon chocolate flaming cake had a fun presentation, but tasted like warm brownie batter, and the peach blueberry crumble was forgetable. The coffee was excellent as was the tap water. I will return with a dining companion that is willing to go for the pheasant.
Top 10 Reasons to try the Blue Duck (when there are so many other great restaurants in DC):
1) Servers who know their stuff. Our server had great recommendations on the food, but he also doubled as wine sommelier: we asked for recommendations in the $50-$75/bottle range and he asked if we'd be open to trying something outside of the pinot noir varietal. We looked at him incredulously, because I was pretty sure that I wanted that Willamette Valley Pinot that I always look for, but agreed to a blind taste test. He brought out two choices with very different qualities, and we unanimously picked #2... turns out that #1 was a $125 bottle of pinot noir, while the #2 that we loved was a $60 bottle of syrah! "I just saved you a bunch of money," he exclaimed (not sure I can remember EVER hearing a server say that before, isn't it usually the opposite?!) I can guarantee I've never ordered syrah in a restaurant before. But we ended up enjoying not one, but two bottles with our meal, so I suppose that in the end the cost came out about the same. (Good thing we were walking home!)
2) Bone marrow. Seriously, where else in the ConUS have you seen bone marrow on a menu? Not common. I loved it. Maybe it was the garlic cloves that came with it or the perfectly buttery toast it was served with, but that bone marrow was a big hit. My father's only comment was "Now I see why the dog likes it!" Riiiight, Dad.
3) PRETZELS! Because no Weisswurst is complete without them.
4) Extremely shareable meals. Great for groups of friends or dates, so you can share around and sample some of everything. There were three of us, and all the plates came out cut into three pieces. You can discreetly pass the small casserole dishes and no one will know the difference. For the record: the braised beef rib was the winner of the night, though it was a close race with the Tavern steak.
5) They had both green AND yellow chartreuse. Our server didn't really know what it was (neither did I! http://en.wikipedia.or... ), but the bartender turned up a bottle and my dad was thrilled with his green stuff. Not my thing, smelled like cough syrup and Listerine, but if you're into unusual liqueurs produced by monks in remote places. Or just pretending to be sophisticated.
6) Open kitchen. I loved the scenic stroll to the restrooms, right past the pastry station. There were all these miniature apple pies lined up that made me think of that story where the kid steals the pie from the windowsill - I could totally be that kid. Oh, and that brings me to #7...
7) Honest to goodness All-American apple pie. Beautiful flaky crust, delicious cinnamon apples, all in a miniature version. No pathetic slices here. They serve you the entire pie! Of course, no pie is complete without......
8) Hand-churned ice cream! We got a bucket (really, a little bucket with a wooden spoon!) of the house made vanilla to go with our apple pie. I could have died right there a very happy woman. With skyrocketing cholesterol, no doubt, at this point in the meal.
9) Pretty wood tables. Cool rustic-chic decor. Did I make that up?
10) Last but not least, certainly not least for the ladies among us anyway, they had bathrooms with sinks. Like, many sinks. One sink IN each stall! No one to watch you clean your teeth... you get the picture. The ultimate in private restroom experiences.
If that list hasn't convinced you that you need to eat here, I don't know what will. Oh, maybe the fact that you get 1,000 dining points for making a midweek reservation through Open Table? Which means that you're 1,000 points closer to eventually winning some kind of prize. I really don't know what the prize is, but I like to win things. So get over to Open Table and make a date to check out this place soon!
When I say that the service was the real standout, you have to understand that the food was fantastic. My date had the braised short rib, and I had the buttermilk roast chicken. Both were perfect. The cheese grits were the best either of us have ever had, as were the collard greens. That makes it sound like comfort food, and I suppose it is, but the presentation and preparation elevate this simple food into the realm of cuisine.
Did I mention the service was good? The staff managed to convey a sense of elegance without being pretentious, and were attentive without seeming clingy or ever interrupting our conversation.
All told, we spent about $180 on the meal, dessert and wine, which made this very much a special occasion, and we left feeling like we got our money's worth.
Brian: in a word, disappointing. We went here for Sunday brunch to celebrate a friend's birthday. While I give plaudits for the service and the decor, the food does not live up to its billing, except that it is rather expensive for what you get.
Rainey: I wonder if the chef realizes there are other spices available besides salt. Seriously, everything I tasted was loaded with salt and as a result of my meal, I now have a pounding headache. They should hand out Tylenol with their dishes.
Brian: I wish I only had a headache. There was so much salt running through my system that our meal actually made me vomit (something that no restaurant should ever cause). Its taken me several hours plus a nap for my blood pressure to stop racing. Aside from the mass quantities of sodium, though, the food was OK. Not poor, not great, just OK.
Rainey: Well, even though you threw up, I still had the worst dining experience! I ordered the "quiche" or what I thought was "quiche" but was served something that was more like flan...but with dill thrown on top of it. I don't think I've ever sent a dish back to the kitchen but I HAD no choice. It kind of reminded me of something from the movie "Better Off Dead."
(flashback: Mr. Meyer "what exactly is this?" Mrs. Meyer "It has raisins in it, Lane likes raisins, don't you Lane...")
Brian: Again, thankfully the wait staff replaced the dish without argument and substituted it out (at no charge I will add) for something that was edible. I tasted the "quiche" and all I can say is it's not quiche. I had the short-rib hash with poached eggs and very watery (and salty, but we've already gone there) cheese grits. Again, food OK (effects notwithstanding) but nothing to sing praises for. And certainly, while I understand the organic and whole-foods movement, using locally grown/organically grown items has its advantages, but here it seemed to be an excuse for a 40% markup on the price. All in all, a rather poor performance from the kitchen. I'd be more gracious to the staff, but a rating is a rating. 1 Star.
Rainey: Yeah, the staff was good about not charging me for my "quiche" so I'll give them credit for that. Not everything was completely bad, though. The Chesapeake bloody mary was actually really good and the oysters we had as an appetizer were rather tasty. I also ordered the mushroom mix which was again, extremely salty, and the fries which were very underwhelming. 1 Star.
The food and service here obliterate any other 5 star rating I've given previously. This is now officially my favorite restaurant in DC. Don't be mislead by the simple presentation of the menu. The value in blue duck is not in the uniqueness of its creations, but in the quality of the meat (bought from local farms) and the perfection in the meat preparation.
I started with the bone marrow, which as the pictures show is huge and just tremendous. It is topped with spices that perfectly accent the flavor. Getting this bone marrow is like a child's christmas morning. To the chagrin of my dining companions, I am used to scraping out bone marrow with the smallest ,sharpest object I can find. I hope for a square centimeter of bone marrow but usually get less with bone shards mixed in. At my Blue Duck dinner, I was presented with a whole femur clean-cut lengthwise and a spoon - on a silver platter. Merveilleux.
For dinner, I had the short ribs. Perfectly juicy, tender and flavorful. Did not use my knife to cut it. The meat strands nearly separated themselves with the slightest pressure of my fork. It was just delicately seasoned to slightly complement the flavor of the meat, but it let the meat speak for itself. It was incredible.
Our waitress wore a suit and was perfectly pleasant and had perfect timing.
I have also come for brunch and you cannot come here for brunch without getting the triple fries.
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens can't hold a candle to floor to ceiling windows and open kitchens when it comes to a few of my favorite things. Blue Duck has both, as well as exceptional service and an incredible menu that is sure to please any functioning palette.
I first came here for dinner and brunch right when BDT opened a few years ago, but returned last week and was reminded as to why it's so popular. The pea soup with ravioli was delicious, but the best appetizer by far was the warm asparagus topped with a magical poached egg. The braised beef rib was so tender, I wanted to take it home and spoon it but there wasn't any left. The grilled whole fish of the day was a tilefish- a white, mild fish that was simply grilled and perfectly unfussy. My favorite sides are the baked rice with andouille and the sauteed spinach, but the fries were a big hit as well. The banana chocolate chip sorbet was divine (one serving = enough for a table of four) and the cherry rhubarb pie a perfect sweet ending to an all-star meal. BDT is definitely the crown jewel in the West End's restaurant crown.
I am a culinary student who i sin DC on my externship. I heard that Blue Duck was a great place from one of the few people I know here. I went with a classmate of mine who had just finished her externship and we were both very pleased with our meals.
We ordered the duck breast and the Wreckfish as our proteins and the grits and roasted mushrooms as sides. The duck I wish would have been rarer but the flovors, skin, and tenderness of the meat was great. The Wreckfish, a deep water fish which is line caught, which I had never had before was great. A fish with a good amount of texture and the flavor was wonderful, which was complimented by the peppers and onions. I'm sure my heart is beating a bit faster as it struggles with the fatty goodness that was the grits. The roasted mushrooms were by far my favorite thing of the meal. I am a big fan of mushrooms and these were cooked great.
Desert was also great. My classmate ordered the apple pie, which she said came highly recommended to her, and I ordered the Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake Flamed with Bourbon, Chocolate Cream. Both deserts were very good but being partial to chocolate I favored the cake. Ah, and my classmate asked for some vanilla ice cream. When the ice cream was brought over in a glass bucket with a wooden spoon. It was pretty funny because when she asked for the ice cream I think she was expecting a scoop, not three.
The service was great. Our waiters were on top of everything, very pleasant, and were patient with our questions about items on the menu.
Thank you, Blue Duck.
All in all it was a great experience for both of us and for me it was the best meal I have eaten during my short time in DC.
I am a huge fan of this place. I had dinner there, for the first time, several weeks ago, and left full and happy.
The ambiance is great, very chic. My favorite part was being able to walk right past the pastries prep station. Talk about good marketing for hungry diners! I should note, we sat outside, and the restaurant did a great job of making you feel like you were separated from busy M street, to which the patio is adjacent.
The food was fabulous. We got apps, and we tried a sampling of the seasonal sides (my fave being the heirloom grits). I also had their braised spare rib, which was phenomenal!
I also have to say that the service was GREAT. One of my biggest sticking points with restaurants (particularly the higher-end restaurants) is the quality of their staff and service. Servers were very knowledgeable about the menu and wine list. They were also appropriately attentive, with out being pushy or intrusive. Kudos, kudos!
One of the best restaurants in the city.
Service was superb. Atomsphere was over the top.
Recommended sitting outside on the patio with a view of a beautiful fountain
Recommended dishes
Roasted Organic Chicken
Glazed Carrots
BDT Fries (very heavy.. but tasty)
Ideal for a special romantic dinner.. But not a first date.
After a far too long hiatus (ahh finals), back to reviewing!
FOOD: 4.5
DECOR: 5
SERVICE: 3.5
I've heard rave reviews for so long that I really couldn't wait to come here. What better post-exam celebratory spot than "one of the best restaurants in DC". I must say I was impressed.
First, the decor, from the huge doors to the minimalist grandeur to the expansive (not expensive) windows, reminded me of a less impressive (though still amazing) Per Se. My favorite decor of any restaurant in DC, without doubt. If only the view was of Columbus Circle instead of 23rd and M... Oh well. You do the best you can with what you've got. It's also quite cute that you can watch them making all the apple pies right in front of you when you walk in (more on the phenomenal apple pies later).
Second, and the least remarkable, was the service. Good, but not amazing. Our waiter was very nice, but I had to search him out several times. Also, I would've like more detailed advice regarding the menu and wine list. No major snafus though, and the staff seemed quite well trained overall.
Finally, the food. Excellent, very excellent. I love that they source all their ingredients, which lends credence to their commitment to knowing what you're eating. There's definitely something to knowing the city from which the mushrooms you're munching on were foraged, or the farm at which the cow you're eating was raised. On to the specific items:
Bone Marrow: in my opinion, the best item I had. Served still in bone, and delicious. The rich fattiness of the marrow is wonderfully complemented by the paprika, sea salt and fresh pepper.
Heirloom Grits: I was excited about the prospect of homemade grits with cheddar, but this was probably the most disappointing element of the meal.
BDT Triple Fries: I mean, they're solid (and huge) french fries. Nothing to write home about in my opinion, unless you're a fry fanatic, which I most definitely am not.
Roasted Mixed Mushrooms: awesome. I love mushrooms, and there were a number of various North American types in the dish, all of which were awesome. Perfectly cooked, the moderate roasting set off their flavors well while not blasting them to rubberiness.
Kohlrabi Gratin: my second favorite side dish, after the mushrooms. Lathering almost anything in cheese (I believe it was blue or gorganzola, though I can't recall anything except the richness) will make me happy, but when I tasted the smooth richness of the cheese set off by the crunchy earthiness of the kohlrabi, I found the combination to present a well balanced dish, excellently conceived and prepared.
The Spinach and Carrots were both fresh and well prepared, but nothing special.
The Tavern Steak: very juicy, and well cooked to a healthy medium rare. A good cut of meat, and one that I preferred to the braised beef.
The Braised Beef: definitely melt-in-your-mouth tender. I have to give them that, but otherwise I wasn't impressed with this dish. The flavor was sort of bland.
The Chicken: solid, but it's chicken. It was very juicy chicken though.
The Pork Porterhouse: my favorite main dish. The porterhouse came in two different cuts, one thinly sliced and another cubed. The moistness and rich flavor of the porterhouse made this my favorite despite the fact that I usually find pork difficult to do well. The braised endive was a simple but good complement to the meat.
Apple Pie: simply fantastic. The best apple pie I've had in the US for sure, and better than most I've had in Europe. A crispy, sweet crust, rich and fresh apples and none of the preserved taste of the vast majority of even freshly made apple pies. If at all possible, keep room for this desert!
Fruit and Cream: a very refreshing and light dessert for those that want an comprehensive meal, but are far too full for anything else.
An amazing meal. I will certainly be back.
One of the best restaurants in DC, Blue Duck Tavern doesn't need a gimmicky concept or complicated menus to attract its clientele. The best things about this restaurant are precisely the things that you should look for when you go out: the quality of the food and the service.
The food is terrific -- tasty and filling, without ever leaving you feeling like you've gorged yourself on a bucket of KFC chicken skins. Prices are extremely reasonable and are a steal for the quality and size of the portions.
The service is even more astounding. In a city filled with restaurants where waitstaff seem to enjoy snark more than service, Blue Duck Tavern offers extremely professional and engaging service staff who seem to genuinely appreciate your business.
This restaurant leaves you -- and your wallet -- full and happy.
I would 100% return here.
Having said that, I don't think that this was the most superb dining experience in my life, although it was certainly toward the top. I imagine that coming back here would cause me to bump my review up to a full five stars, but with this one trip, it wasn't -quite- enough.
Let's get the unpleasant part over, first. They were out of almost everything that we wanted to order off their seasonal cocktails list, -and- their classic cocktails list. No shiso? Not so weird - it's a pretty obscure herb, even if the shiso martini -is- on the house cocktails list. Out of pomegranate puree? I know an Asian grocery store nearby that's bound to have some fresh fruit. Out of mint?! Okay - now that's getting a little ridiculous, no? My surrogate mom has giant bushes of the stuff growing in her back yard. Out of mint for seasonal cocktails? Puhleeze...
When it comes down to it, our server handled the situation with aplomb, bringing out two bottles of bubbly as a peace offering for us, even though we weren't upset by any means. It was a generous act on the part of the house, and would have readily defused a brewing situation (had there been one).
Went with the wisdom of other yelpers on the duck breast served with duck confit (and real cherries!) and duck fat fries. I had the lemon sole and prawns, which came with a shrimp custard. Fascinating side dish that grew on me, but I still didn't feel like finishing it.
While the duck was delightfully rich and smoky savory, and most definitely perfectly cooked, I preferred my fish and prawns. Large shrimp that were superbly sweet and just the right chewy consistency. The fish was cooked to flaky perfection and fell apart with gentle prodding by a fork. Yum.
The star dish of the evening was definitely the Blue Duck Tavern frites. Served with what seemed to be a traditional aioli, they were crisp, hearty, and steamy on the inside. And oh-so-savory. Simply delicious and decadent.
We did opt to order a dessert dish, and although a number of choices sounded appealing, settled for the molten chocolate lava cake. It came out in a metal pan served on a larger white rectangular plate, and on the side was a separately metal container of flaming bourbon. Flaming. Like, with blue flames rising two or three inches from the liquid. Which was then poured all over the chocolate cake and evenly distributed by our server manually tilting the plate to ensure even cooking. Oh. And because it was our anniversary (and apparently Blue Duck got it right, while Restaurant Nora managed to forget that we were there for my birthday), they offered us a generous sample of vanilla ice cream. Much needed with the richness of the decadent chocolate and molten core.
Thanks for making our evening memorable (I hope - the boy was griping at me for having no clue what we did for our last anniversary... which to this point I still have no idea if we even did anything to celebrate). I'd love to return for another future special occasion and have a truly perfect night out.
I'm a picky reviewer with an eye to fine dining. Blue Duck hit on most cylinders. Food was tremendous (duck fat fries, tremendous leek sauce on the mushroom tart, scallops perfectly cooked), slightly lower than expected prices, service was excellent (fresh napkins at a moment's notice, complimentary WSJ for the single diner, and decor made for food lovers (you walk through the kitchen to your table, they have various stations that you can walk up to - cheeses, a standing pig's leg for prosciutto).
I would have given an elusive 5 star from me if only a) the server knew a little more about what he was serving, and b) I didn't wake up with a terrible stomach ache the next day. And a final nit - the soap in the bathroom was super concentrated, and it distracted me from the rest of my meal. Before you think it ridiculous - let me emphasize - it was so strong that it lasted several days.
Wonderful experience! I read the menu before going and was not super excited, as it looked more like an autumn or winter menu to me, with braised and roasted comfort foods that are heavier than I like to see on a summer menu. However, I am more than happy to eat braised short ribs, cheese grits and roasted bone marrow in July if that's what they taste like. The bone marrow is served with a head of roasted garlic for spreading on the croutons...which is both delicious and convenient if you are married to someone with a garlic allergy. The "amuse" was a handful of heirloom cherry tomatoes dressed in oil, vinegar and dill. Gorgeous and simple -- plus, our wonderful waiter brought us refresher tomatoes that we could enjoy between bites of dinner. The cheese heirloom grits are the most delicious I've ever had -- sort of like spoonbread or pudding, with the slightest texture from the hominy. Not only that, but we didn't order the grits because they have garlic in them, and they just came out anyway as a little bonus. We also had the seared scallop and cauliflower appetizer, the striped bass with razor clam and fennel, the swiss chard and raisin pie and the french fries. The scallop and fish were both perfectly cooked. I found the pie a little too sweet. The fries are adorable rectangles stuffed into a teeny little stainless steel pot and have the texture of steak fries. Not my favorite kind of fries, but they grew on me, especially as an accompaniment to meat because of the crispy outside and fluffy interior.
We were too full for dessert and there was still orange-almond birthday cake at home, so we'll have to try their handmade ice creams and pastries another time. Our waiter thoughtfully sent us home with a bag of BDT rugelach as a treat, though.
As should be clear by now, service here is incredible. I can't tell you how many different members of the staff greeted us. Our waiter was warm, funny, gracious and accommodating. I was ogling the chairs at our table from the minute we came in and I was trying to figure out if they were original Cherners or knock-offs. My husband snuck a peek as the hour grew later and then we discussed with the waiter who immediately flipped a chair over and investigated for us. For any other design nerds who care, they are reproductions of the original Plycraft chair but with an upholstered seat. They are manufactured by the Cherner Chair Company still in operation today. Needless to say, the modern, airy interior was very much to my liking. We were also pleased to be seated right by the open kitchen, which is run expertly.
Good looking wait staff. Well dressed eye candy only enhances the dining experience. Even my aunt agreed with me.
Roasted bone marrow: good serving, probably would not order again, though.
Sturgeon rillette: It came out like a cream cheese and fish spread. Good and my aunt liked eating it together with the marrow. weird, but it worked for her.
NY Steak: perfectly cooked. But just a steak. Interesting duck flavored chutney/compote on the side.
Grits: cheesy and creamy. Nice with the steak.
I like the name, but there isn't much 'tavern' at this upscale eatery in the Park Hyatt. Some of the formality of the Park Hyatt has definitely been subdued, perhaps the reason for invoking the term tavern. The decor is modern with high ceilings, an open kitchen and well spaced tables. I particularly liked the Thos. Moser modern shaker furniture - adding to the mix of high and low design.
Our dinner was the whole roasted fish of the day (good but only mostly deboned), jumbo lump crabcakes (fantastic with almost all jumbo lump crab), grits with cheddar (awesome), and carrots (nothing standout).
On my way to the restroom I walked by the kitchen and saw a dessert that looked great, but I wasn't sure what it was. After talking to our server about it, he invited me back into the open kitchen to point out which one I wanted. It's this kind of informality that I find refreshing in a restaurant.
The dessert that I wanted turned out to be the apple pie, which with vanilla ice cream was really great. We took a bit of the pie home with us and received a package of delicious chocolate, pecan and cranberry cookies as well.
Impressive, beautiful yet unpretentious restaurant with a unique set-up of the open kitchen. Kitchen is divided into several areas (apps, entree, desert, etc) and all within customers' view - but ONLY if you reserve a table with a requested view of the kitchen. If you are a foodie mesmerized with watching the kitchen ala top chef, iron chef and other cooking shows - be sure to request a kitchen view table. The focus of the menu is to use all fresh, local ingredients as the star of the menu. All the yelp'in on the bathroom was over-rated, i thought. And what's the deal with the very flowery perfume smell overpowering what you just ate??!? BDT - hope you're reading the reviews???
Service - pretty good but felt the wait staff was bit "checked out". Gave good recommendations but service didn't feel genuine esp. with them knowing that it was our first time and from out of town.
Must-Haves:
1) Roasted ribeye with bone marrow sauce and 2) Mustard Spaetzle mac-n-cheese duck confit. This will be on my list for my last supper. The ribeye while I thought at first was little cold had just the right amount of flavor to bring out the best and with the bone marrow, it just danced in my mouth with decadence. Mac-n-Cheese - a much grown-up mac-n-cheese and comfort food to the max. Who would have thought of adding duck confit to the mac-n-cheese? Add some panko flakes on top - at least that's what i attribute the crunchiness to, it totally works and is a really warm-n-fuzzy dish that you must have.
Others that were good but nothing to write home about:
Winter salad of endive and watercress w/ hazelnut dressing and black truffle - Saw the dressing, saw the black truffle shavings, didn't really get much flavor out of the salad. Fresh, pretty and decent.
Nantucket Bay Scallops with Argon oil - I've heard about argon oil - how scarce it is, thus $$$ and the crazy production method (It's usually limited to Morocco and the story goes that these goats eat the olive-like fruit and leaves from the argon tree, poop it out where upon the undigested nuts are collected, cracked and then pressed for oil - yup - it's true). Anyways - I think it was the combo of knowing the exotic background of argon oil with the fresh local bay scallops - combined with the wine - it was really good.
Braised Swiss Chard - great local ingredients and sauteed just right. Simple and fresh.
Dessert -
Almond banana cake with maple cream - The density of the cake was not expected - very dense - but the flavors were really good and a nice way to end a great meal. Enjoyed with a blood orange green tea - and while at bit pricey seven bucks, cleansed palette and ended the meal with a high note.
We went on a Sunday night - and I don't know if it's DC that dies after dinner time or that we went on a Sunday. BDT is located in a ritzy hotel area of Georgetown and all of the hotels were dead with no night life after dinner time...
I've been to Blue Duck several times so this is kind of an amalgamation of all of those experiences. I always have a good meal; however, I am occasionally disappointed. I recently got the vegetable pot pie which was delicious, but it was lacking in the wow factor department. It was pot pie, and it was good, but it wasn't that creative of a take on pot pie. How creative one can get with pot pie I don't know, but, needless to say, I wasn't impressed.
Not wishing to repeat my mistake, I more recently tried the braised short rib. A great dish. The meat melts in your mouth and the homemade steak sauce is amazing. I also tried the duck fat fries and the macaroni and cheese with duck confit. I now don't think I can go back to Blue Duck without making my party order these sides and therefore shave five years off their lives. These sides epitomize decadence but are so worth it, you'll never look at french fries or mac and a cheese the same way again.
Finally, the dessert really doesn't stack up with the rest of the meal. The apple pie was dry, although a friend of mine got it with ice cream at a more recent visit and that seemed to help. Also, the flourless chocolate cake was essentially a brownie, nothing special. When it comes to dessert stick to the homemade ice cream, that is the one thing they really hit out of the park.
My friends and I had decided to come here for a little celebratory dinner. We thought it was a good new place to try out and we were not disappointed. The restaurant was a little hard to find in the dark. The sign was relatively obscured. Fortunately, we were able to identify the location from the valet of the Park Hyatt. We meandered from the hotel lobby through the maze like path of the bar/lounge area and found our way to the front desk of the restaurant. The establishment is very roomy. The ceilings are high and the decor is very modern and very elegant. The ambiance is high class without being aloof.
We started out with some interesting appetizers. We ordered the fisherman's soup, bone marrow and winter salad. The soup was served, deconstructed and then combined at the table. The flavor was excellent. The broth reminds me of a bouilleabaise reduction. The bone marrow was decadent and rich. For a carnivore like me, the taste was heavenly. The winter salad had some grilled cornish hen and fois gras that made it rather a standout from the usual salads.
I ordered the signature smoke duck, while my friends ordered the peppered steak and vegetable pot pie. The entrees were served on their pan and lets you share with your table mates. My smoke duck was exquisite. It was sliced duck breast served on top of a ragout of dark meats. The duck was succulent and the flavors were outstanding. My friend's steak was perfectly prepared. I had a few bites of it and it was very good, but I thought it a little bland. I had expected a little more spice given au poivre treatment. The vegetable pot pie was light, crammed full of vegetable with a nice sauce. I had also ordered a side dish of fennel that was really well-prepared. The light anise/licorice flavor and sweetness really complemented the entrees.
edit: oh how could I have forgotten so easily. One of my friends ordered the BDT triple cut fries. The fries were large cuts and deep fried in duck fat. They were O M G, so good. I could feel my arteries clogging up, but there are drugs to take care of that and I MUST have more fries!
We finished off our excellent dinner with an apple pie and chocolate cake with ice cream. The apple pie is dutch style. The apple was just the right amount of sweetness with the cinnamon. The chocolate cake was really rich and potent. And the cappuccino was strong and invigorating.
The wine is predominantly California wines with some French and a smaller selection of Italian and Australian. We started with Belles Glos pinot noir recommended by the waiter. It was fruity with deep cherry flavors and a short finish. I ordered an additional bottle of Jordan cabernet sauvignon that was fuller body with exceptional tannins and oak. Very chewy. Both wines were very good.
I must point out that the service here is exceptional. From the valet, throughout the dinner and to the point that we left, the services were all first class. There were some spotty moments during the dinner with the plates, but the wait staff was exceptionally expedient and rectified it all immediately. This was one of the best dining experience that I have had in DC and is nearly deserving of 5 stars. I reserve the last star because I like to make sure a restaurant is consistent and that requires more patronage.
"1/2 off Wine Bottles"
Bethesda, MD
Happy Hour Every Day
Arlington, VA
Washington, DC
Category: French
Washington, DC
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: West End
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Georgetown
Category: American (Traditional)
Washington, DC
Category: American (New)
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