My husband and I have always talked about doing a 'he said, she said' restaurant review column. Wouldn't it be interesting to hear the two sexes different takes on a given restaurant?
Last night we went to Blue Duck Tavern. It was a big event for us - the first big date night after my second pregnancy meaning the first chance for us to enjoy a good meal and some good wine together. Hubby has blogged about how he's missed me due to the pregnancy, and I had to concur, I have missed myself. As a humble foodie and someone who loves wine, going to dinner when you have chronic heart burn, have a list of forbidden foods and aren't supposed to drink alcohol isn't the culinary experience I pine for.
Anyhoo...about Blue Duck Tavern. We made sure we arrived a few minutes before our 7:45 reservation (booked on opentable.com) so we could grab a drink at the bar. The design of the restaurant was really interesting - interesting to the point that I found myself studying my surroundings and questioning the juxtaposition of the contemporary and traditional. It was almost like someone took a W Hotel lobby and stocked it with a bunch of Shaker furniture.
As we were enjoying our pre-dinner cocktails at the bar, the hostess came over to tell us there was some mix-up with our reservations -- apparently we were in the computer for 7:45 AM instead of PM so there was a chance we wouldn't get a table and might have to settle for the limited bar menu. Damn! We went ahead an ordered some cheese to start: a humbolt fog goat, a bandaged-wrapped cheddar and a bleu. The cheese platter was top notch - great accompaniments of quince paste, wild blossom honey, raisins and enough bread to go around. (It's a pet peeve of mine when a cheese platter doesn't have the right cheese-to-bread ratio.) Of course, we had to get a glass of wine to accompany the cheese: I chose the Caymus Conundrum -- a flirty mix of savignon blanc, chardonnay, viognier and even muscat canelli -- and hubby chose the Steele Chardonnay Cuvee -- noteworthy because it was nicely balanced and not too buttery or oaky. The wines by the glass offered at the bar were decent and provided a good range of price points - from $10 to $55 per glass.
We finally did get shown to a table -- nicely buzzed and satiated thanks to the cocktails, wine and cheese. Hubby and I both knew we'd be ordering something in the red meat category so I narrowed the wine list down to the cabs. When our waiter came by to take our order, I pointed out a cab I thought we might try and he offended me with, 'If you're wanting to go with a cab in that price range, you might want to consider this one.' Thanks jackass, do I look like someone who only chooses a wine based on price?
Once our main courses of braised barbecue beef "long rib" and new york strip came I was a very happy camper. The triple-fried, finger-sized steak fries and creamed spinach were decent but didn't compare to the beef. By the end of meal, we were both moaning over the barbeque beef ribs - tender meat in a perfectly nuanced sauce of sweetness, smoke and spice. If the chef will give out the recipe for that sauce I'll happily spend all day in the kitchen to re-create it.
Overall, Blue Duck Tavern will go on our top 10 list. The homey cooking that turns local, seasonal ingredients from local farms into three-star dining is a nice addition to the DC restaurant scene. Next time we'll double-check our reservation time, order less food and make sure our waiter is a better sommelier.
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2 comments:
I recently went here (December) and absolutely loved it. They fucked up our reservation, too, but the food was amazing (duck-fat french fries!) and it's all grown sustainably and strictly from non-factory farms. Delish.
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