by Jenna on April 12, 2013
Warm weather is finally upon us, and I was happy to be able to enjoy the beautiful evening last night on the terrace at
Blue Duck Tavern at the
Park Hyatt. Executive Chef Sebastien Archambault and Chef de Cuisine John Melfi prepared samples of new seasonal menu items that were colorful and tasty.
There were salads being assembled by the Chefs themselves which included beautiful ingredients such as carrots, grapefruit, bibb lettuce, green goddess dressing and more. Additionally, the salmon with sorrel cream served with a coddled egg was beautifully plated and tasted lovely.
The passed hors d’oeuvres included a meaty jumbo lump crab cake with frisee and fennel topped with an aioli. I also enjoyed a bite of hangar steak, lamb, and some small pastries including one with rhubarb and a light crumble on top.
The terrace at Blue Duck Tavern is a perfect place to enjoy breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. Pair your meal with a nice glass of rosé or one of their new spring cocktails such as the cilantro margarita, and you are destined to have a lovely day.
Blue Duck Tavern at the Park Hyatt Washington
www.blueducktavern.com
24th & M Streets NW
Washington, DC 20037
@BDTavern
by Jenna on February 26, 2013
Back in 2011 I wrote a
post about the rising popularity of Brussels sprouts. It seems that America’s once “most hated” vegetable has made a serious comeback and has proven to be more than just a trend, but a staple that is here to stay. For years we have been seeing inventive variations on this leafy green vegetable, and Washington’s food scene does a great job of including them on their menus. Below are a few of my favorite Brussels sprouts dishes around town.
- Blue Duck Tavern: One of the classiest establishments in town, Blue Duck Tavern serves their Brussels sprouts as a side dish in a small silver tray with bacon, pecans, and cranberries. Everything tastes better with bacon.
- Brasserie Beck: Nothing goes better with mussels than a side of carmelized Brussels sprouts with smoked bacon and poached pear. These are a surefire table pleaser.
- Graffiato: A new addition to the list since my last Brussels sprouts lineup in early 2011, Graffiato serves them with pancetta, maple, and yogurt (used to also include egg). The maple adds a delicious sweet kick to the crispy petals.
- Oyamel: The crispy sprouts are served with pumpkin seeds, peanuts, and lime in a chile de arbol sauce. The Mexican ingredients are lovely and full of flavor.
- Proof: Sauteed with dried cherries and caraway, they make for the perfect side paired with red meat or fish.
- Zaytinya: Still one of the best preparations in town, these Brussels are served with coriander seeds and barberries, atop a creamy yogurt sauce.
These are just a few favorites, but there are many other DC restaurants that serve Brussels sprouts. I recommend you get out and taste them! Also, share your favorite Brussels with us if we missed them.
by Jenna on December 31, 2012
It’s been a long year filled with so many special and memorable food experiences. I have enjoyed documenting my meals and sharing the best of my culinary adventures with you. I wanted to take a look back at some of my favorite moments and posts from 2012.
Scenes from 2012
- My favorite new restaurant of 2012 is easily Mintwood Place. The food and the atmosphere both knock it out of the park every time. I continue to enjoy the roast chicken, steak frites, and brownie sundae on a regular basis. My post from April is here.
- I had such an amazing experience joining Steve Vilnit, the Director of Fisheries Marketing for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for a day out on the Chesapeake Bay with other fellow bloggers. We learned so much about seafood sourcing and Maryland crab, and we even got to visit the J.M. Clayton Company which is the world’s oldest crab house and has been around since 1890. I am now so much more aware of my seafood, and know to ask questions about where my food is coming from. My post from June is here.
- Luck found me in 2012 as I was given the amazing opportunity to film with Tremendous! Entertainment for a special that will air on The Travel Channel in 2013 called “Street Eats”. I was able to act as their guide and host as we interviewed different food trucks and helped paint a picture of the vibrant street food scene here in Washington. The special will air on February 27th at 9PM and I am so excited to be a part of it. I can’t wait to see the results. Details on my experience filming with the crew are here from my post in July.
- We finally got a plate on the wall at my favorite spot, Acqua Al 2. As someone who lived in Florence and ate at the original restaurant regularly, I have been a dedicated diner at the Eastern Market location since it opened. It’s a wonderful spot that holds a special place in my heart. My post from August is here.
- I love coffee and I pulled together a detailed round-up of my favorite coffee shops in D.C. earlier this year. This was one of my favorite pieces I wrote in 2012, and you can read my post from August here.
- Union Market finally opened in town! We are all so thrilled to welcome the amazing concept to town, and you can read by post from September here.
- I attended the Park Hyatt Master’s of Food and Wine Autumn Mushroom Dinner at Blue Duck Tavern in September which was out of this world. All of the mushrooms were sourced from the R.L. Irwin Company in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania and the wine pairings came from Robert Mondavi Wines. It was a lovely evening and I still remember the mushroom tart as one of the best dishes I ate all year.
- I was very honored to be featured in Fashion Washington Magazine and to have the opportunity to curate a holiday gift guide fit for foodies. It was my first photo shoot experience and it was a blast. My post from November can be found here.
- I finished off the year with a decadent and drool-worthy trip to Paris where I ate like a queen. I could not have ended the year on a sweeter note. You can read about my food escapades in France here.
Thank you to all of you who read this blog and support what we do. It makes it so much fun to share experiences and to pour my time and effort into getting it right. I hope you all had an amazing year and I hope 2013 has even better things in store. Wishing you delicious adventures for the year to come!
by Jenna on January 25, 2012
Since the massive renovation of the
Park Hyatt in Washington in 2006 the hotel has become one of the most beautiful and contemporary options in town. With the renovation came the birth of
Blue Duck Tavern, a high-end dining establishment that serves American cuisine at its finest. Over the past few years I have enjoyed every meal I have experienced at Blue Duck Tavern from brunch to lunch to dinner, and it has one of the best reputations in town for providing excellent food and service in a comfortable yet elegant atmosphere.
In late 2011 Chef Brian McBride left the Park Hyatt after opening Blue Duck Tavern in 2006 to move forward with a new venture. In his place they have named Chef Sebastien Archambault who most recently was executive chef and partner in Los Angeles at L’Epicerie Market. Prior to that Sebastien was the executive chef of RH Restaurant at the Andaz West Hollywood Hotel and he has also worked under world renowned chefs such as Alain Ducasse and Jean-Francois Rouquette in Paris. Working as his Chef de Cuisine is John Melfi who most recently worked at Vidalia down the street in Washington, DC. The new team is now in place and after my meal last night where I was invited to taste numerous dishes on behalf of Heather Freeman Public Relations (some currently on the menu and some that are soon to make their way into the mix), I am wowed by the amazing flavors and classic elegance of the cuisine that is offered at Blue Duck Tavern. A few highlights from the tasting menu:
- Seared Foie Gras: Apple raisin scone, quince butter, cider gastrique. The perfect sized portion of foie in order to curb the richnees, and paired with the scone it really delivered.
- Crispy Veal Sweetbreads: Aged mac n’ cheese sauteed field mushrooms, veal jus. This dish is the ultimate when it comes to comfort food. Fried food over cheesy pasta. It doesn’t get better than that.
- Braised Goat: wood fired flatbread, eggplant jam, minted lableh, arugula. The Mediterranean flavors worked so well with the tender goat which I spooned onto the flatbread making small delicious bites.
- Wood Burning Oven Roasted Maine Scallops and Mussels: lemon sauce. Simple, yet beautifully cooked.
- Field Mushroom Risotto Arborio: Shaved parmesan cheese, arugula. This was so creamy and wonderful and the truffles added a decadent flavor to the dish.
- Wood Burning Oven Friend Wagyu Culotte of Beef: Red wine braised shallots. Such a classic and delicious preparation.
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Cranberries, thyme. Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables, and the sweetness of the cranberries was a welcomed addition.
- Hand Cut BDT Triple Fries. Enough said.
- Mango, Cranberry, and Macademia Nut Crumble. This dessert was wonderful. The fruit was so fresh and sweet and and the crumble added just the perfect amount of texture with each bite.
- Peppermint Ice Cream. Topped with chocolate sauce and this is a winner!
The food at Blue Duck Tavern is divine and provides such a high-end and enjoyable experience. New Chef Sebastien Archambault and Chef de Cuisine John Melfi are both doing excellent things and continue to elevate the restaurant to the highest level and make Blue Duck Tavern shine.
Blue Duck Tavern
1201 24th Street NW
Washington, DC 20037
www.blueducktavern.com
Look no further for the most lovely and inviting patio in Washington. The Park Hyatt’s Blue Duck Tavern has you covered. I spent the other night outside in the newly redone space enjoying the weather and the beautiful brick and stone terrace with comfortable seating and a new communal table made of 50,000 year old reclaimed wood. The large fountain adds a serene element to the outdoor space and also shields some of the noise that would otherwise come through as a result of the location right on M Street.
Blue Duck Tavern's communal patio table. Photo courtesy of Blue Duck Tavern
The evening was full of delicious appetizers that included golden beets stuffed with goat cheese, a salty and savory cheesy risotto ball with brasied oxtail, spring onions wrapped in bacon, and pea soup topped with a meaty morel mushroom. However, the highlight of the evening was the fresh spring salad that was being made in front of our eyes by Chef Brian McBride which included generous chunks of lobster, golden beets, asparagus, spring greens, and then topped with a perfectly done poached egg. The salad was fantastic, and paired beautifully with the Boxwood Winery Rose that was also being served on the terrace. The wine was not too sweet, and was incredibly refreshing on a warm Spring evening. I look forward to enjoying more of it this summer.
Chef Brian McBride's ingredients for the lobster salad
As a parting gift the staff of Blue Duck Tavern provided each guest with three homemade scones in a to-go bag. I thought I could resist the temptation, but I had to eat one as soon as I got home. Let’s just say that those were some of the most enjoyable bites I have had in a long time. The scone had cinnamon and nuts and was moist and delicious. The other two are sitting on my counter and it is taking all of the willpower in the world to not devour them in one sitting.
The patio at Blue Duck Tavern is about as good as it gets when it comes to outdoor dining. And the fact that the food is fantastic and their wine list is superb makes it an all-around ideal choice. I look forward to enjoying the patio as soon as we get some consistent warm weather… which will hopefully be soon!
Blue Duck Tavern at the Park Hyatt Hotel
1201 24th Street NW (corner of 24th and M Streets NW)
Washington, DC 20037
www.blueducktavern.com
Blue Duck Tavern Terrace Party
by Jenna on April 12, 2013
There were salads being assembled by the Chefs themselves which included beautiful ingredients such as carrots, grapefruit, bibb lettuce, green goddess dressing and more. Additionally, the salmon with sorrel cream served with a coddled egg was beautifully plated and tasted lovely.
The passed hors d’oeuvres included a meaty jumbo lump crab cake with frisee and fennel topped with an aioli. I also enjoyed a bite of hangar steak, lamb, and some small pastries including one with rhubarb and a light crumble on top.
The terrace at Blue Duck Tavern is a perfect place to enjoy breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. Pair your meal with a nice glass of rosé or one of their new spring cocktails such as the cilantro margarita, and you are destined to have a lovely day.
Blue Duck Tavern at the Park Hyatt Washington
www.blueducktavern.com
24th & M Streets NW
Washington, DC 20037
@BDTavern
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