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 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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