It never fails. Every year I try to take my wife out for a really nice diner to celebrate her birthday, and every year we find ourselves situated next to some loud and obnoxious individuals. Who are these people and why do they think I want to listen to their every word in complete clarity? I can't blame the restaurants always, though sometimes it's the design that can cause this problem, usually it's just the people. This night it was the people.
We entered the Blue Duck Tavern through its large under appointed doors only to be hastily greeted in a good way. Immediately in your view is part of the kitchen where the deserts seem to be coming together and their miniature apple pies are sitting there, taunting you to order them. As you're taken to your seat, you pass the main kitchen in all it's glory, leaving you nothing but jealous in regards to your own. At the end of it is a beautiful wood fire oven, which many of the items on the menu will pass through before arriving at your table.
The interior is somewhat simple, but elegant. We are heading towards the long wall of windows on the right side of the building, where there are a dozen or so two person tables. We quickly scan the crowed, passing many couples in their 20's and 30's, and thinking about who we would not want to be near, as we are ushered toward the second to last table on the left. We feel safe as we're situated next to what seems like a nice couple in their 50's.
Boy were we wrong! Combative business partners or the recently divorced arguing about who gets the kids and when, I don't know. I notice they're on desert and pray they eat quickly, while trying to ignore them and my annoyed wife. 20 other couples in the area all at a normal volume level, what's with these people??? It's a very nice place and if they could just talk at the same level as everyone else, no one would hear any of their conversation. Please, don't be these people! Be aware of your surroundings and considerate of others!
Luckily, before our diner arrives, they leave.
We notice there is a lot more space between these two person tables then many restaurants. They didn't try to cram us all together. We can appreciate this, after all, two person tables are more often then not couples looking for a nice romantic diner out.
The menu looks delicious, entrees and sides are sold separately (a la carte). We decided to forgo the appetisers so we can get a couple sides, including what I read to be a highlight, the BDT french fries! Many couples around us go for the Oven Roasted Bone Marrow, and if that's your thing, it looks delicious!
My wife went for the crab cakes and I the Braised Beef Rib. Each item on the menu states where they came from, the crab from our very own Chesapeake bay and the beef from Creekstone, KS. Both were outstanding. The crab cakes were pure crab, without a lot of seasoning and the crab sang for itself. They were served with a nice sweet mustard dressing, that complemented them perfectly. The beef was as tender as possible, served with a delicious homemade stake sauce. To be healthy we shared some outstanding daily harvest vegetables from Path Valley, PA. Then came the Hand Cut BDT Triple Fries made from Gpod, ID potatoes... queue the angelic music! Hands down, these are the best french fries I have every had. Thick cut, deep fried in duck fat, with a crispy russet like outside and soft center, served with a garlic aioli. We also took the waitress up on her ketchup offer which she said was not sacrilegious here. I would go back there just for the fries and a drink sometime if nothing else! Everything was perfect and delicious!
We finished with the Key Lime Cheese Cake that was served with Sour Cherries and Pecan Toffee. It was a very good cheese cake. Interestingly, the Key lime part was not in the cheese cake itself, but in these little fluffy pillow things on the side, that were almost marshmellowy like and bursting with key lime flavor. It was the wife's choice, being her birthday, but I probably would have gone with the "Straight from the Oven Chocolate Cake, Maker’s Mark Flambe", dreaming about that beautiful wood fired oven in the kitchen. They'll be there waiting for me next time!
24 & M Streets, Northwest, Washington, D.C.
20037 United States of America T {202} 419 6755
