Blue Duck Tavern Blog

New Seasonal Desserts

As the temperatures outside keep getting cooler, our seasonal menus keep getting hotter! Today, Pastry Chef Peter Brett will unveil a selection of new winter desserts, bound to satisfy your sweet tooth.  These new treats will be available on Blue Duck Tavern's lunch, dinner and weekend brunch menus. 

Banana Walnut Upside Cake, White Chocolate Cream - Banana cake baked with brown sugar, butter, bananas, cinnamon and walnuts.  Garnished with whipped cream, sweetened with white chocolate and a banana tuile.

Chestnut Honey Cheesecake, Crispy Phyllo, Brandied Cherries - Traditional cheesecake sweetened with clover honey and flavored with chestnuts, wrapped in phyllo and browned in the oven. Served with cherries preserved in brandy.

Mango, Cranberry and Macadamia Nut Crumble, Creme Fraiche  - Diced sweet mango and cranberries tossed with orange and brandy syrup.  Topped with macadamia nut streusal, baked to order. Served with whipped creme fraiche.

Masters of Food & Wine, Part 3, Tea Tasting

And last but not least, was our Premier Tea Blend Tasting with Rare Tea Cellar's master of tea, Rodrick Markus.  An intimate group gathered in the hotel's Tea Cellar, sampling a variety of tea blends, from seasonal to vintage Pu-erh, watching the tea leaves brew and bloom and hearing Rodrick speak about each one's flavors and nuances.  Did you know that many premier teas are just as exquisite as a fine wine?

Tea leaves blossoming in the pot of hot water

Rodrick Markus pouring one of his winter blends

Masters of Food & Wine, Photos Part 2: Beer Tasting

In addition to our cooking class, our Masters of Food & Wine program also included a local microbrew tasting with the new Port City Brewing Company, located just a few miles south in Alexandria, VA.  Participants were treated to four of their current ales, in addition to tasting their delicious Christmas ale.

A variety of Port City brews

Port City's Founder Bill Butcher

Gathering around the communal table

Photos: Masters of Food & Wine, January 2012

 

Hard to believe that our "winter" Masters of Food & Wine program has come and gone.  We had a great time this past Saturday, celebrating the tastes and flavors of our local chefs, farmers, and beverage experts.

Below, and in the next few posts, enjoy photos recaping our events: Cassoulet Cooking Class with Blue Duck Tavern Chef de Cuisine John Melfi; Premier Tea Blends Tasting with Rare Tea Cellar; and Local Microbrew Tasting with Port City Brewing Company.  Thank you to all of our event attendees and participants for making our events a success!

Toasting the start of the cooking class!

Cutting the pork

Starting to cook the first series of ingredients

The finished product

Photos courtesy of Jacqui dePas Photography.

Cassoulet Cooking Class

A few seats remain for this Saturday's Cassoulet Cooking Class with Chef de Cuisine John Melfi.  Gather around Blue Duck Tavern's open kitchen and assist Chef with preparing this hearty, winter dish. After the class, sample your cassoulet paired with wines from Ravines Wine Cellars in Hammondsport, NY. 

The cooking class is part of Masters of Food & Wine culinary experience this Saturday, January 14.  Other events include a Winter Tea Tasting with Tea Master Rodrick Markus of Rare Tea Cellar; and a Seasonal Microbrew Tasting with the brewmasters from Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria, VA.  

For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 202 419 6768 or email masters.phwashington@hyatt.com.  We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

A Sinfully Delicious New Year's Eve

Have a sweet tooth? Then you'll fall in love with the decadent chocolate table Pastry Chef Peter Brett is preparing for tomorrow night's New Year's Eve celebration in the Lounge.  Starting at 9:00 pm, treat yourself to these housemade treats paired with a glass of bubbly. 

Peter's chocolate dessert menu includes: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bites; Chocolate Pistachio Baklava; 
Mint Chocolate Sandwich Cookies; White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Rum Raisins; Chocolate, Almond and Cherry Tarts; Salted Chocolate Caramels; Milk Chocolate Raspberry Mousse; Chocolate Covered Orange Marshmallow Pops; and Flourless Chocolate Ganache Cakes.

A few tickets remain for our party in the Lounge.  Enjoy the desserts above, along with live music, open bar and champagne toast at midnight.  Tickets are priced at $165 per person and can be purchased by calling +1 202 419 6755 or emailing blueduck.tavern@hyatt.com.

 

Ring in the New Year

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah!  And a warm thank you to
everyone who joined us over the holidays to celebrate and gather with family and friends.

Tickets still remain for our special New Year's Eve Celebration in the Lounge on Saturday evening, December 31.  For a sophisticated gathering, join us for a premium open bar and live music from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am, in addition to a tapas and chocolate buffet-style table and champagne toast at midnight with party hats and noisemakers.  Tickets are priced at $165 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuities. 

For more information or to reserve your tickets, please contact us at 202 419 6755 or blueduck.tavern@hyatt.com. 

 

Have a Drink and Be Merry

Take a break from the cold and retreat to the Lounge where you can enjoy one of our nine, new seasonal cocktails made from the freshest ingredients. The arrival of these new handcrafted cocktails, including the Campari Mojito, housemade orange infused rum, Campari, orange, mint leaves and lemon juice; Copper Fox Martini, Wasmund's single malt whiskey, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth and orange bitters; Grapefruit Gimlet, housemade grapefruit infused vodka, lemon juice and agave nectar, and Spice Pomegranate, housemade orange oranged infused vodka, pomegranate juice, spiced syrup and lemon juice, will liven up the dreariest winter nights.

Campari Mojito

Grapefruit Gimlet

Other seasonal selections this winter include Early Tonic, housemade Earl Grey infused gin, cinnamon syrup, lemon juice and tonic water; Pear & Bubble, Plymouth gin, pear syrup and Maschio prosecco; Espresso Romano, Fernet Branca, Sambuca, Santa Lucia espresso and housemade espresso bitters; Hot Toddy, Glenmorangie scotch whisky, Hays Apiary honey, Drambuie, lemon, cloves and cinnamon; and the decadent Peppermint Chocolate, peppermint schnapps, Creme de Cacao and housemade hot chocolate.

Early Tonic

Pear & Bubble

All of our new cocktails are priced at $14.

Masters of Food & Wine - January 14

On Saturday, January 14, the Park Hyatt Masters of Food & Wine returns, focusing on the best regional ingredients of the winter season.  Participants will immerse themselves in a series of events highlighting seasonality, including a cooking class with chef de cuisine John Melfi, and expression of local flavor, such as a microbrew tasting from brew masters in Alexandria, VA.

3:30 - 5:30 pm    In the Kitchen with Chef de Cuisine John Melfi

Gather inside Blue Duck Tavern's open kitchen, around the restaurant's Molteni range, and assist Chef de Cuisine John Melfi as he prepares a warm and savory homemade "cassoulet" using freshly-harvested winter ingredients from Eco Friendly Farms in Moneta, VA. Then, relax in the restaurant's dining room while tasting the true flavors of local meats and vegetables found in this hearty dish, complemented by a selection of wines from Ravines Wine Cellars in Hammondsport, NY.  $175, inclusive of tax and gratuities

5:30 - 7:00 pm    Winter Tea Blend Tasting

Join Certified Tea Master Rodrick Markus of Rare Tea Cellars, for an educational seminar of his premier winter tea blends, followed by a vertical tasting of rare Pu-erh teas, direct from Park Hyatt Washington's unique Tea Cellar.  $45, inclusive of tax and gratuities

5:30 - 7:00 pm    Local Microbrew Tasting

Sample flights of locally-crafted ale from the brew masters at Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria, Virginia, paired with seasonal conserves, straight out of Blue Duck Tavern's open kitchen.  $45, inclusive of tax and gratuities

For additional information or to reserve tickets, please email masters.phwashington@hyatt.com or call +1 202 419 6768.  We hope to welcome you for the Masters of Food & Wine on January 14.

Meet our New Executive Chef

We are very delighted to welcome our new executive chef, Sebastien Archambault! Sebastien has served in many great kitchens around the world, including working under notables Alain Ducasse, Jean-Francois Rouquette and Guy Savoy. 

Look for Sebastien in and out of the kitchen, and be sure to say hello!