Blue Duck Tavern Blog

Save the Date: Ferrari-Carano Winemaker Dinner, April 29

Chefs Brian McBride, Michael Santoro and I are thrilled to announce an upcoming winemaker's dinner with renowned Sonoma County winery, Ferrari-Carano, at Blue Duck Tavern on Thursday, April 29.

The chefs will create a special five-course menu, designed to share, paired with a selection of Ferrari- Carano's premium wines, including Tre Terre, Tresor and Prevail.  The dinner will be hosted by winemaker Aaron Piotter, guiding diners on a journey through his California vineyard. 

The dinner will take place at Blue Duck Tavern's intimate Chef's Table and semi-private dining area.  Stay tuned for additional information and pricing.

Follow us on Twitter!

 

After much persuasion, we've given into the madness and have joined Twitter.  Follow us at http://twitter.com/bdtavern. 

 
  

Easter Sunday at Blue Duck Tavern

Celebrate Easter Sunday with us on April 3, as Michael and I source fresh, seasonal ingredients from our favorite area farms to bring you a delicious holiday brunch menu.

Easter Brunch at Blue Duck Tavern will be offered from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm with a fixed-price, three-course menu.  Holiday brunch begins with hors d'oeuvres, such as smoked meats, cheeses, seasonal salads and breads, spread throughout our open kitchen, followed by a choice of entree and assortment of side dishes.  Housemade desserts from our pastry team complete the holiday feast. 

Brunch is priced at $90 per person and $45 for children between six and 12.  Children under six are complimentary.  For reservations, please visit www.blueducktavern.com or call +1 202 419 6755.

Tea Extravaganza 2010

Park Hyatt Washington is hosting Tea Extravaganza 2010 to be held on Friday, March 12 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm and on Saturday, March 13 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  This is a special, two-day independent tasting led by Chas Kroll, Certified Tea Master and Executive Director of the American Tea  Masters Association.  Similar to a fine wine tasting, this experiential gathering will offer fourteen of the finest, rarest and most exquisite loose-leaf teas from premier estates around the world. The program concludes, on Saturday afternoon, with an intimate lunch prepared by yours truly.

Tickets are priced at $189 per person, exclusive of tax. To purchase tickets or for addtional, please contact the American Tea Masters Association at +1 619 330 9017 or visit www.teamasters.org. 

The hotel is also offering a special rate of $229 plus tax, for attendees interested in overnight accommodations.  Reservations can by made by contacting my colleague Renee Sharrow at +1 202 419 6625 or renee.sharrow@hyatt.com

We hope to see you there!

 

St. Jude Gourmet Gala

On Tuesday evening, I participated in the 12th Annual Gourmet Gala benefiting St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.  The event, which was held at the National Building Museum, provided supporters of St. Judes with an opportunity to taste some of the city's finest cuisine, including my friends at Marcel's, Equinox, Zaytinya, Volt and Vidalia.  All proceeds from the gala benefited the support of children suffering from catastrophic and life-threatening diseases.

    

 
 
 

Sno-gasm!

The snow is back, but don't fret!  Blue Duck Tavern will remain open tonight and tomorrow.  Gather with friends while enjoying comfort American food, right from our wood burning oven! 

Park Hyatt Washington will also offer a special "snow" rate of $199, plus tax, throughout the week.  Call +1 202 789 1234 for reservations.

We are Open!!

The snow may be falling, but Blue Duck Tavern remains open all weekend!  Join us for weekend brunch tomorrow and Sunday from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and then for dinner starting at 5:30 pm. 

The Lounge and Tea Cellar will also operate regular business hours as well.

Valentine's Day at Blue Duck Tavern

Crazy to think that Valentine's Day is almost here.  But it's an opportunity for Michael and I try to something different in the kitchen.  While we will still offer a limited a la carte menu on February 14, our big focus is a specially created amorous menu for two to share.

We will offer this intimate, four-course tasting menu for dinner only, starting at 5:30 pm.  The meal starts with Arpege Egg with Smoked Haddock, Sabayon and Sturgeon Caviar; followed by Dungeness Crab made with Orecchiette Pasta, Hot Pepper, Lime and Creme Fraiche; and Elysian Fields Lamb Rack served with Black Trumpet Mushroom Crust, Anna Potatoes and Stuffed Artichokes.  The dinner concludes with a Valrhona Chocolate Box and Pink Champagne Sorbet.

Valentine's Dinner is priced at $65 per person, exclusive of beverages, tax and gratuity.

 

Our Growing Wine List

For my first blog post, I would first and foremost say what a thrill it is to join the Blue Duck Tavern team.  It is an immensely talented team!  I hope to keep us moving forward, improving more and more each day.

Secondly, I am proud to introduce two excellent additions to an already impressive wine list.  We have recently added Thomas George Chardonnay and Zinfandel, both available by the bottle.  They are atypical California wines and really terrific values. Thomas George is a family-owned estate in the Russian River Valley dedicated to making small production, hand-crafted, artisan wines.

The Chardonnay reminds me of the style of Gary Farrell, but I think Thomas George is an even better expression of what California Chardonnay should be.  Often times the "traditional" California style, while it can be delicious, is too overwhelming for many foods.  The Chardonnay, with only 900 cases produced, is barrel fermented, but only sees about 20% malolactic fermentation.  The result is a beautiful texture, and not overly oaked or buttery.  It reminds me of an Oregon chard, but with a little less minerality.  It has beautiful pear and tropical fruit nuances with fresh, bright acidity.  In the mid-palate, you get a nicely balanced apple and vanilla with a finish that makes me think of preserved lemon.  I would pair this lovely wine with our Crumble of Brussel Sprouts and possibly the Oven Roasted Bone Marrow to start (definitely acidity to cut into the richness of the marrow) and then with our Olive Oil Poached Escolar.  In Blue Duck Tavern, we are currently offering the 2008 vintage.

Thomas George's Zinfandel, from Dry Creek, is also a nice expression of how well a good Zinfandel should taste.  Often times Zin can be so high in alcohol that they can be borderline unpleasant, but not the case here.  You taste the flavors of dark fruits, such as plum and blackberry, baking spices and cocoa.  This is a concentrated, full body wine, with nice structure and balance.  Although it is a 2007 vintage, one might think it is too young, but it is drinking beautifully now.  I would definitely have this wine complement the second half of my dinner, pairing it with our Braised Beef Rib and then finishing the bottle with our Flourless Chocolate Chiboust Cake. 

Just one more day...

New Year's Eve is here tomorrow and we still have a few remaining seats to fill during our second seating, starting at 9:00 pm.  Here's a sneak peek at our special six-course menu:

Chilled Canapes and Charcuterie; Langostines and Glazed Sweetbreads; Proscuitto Wrapped Rockfish with Lentil Ragout; Milk Fed Poularde Arrangement; Wagyu Striploin with Black Trumpet Royale, Boulangere Potatoes, Celeriac and Apple Puree and Baby Winter Greens; and Decadent Chocolate Tasting.

This holiday menu is priced at $160 per person, inclusive of beverages.  For reservations, please call +1 202 419 6755. 

We hope to ring in the New Year with you at Blue Duck Tavern!