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A big thanks to our friends at The Washington Post's Express for including our new Healthy Living fruit juices and smoothies in today's "Fit" section. Just as the article states, these tasty, rather colorful, drinks certainly help get creative juices flowing and are perfect for jet lag, detox and more! Come to the Lounge and try one today!
To read the complete article, click here.
I am back home after spending almost two weeks at the fabulous Park Hyatt Buenos Aires. As you may have read from a previous post, I was serving as a guest chef in the kitchen of Duhau Restaurant and Vinoteca, preparing some of my dishes. Over the next week, I plan to write about this amazing experience and will share some photos with you as well.
My timing could not have been more perfect! I arrived back in Washington yesterday afternoon and unfortunately, was not able to attend the RAMMY (DC's restaurant awards) nominations party, where Blue Duck received a tremendous nod for "Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year." Fortunately, several of my colleagaues were there to accept our finalist plate. So, from now until June 7, when the awards are announced, my fingers are crossed!
It's that time of year again where shad begin to swim into the Delaware River and leave behind their delicious roe sacks. Here at Blue Duck Tavern, we are taking full advantage of this very short "shad" season, by experimenting with this tricky little item.
Under cook it and it's mealy, overcook it and it's way too strong of flavor to eat. Here, we're poaching it gently in brown butter, providing a hint of flavor into the roe, and then adding thinly sliced Virginia ham, baby leeks and bourbon barrel aged sherry vinegar. Tough to go wrong with that...
Just 12 more days until Blue Duck Tavern's outdoor terrace opens on April 1 (and no, this is not an April Fool's joke!)
Our terrace is the perfect spot to gather with friends, enjoy a glass of wine, and indulge on Sunday brunch. We will be serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch on the terrace. Hope to see you soon!
Yesterday we launched our new spring cocktail menu in the Lounge. Keeping along the lines of Blue Duck Tavern, we have added a mix of the region's freshest seasonal ingredients to each of these new beverages.
A few of the new drinks include the Spicy Grapefruit Cosmo made with Van Gogh or Kettle One Citroen vodka, Triple Sec, grapefruit juice, a splash of simple syrup, Tabasco sauce (yes, that's what makes it spicy), a topped with a grapefruit twist; Kiwi White Sangria, a combination of kiwi slices, Sauvignon Blanc St. Supery, Van Gogh vodka, Midori, white cranberry juice and elderflower syrup; and Ugni Blanc Flowers combining Gvine gin, grapefruit juice, elderflower syrup and Ferrari Brut.
My favorite, and probably most seasonal because of the city's National Cherry Blossom Festival, is the Kyoto Colllins. Here is the recipe:
1 1/2 oz Kyoto cherry blossom syrup
1/2 oz lime juice
splash of simple syrup
splash of club soda
Tomorrow I depart for Argentina, participating in a guest chef series at El Palacio Duhau, Park Hyatt Buenos Aires. From March 14 to March 21, I will be preparing organic, farm-to-table dishes, similar to those found at Blue Duck, in the kitchen of Duhau Restaurant & Vinoteca. Duhau is the hotel's signature restaurant, offering international cuisine with an emphasis on seasonal and fresh products, similar to the concept we have Blue Duck.
Throughout the trip I will be posting about my experiences in and out of the kitchen and perhaps share a few great Argentine wines that I am tasting!
Chau, suerte!
Perhaps you have been fortunate to try one of our new fruit juice and smoothie drinks in the Lounge. We just launched the new "Healthy Living" program which provides guests with healthy options on the go. So, if you're feeling weary or tired, these organic beverages are perfect - and they taste great too!
My two favorite ones are:
Digestion Juice
Michael and I have recently updated our menus, bringing you the season's freshest ingredients. Please click here to see our current offerings including Nantucket Bay Scallops, Rack of Black Berkshire, and Caramelized Fennel with Clementines and Almonds.
For reservations, please call 202 419 6755 or visit blueducktavern.com.
