Blue Duck Tavern Blog

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!

Celebrate the New Year at Blue Duck Tavern

Celebrate the New Year in good taste at Blue Duck Tavern as we offer two seatings for dinner on
Saturday, December 31. The first seating, available from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm, will feature a three-course, a la carte menu priced at $75 per person or $145 with Robert Mondavi Reserve wines and Taittinger champagne pairing. 

The second seating, starting at 8:30 pm includes a three-course, a la carte menu with champagne toast at midnight, priced at $110 per person and $175 with Robert Mondavi Reserve wines and Taittinger champagne pairing. 

Advance reservations are required.  Please call +1 202 419 6755 or visit our website for reservations.

For those looking to host a small gathering, our private chef's table makes the perfect setting for a special New Year's Eve dinner.  Allow Chef de Cuisine John Melfi to customize a four or five-course, family-style menu using the freshest ingredients available from regional purveyors. This special holiday menu is prepared in a series of small casserole dishes, designed for sharing amongst up to 18 guests.

To book our chef's table, please call Marvina Williams at +1 202 419 6755 or email blueduck.tavern@hyatt.com.

RECIPE: BDT Peppermint Ice Cream

Pastry Chef Peter Brett's new BDT Peppermint Ice Cream is sure to put anyone in the holiday spirit.  With its beautiful blue color and zestful mint taste, from Zoe's Chocolate's handmade blue and white candy canes, this new treat is a must-have this winter season! 

But for those who want to try it at home, the recipe is rather simple, and makes a perfect dessert for your next holiday gathering! 

Ingredients

1 qt milk

8 oz sugar

12 egg yolks

8 oz honey

1 tsp peppermint extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 qt heavy cream

6 oz crushed candy canes

Method

Scald 1 quart of milk with 8 ounces of sugar.  Gradually stir the hot mixture into 12 egg yolks.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and reaches 175 degrees on a candy thermometer. Stir in 8 ounces of honey and 1 teaspoon each of peppermint and vanilla extracts.  Chill overnight.  Stir in 1 quart of heavy cream and process in ice cream machine. Mix in 6 ounces of Zoe's Chocolates homemade, blue and white crushed candy canes and freeze overnight.

Our New Seasonal Desserts

Straight out of Blue Duck Tavern's Pastry Pantry are Chef Peter Brett's handful of new seasonal desserts. Enjoy these sinfully delicious treats, whether dining in the restaurant for lunch or dinner, or simply relaxing over a glass of wine in the Lounge.

Pecan and Date Tart, Vanilla Bean Custard  - Traditional pecan pie filling in a shortbread crust, toasted pecans and fresh dates, served with vanilla custard sauce

Sweet Potato Pudding, Five Spice Marshmallow, Rum Raisins - Oven roasted sweet potatoes mixed with eggs, brown sugar, butter and orange rind, topped with a freshly toasted marshmallow flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and clove, and garnished with dark and golden raisins marinated in Meyer's Dark Rum

Brown Sugar Brioche, Winter Fruit Compote - Rich yeast dough made with eggs and butter, baked in a mixture of brown sugar and cream, and served with a compote of dried fruits, including apples, apricots, cherries, cranberries, currants and raisins

BDT Peppermint Ice Cream - Vanilla ice cream flavored with peppermint oil and handmade, crushed candy canes from Zoe's Chocolates in Pennsylvania

Pear Sorbet

Pomegranate Sorbet