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5/11/11

Dining Al Fresco at Blue Duck

The weather in DC area has been surprisingly pleasant lately {I'm knocking on wood: don't want to jinx it!}. Last week was the perfect time to check out the newly renovated Blue Duck Tavern's patio. Special thank you to Heather Freeman PR for inviting me!

The first thing I saw after walking onto the patio and accepting a flute of Prosecco was a gorgeous wood table topped with dishes full of asparagus, golden beets and lobster. I could not wait to see how all these ingredients would interact on a plate. I also wanted that table! In my condo! Although I would have to cut it in half in order for it to fit into my dining room. But back to the food...


Next to the asparagus, beets and lobster was a rustic wooden bowl filled with brown eggs. Perhaps we'll be dining on an omelet?


While waiting for the main course, we were served a few appetizers:

Pickled beets with goat cheese {I love beets and goat cheese: this was a simple and yet delicious combination: literally a bite! Perfect for your next party.}


Oxtail and ramp arrancine {These were my favorite: crunchy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside: a perfect combination of meat, carbs and cheese! They were served with pickled ramps: divine.}




Pea soup with Morels {First, what a pretty presentation! I'm not yet tired of seeing soup in shot glasses. The mushroom was incredibly meaty and flavorful. However, I was surprised that the soup was hot. I would have preferred a chilled soup for an outside meal. Speaking of mushrooms, please vote for my recipe in morel mushroom contest! Thank you! And if you are wondering, that is my hand and I'm sporting one of my favorite nail polishes: Black Cherry Chutney by OPI.}


And then it was time for the main course:

Executive Chef Brian McBride prepared a chilled asparagus salad with poached hen egg, chervil vinaigrette and Maine lobster





What's not to like!? Fresh produce prepared in a minimalistic way topped with a perfectly poached egg! That's the type of dish you could have for breakfast, lunch of dinner!


To go with the food, we sipped on Rose wine by Boxwood Winery.




And right before we left, I sampled a Spritz Milano: 3 ounces Maschio Prosecco + 1 ounce Aperol + soda water + 1 orange slice.


This was such a perfect evening! But there was just one thing missing: dessert! Luckily, we received a to go bag with three decadent Bourbon maple syrup scones!

If you are in town, definitely pay Blue Duck a visit! And don't forget that they serve a scrumptious brunch!

3 comments:

The Purple Carrot said...

That looks like some awesome food! I absolutely love beets with goat cheese!

Maris (In Good taste) said...

It all looks so good but I am drawn to the pickled beet and goat cheese. Thanks for sharing !

Gastronomer said...

This post makes me miss D.C. A shame I had to rush off to the airport when we brunched here.