There are a lot of great restaurants in DC, but one has never, ever disappointed me. Even if something didn’t totally “wow” me, nothing has ever disappointed me. Ever. Like, never ever, ever. Plus all of the food is sourced organically from the United States, which I absolutely love.
Blue Duck Tavern is that restaurant.
Recently I went and grabbed two main courses, a pasta starter, three sides, and oh yeah, bone marrow.
The bone marrow from cows raised in Creekstone, KS here is the best in DC for the long-split variety. Beuchert’s on the Hill offers my favorite stand-up and scoop style. At Blue Duck Tavern the marrow is roasted with garlic, crunchy sea salt, and rosemary. Served over sea salt which is a must for topping, roasted garlic for spreading, and crusty toasted bread to serve as the vessel, this dish is to die for. Of the top five dishes I am in love with in DC, this is one of them.
Moving past bone marrow, the only thing that is better is anything with fresh truffles. Fresh shaved white truffles to be exact. The warm fresh made tagliatelle pasta is simply tossed with good olive oil, herbs, and fresh shaved white truffles that melted in your mouth with the warmth of the pasta.
I am a big fan of pork, so naturally one of my favorite dishes is the 12-hour roasted suckling pig organically raised in Virginia with fried pork cracklings on top served with vegetables and a pork au jus. Crispy skin, tender, naturally sweet meat that fell apart, and a rich dark jus continues to make this dish my favorite.
Also ordered was a sliced rib-eye over vegetables. While this dish was great, there was nothing over the top about it. Just a good piece of meat and a very rich and delicious sauce. I tend to prefer more marbling in my steak, but just a preference. As the menu changes almost weekly, this dish is not currently on their menu when I last checked (March 2, 2014) – perhaps they have removed it.
The sides are always expertly prepared. The creamy stone-ground grits from Anson Mills, SC with red-eye gravy taste similar to my mothers (from the South), so high compliments indeed.
The brussels sprouts, from Path Valley, PA were seared perfectly and they had a nice bitter char that paired nicely with their naturally sweetness. Topped with shaved pecorino (a bit too much for my taste) and lemon zest (that was a tad heavy handed), this dish still remained outstanding. Again, these are just personal preferences as my dining companion found them delicious.
The winner among the table was definitely the roasted wild mushrooms with olive oil croutons from Kennett Square, PA. Firm yet tender, earthy and very nutty without being strong or gamy, these were absolutely perfect. If you love mushrooms, just these and a nice glass of red and you’ll be set.
Blue Duck Tavern remains the most consistently delicious restaurant in DC.
Blue Duck Tavern: Website | Facebook | Twitter
