Bouillabaisse

The Tig Archives 08 / 14 / 2014

With only one night in DC, I was determined to have a dinner for one that would leave me feeling equal parts satiated and inspired. That’s a tall order – especially on a Monday night where most restaurants are dark. But Blue Duck Tavern ruled the roost. Chef Michael Serpa of Neptune Oyster (my holy grail for pescatarean perfection) steered me in the direction to BDT, with its farm to table menu, open kitchen, and beyond charming staff. The menu lists the purveyors and local artisans that supply each ingredient – so you know that your Wagyu beef was grazing in Snake River Farm of Idaho, and that those flecks of farro on your plate made their way from Anson Mills, South Carolina.

But for me, there were two items that punctuated my dining experience at Blue Duck Tavern not with a period, but with an enthusiastic exclamation point. The bouillabaisse, with its densely beautiful broth, so rich and silken in texture that it would be a crime to not dip your rouille crouton into every last drop of it. The mussels, scallops, and prawns luxuriated in their bath of this soup. I would too had the bowl been big enough.

Then the wood oven roasted bone marrow – a dish I usually (translation: always) overlook on a menu – but this, with its smoked tomato butter and basil parmesan crust converted me. Bursting with flavor, and melting in your mouth without (by some miracle) feeling heavy.

Honorable mention must be given to the tiger scallop carpaccio with tiger milk, avocado and citrus leaf, and the apple pie dessert with its bruleed caramel crust and trio of ice creams. Rarely do I have a meal where virtually every bite is noteworthy. Score one for Blue Duck Tavern, where all of the dishes were a dead heat.