For our anniversary last night we went to the Blue Duck Tavern in the Park Hyatt hotel. This is another of our top-10 restaurants in DC. Katy started with Sardines on "toast," a tasty preparation of a typically bland fish. Paul tried bone marrow for the first time, spreading it and roasted garlic on some toasted bread. For the main course, Paul had two magnificent crab cakes and Katy ordered the whole fish fillet. The meal was accompanied by a delightful wine -- the 2006 Mendel Unus from Mendoza, Argentina. It's a 70/30 Malbec/Cabernet meritage blend with a very fruity nose and a strong alcohol finish. It improved very much as the evening went on.
What we particularly liked about this visit to Blue Duck (besides the food which was, as always, spectacular) was our chance to watch the kitchen. We'd told them in advance that it was our anniversary and, to our surprise, they saved us seats right by the kitchen, so we got to watch the preparations. One of the interesting pieces was the finishing chef (who knows what his official title is?) whose job was to put on all the garnishes and to grind on the last little bits of topping for the dishes. He was a master of the "small touch" and we really enjoyed the show.
Overall, Blue Duck rates tops for ambiance and food. Well worth a visit.
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