Blue Duck Tavern

Farm fresh food, sourced from small farms around the country, an open kitchen, and a sprawling, airy dining room, bathed in natural light are just a few of the things I first noticed at the Blue Duck Tavern in Washington, D.C.

Recommended to us by several different people, the Blue Duck Tavern is quite popular, so popular that we could not get a dinner reservation, so we went for brunch instead.

The décor of Blue Duck Tavern is elegant but comfortable, city restaurant meets farm kitchen. Little touches, like a basket of Virginia peanuts are sprinkled throughout the space, making it feel homey and giving it a little local flair.

The kitchen is completely open. I literally walked through it on my way back from the ladies room. It is basically takes up several islands and countertops in the restaurant.

While we waited we watched the busy kitchen staff cutting meats, peeling apples, and bustling around getting our meals made.

I loved reading Blue Duck Tavern’s menu because it tells you exactly where so many of their ingredients come from.

With all of the items on the brunch menu, we both had a hard time deciding. But since it was past 2:00 by the time we arrived, I went for the Sunnyside Eggs with Cod Cakes and Spicy Buttermilk Sauce.

My beverage of choice was not a tough decision; Gloria Ferrer Va de Vi, one of my favorites when it comes to bubbly. I was a little disappointed that we did not go to Blue Duck for dinner because they do have quite a few Virginia wines on their wine list, and I wanted to try more of those. Next time!

As you can see, the eggs came out bright, soft, runny egg yolk perfection. Resting atop cakes made of fresh, flaky cod and toasted bread rounds, sitting in a shallow pool of creamy, spiced buttermilk sauce, this was truly a brunch like no other.

No words.

In addition to a sublime taste adventure, the meal was so perfectly timed, and the staff at the Blue Duck Tavern, minus the host, bent over backwards, were warm, friendly, and on top of everything. The very young host pulled the “let’s see if there is room for you” disappearance trick in a restaurant that had one table of people eating. Luckily everything else was spectacular.

Blue Duck was a fantastic recommendation; it was great that Eat, Write, Retreat gave me the opportunity to meet some locals and to find out where they would go on a date!

What is your favorite place to have brunch?Is it a restaurant, or do you whip up something incredible in your own kitchen?