In this day and age where social media and top media lists are becoming a dime a dozen, it’s hard for one to really believe what list is credible, so my challenge this year is to attempt to try as many of the top 100 restaurants listed by the Washingtonian to put to the test their their actual greatness. So here’s the first entry for Washingtonian’s 2014 list. Get ready. Eat. Indulge!

Duck Breast.

#7 Blue Duck Tavern– 1201 24^th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037*

Two words is all I have to utter for Blue Duck Tavern: Bone Marrow. Those who’ve been following me already know that I’m a huge fanatic of bone marrow, and Blue Duck Tavern hands down has my favorite bone marrow prepared dish. Everything about this appetizer deserves to be in a top 10 list on its own. From the presentation, color, seasoning, and pairing that combine to make this dish absolute perfection.

The bone marrow was so good that I was tempted to place a second order and cancel my entree. But I had to calm myself down and realize that if their appetizer is this phenomenal, their other food should be just as amazing.

Two recommended dishes are their 12-Hour Roasted Suckling Pig and Roasted Muscovy Duck Breast. Let’s be honest, when the food came out of the kitchen, I took one look at the dishes served on these cute little silver skillets and thought to myself, “There’s not much to these dishes at all.”

The protein sat in a sauce in the skillet in what looked to be tiny portions with a little bit of vegetables dolling it up a bit. But little did I know that looks can truly be deceiving. Their Roasted Suckling Pig is no joke, roasted for 12 hours to the point where the meat just melts in your mouth. The jus that the pork sat in has a hint of sweetness. Only thing was that I would have changed would have been to add crunchy green vegetables such as snowpeas to add some refreshing lightness to balance things out so the dish doesn’t seem too heavy.

The Roasted Muscovy Duck Breast was also a tender mouthwatering piece of heaven. The rhubarb butter added a nice sweetness to the duck meat. But again, it was a heavy protein that needed something refreshing to balance things out. My mistake was ordering the Hand-Cut BDT Triple Fries as a shared side instead of vegetables, but it’s hard to pass up on potatoes fried in duck fat!

In the end, too full, I couldn’t even bring myself to order their most talked about homemade apple pie for two. Overall, this restaurant definitely deserves it spot in the top 10 on the list. Next time, I’m opting for an entire side of Bone Marrow for myself and ordering some dessert!

* Restaurants are tiered by Washingtonian rating.

-ADT (Angie)