The Blue Duck in Maplewood Missouri

Last month when we were visiting Laurie’s family in the St. Louis area, her sister Bonnie and Bonnie’s husband Bill introduced us to a relatively new and very popular restaurant in Maplewood. 

This is The Blue Duck on Sutton Avenue in Maplewood Missouri.  This is part of their introduction taken from their website:

“The Blue Duck provides our patrons with amazing offerings in a comfortable setting with unexpected and exciting results.  The Blue Duck can take any lunch, dinner, or after dinner experience to the next level.  Homey yet adventurous, The Blue Duck is like exploring unchartered territory in the most unlikely ways.”

As you’ll see, based on our experience, this introductory statement is right on the money!

The Blue Duck’s dining area is colorful and spacious.  I would call it the ‘industrial look with color’ and it makes the room pop!

The bar area in The Blue Duck is a bit more subdued but still welcoming…

I took the first photo above with Laurie, Bonnie, Bill and Bonnie and Bill’s granddaughter Avery.  For their 6 grandchildren’s birthdays, they give each of them an ‘exclusive day’ shopping, eating out, spending the night at their house, etc.  We were celebrating Avery’s ninth birthday!

Laurie took the second photo to include me in the family gathering… We were celebrating our 39^th wedding anniversary during this trip to St. Louis.

Even the adult beverages at The Blue Duck are imaginative!  Pictured above we have an “Educated Fool” and one “Kissin with Clothes On”. ($10.00 each)

The “Educated Fool” consists of Genever, Suze, Grapefruit Liquor, Maple and Prosecco.  “Kissin with Clothes On” was made with 3 Year Rum, Yellow Chartreuse, Oleo Saccharum, Lemon Orange Bitters and Bubbles.

Based on the descriptions provided I had no idea what some of the ingredients in these drinks actually were…

·         Genever is Dutch Gin or Hollands.  It’s the juniper-flavored national and traditional liquor of the Netherlands and Belgium.  Gin as we know it evolved from this liquor.

·         Suze is a Swiss brand of bitters flavored with the roots of the plant gentian and it’s normally drunk as an aperitif.

·         Oleo Saccharum doesn’t sound too appetizing but it’s a key ingredient in a good punch.  To make this oil, remove zest from lemons and clementine’s in wide strips with a vegetable peeler, leaving the white pith behind.  Toss with sugar in a bowl, cover and let it sit for at least 3 hours.  Strain into an airtight container, pressing on the solids to extract as much oil as possible.  Then discard the zest, cover the oil and chill. 

This was the Corn Bread Plate. ($4.00) The corn bread was about as good as it gets and it was accompanied with honey butter and smoked apple butter.  We ended up consuming 3 orders of corn bread!

What does this dish look like to you?  Your guess is probably wrong! 

This is actually The Blue Duck’s version of Pork and Beans. ($14.00) This ‘medium plate’ involved roasted tomato, smoked white beans, adobo BBQ, pork belly and crispy shallots.

FYI…The Blue Duck’s menu includes Small Plates, Medium Plates, Large Plates, Soups and Salads, Sandwiches, Sides, Desserts and Drinks.

Bill went for the tasting menu. ($40.00) Several of the following offerings were included in his wide ranging sampling of The Blue Duck’s menu.

 

This particular small plate was the Fried Pork Belly Bites with Barbecue rub, sweet barbecue sauce and pickled vegetable slaw.  Bill shared a bit and I had one of his ‘bites’.  Can you say “Excellent”!  Wow!

This is another medium plate (meant to be shared) and yet another dish that you won’t be able to reconcile with its name if you compare it to others with the same name…

These are 'deconstructed' BBQ Pork Tamales…with pulled smoked ribs, pulled pork, provel cheese, black beans and adobo BBQ. ($15.00) Yet another winner!

This is Laurie’s Duck Lettuce and Tomato (DLT) sandwich. ($12.00) This luscious creation consisted of cured and smoked duck breast, lettuce, tomato, fried egg and honey chipotle mayo on grilled sourdough.  It came with a very nice cup of potato salad.  The second picture is a close up of her DLT.  Happy wife!

This sandwich is named the Hood Boy. ($14.00) It is constructed with ham, turkey, nduja, pepperoni, provel cheese, St. Louis vinaigrette, arugula, bacon and pickles on a French loaf.  The side is the Blue Duck’s Mac and Cheese. ($4.00) It was all good!

·         FYI…Nduja is a spicy, spreadable pork salumi from Italy.  Typically it’s made with parts of the pig such as the shoulder and belly, as well as tripe, roasted peppers and a mixture of spices.

This was the Bleu Cheese Burger. ($13.00) The 6 oz. perfectly grilled burger patty usually comes with bacon, roasted mushrooms, fried pickled red onions and blue cheese dressing on a potato bun.  Yet another winner!

I had a side of Collard Greens with my Hood Boy sandwich. ($1.00) They were very good…one of the best versions I’ve had anywhere.

This interesting looking offering was part of Bill’s Tasting Menu feast.  It’s called “Duck Duck Goose”.  As this was a special, Kristen, our helpful, friendly and efficient waitress wrote down the ingredients for me.  It included a goose egg, bowtie pasta, sorghum glazed duck breast, fresh peas, arugula, pesto, pecorino cheese and burnt onion.  Bill loved it!

This was a slice of St. Louberry Pie…that we all had a bite or two of.  It was provided gratis given all of our other purchases but it normally would have cost $7.00.  This pie is made with strawberries and blueberries with a gooey butter topping.  It was very good indeed!

Our experience at the Blue Duck was excellent.  The food is fresh, imaginative and over the top with the pairing and melding of ingredients.  We were very impressed.  It isn’t inexpensive but keep in mind that we went over the top, ordering extra items and items just to sample the menu.  We hope to return to The Blue Duck on our next visit to St. Louis…

BTW...The Blue Duck is located at 2661 Sutton Boulevard in Maplewood Missouri.  It took over part of the old Katz Drug Store...a local historical landmark.  Phone: 314-769-9940.  Check out their menu (which includes box lunch offerings) at www.blueduckstl.com. 

  

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a ‘foodie’ experience!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave