Duck Dinner Makes Big Ripples

Duck Breast Entree

REVIEW BY FOODIE GLORIA WOLF, SBINSIDER| January, 25th, 2025

More than one person said they weren’t sure if they liked duck, but they definitely do now, after the Chef’s Dinner on Wednesday January 22.  The meal started with an appetizer of tomato bruschetta over whipped ricotta, drizzled with a balsamic reduction. The bruschetta was delightfully crunchy, on toasted bread with flavorful tomatoes. The whipped ricotta layer between the bread and tomatoes has a job to do. It keeps the bread from getting soggy but also balances the acid in the tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar. The appetizer was accompanied by a 10 Span Chardonnay.  The Chardonnay originating in Santa Barbara County was light, not overly oaked, and golden, making a nice highlight to the appetizer.

The pan-seared duck breast with port sauce was perfectly cooked and flavorful. What the menu didn’t tell you is that it was accented with blueberries. The blueberries added a little touch of sweetness to the port sauce. For even more sweetness, there was a whipped sweet potato puree with hints of cinnamon. Roasted haricot verts rounded out the entrée. One of my favorite vegetables, haricot vert are the slimmer, more tender, French version of the green bean. Here in Arizona, they are a spring crop you can grow in your yard.

A Meridian Pinot Noir joined the party as the addition to the entrée. The Pinot Noir grape accents the flavor of duck along with the slightly sweet, sweet potatoes. Dry and smooth, this Northern California wine is aged in French and American oak.

Our spoons broke through the perfectly created crust of the Grand Marnier crème brulee dessert. That dessert was irresistible even when trying to lose those extra pound gained during the holidays. Fortunately, the damages were not too great.

Gloria Wolf, food critic

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Rebecca Everett
Rebecca Everett
14 days ago

That sounds like a magnificent dining experience. Will the dock be added to the regular menu?