Duck Duck Goose, a new venture in French cuisine from the chef/owner of 4935 Bar and Kitchen Ashish Alfred, has held invitation-only soft openings last night, and Tuesday night. An employee said they hope to open to the public this coming Monday, April 18. The small dining room looks quite nice, as does the outdoor patio seating. DDG is located at 7929 Norfolk Avenue.
47 comments:
They wouldn't let you in?
5:03: Nope, private invite only, they said.
I'll bet they invited Kraut and Riemer.
5:26: I doubt it.
BM's website tweeted this yesterday, so I think they did invite Kraut.
Also, no credit to BM for breaking this story first? It's one of the few times they've beaten you on a story.
5:40: That is false. They had no story published as of this morning, and the tweet was posted not only after I had the photos, but I received an additional email about it from a reader long before they "tweeted." Why would I give credit for my own work?
Actually BM beat him on the Stonehall as well.
It doesn't count until you publish it, whether on Twitter or on your blog. BM tweeted before you published anything about it.
Kraut left a wicked BM at DDG. He won't be invited back.
6:07 am hi Steve!
It's pretty clear who's desperate here. There are no comments on the competitor's website promoting my site, but there is constant spamming of their site here in my comment section. Clearly, they are desperate for readers and have to resort to these childish tactics of spamming. Your actions speak for themselves.
5:50: BS. It was a press release sent to everyone.
6:07: Shut up, [expletive]. The pictures were taken before anybody tweeted. You were asleep at the switch. Don't take it out on me.
As we were walking by the restaurant last evening, we were invited to come in for a free tasting. Nearly everything on the menu (other than drinks) was being offered gratis. The staff couldn't have been nicer and the food was outstanding. Prices listed on the menu were reasonable and the wine/beer list, though small, was adequate. This is a great addition to the B'town dining scene!
All this silly chatter and nothing about how bad this place will suck. Closing party in a year. Their other place 4935 or whatever it's called tells you all you need to know. Looks like a Middle East mafia hangout. It's decor and food are disgusting. It's completely uninviting. Tired of these people opening restaurants who have no idea what the flip they are doing. It'll never be good I guess. Go to eater website and look up Atlanta if you want to see what our restaurants here should be. In fact, just go to DC. That's where all the action is. Will this place have a two week wait for a reservation like places in DC have? I doubt it. I'm going to dinner Saturday night at 5:30 cause that's all I could get. That tells you a lot right there too.
Who to believe, who to believe.
Let's see 6:50 actually went to the restaurant, tried things, talked to the staff.
6:52 didn't, can only get a resv at an elderly-early time on a Saturday, and bitches how they're already failing before knowing or trying anything.
Hmmm
Who to believe indeed. I'm happy to be wrong by the way. Elderly time? Yeah, that's evidence of how good the restaurant I'm dining at on Saturday night is. Not being old myself, I'd rather not eat with the rest of the early-birds but at least I can get a table. Incidentally, are there any restaurants in the downtown Bethesda district that have that kind of busy reservation schedule? I'll answer that for you. No. Will this new place with the silly name, run by people who have no training in French cuisine, make such a buzz that you won't be able to get a table for a week or more unless you go at an "elderly" time? Call me skeptical but I doubt it.
5:40: Just checked that tweet, and it does not have the opening date. Nice try.
7:33 I do understand what you're saying, and maybe I'm too optimistic. But the restaurant biz is a crap shoot. You never know what will make a place successful. it could be the food, the service or the mural on the wall.
I just know how much time and effort people put into opening a new place and I hate to write places off before they open.
I doubt 6:50 was invited in as he walked by...
Who's this anonymous guy who's always badmouthing our local restaurants and rooting for them to close? My money is on Dyer's pal Benny Greenberg.
I agree. It's a crap shoot especially when you have service, decor and food that's substandard. I'm talking about the other place these folks own, 4935. Restaurants who provide great service, atmosphere and food that is top notch usually do well. And if the right concept is chosen usually helps. Is there a desire to have another French restaurant in Bethesda? What kind of demographic studies have they done? What does the public really want in this area? Can they answer any of these questions or is this just a crap shoot as you say? It can't just be that or it won't survive. There's already a well established, traditional French restaurant a block or so away. Is there room for another one? This is my point that folks just open places cause they think a particular concept will just work and diners will just come. It does take time and money but more needs to be spent up front. Restaurants fail at a huge rate. One of the reasons that's so is because wannabe restauranteurs don't do their homework. What's being offered in the downtown area isn't good enough for the demographic it seeks to serve and people need to wake up to that reality. This place gives me no hope that'll change at least not much. These people better hope Tom Seitsema from Washingtonian doesn't get ahold of them. Bethesda Magazine reviewers just want to be nice and won't let them have it if they deserve it. We shall see what happens.
8:51 AM - Because they almost universally stink that's why. Grass is always greener when you travel that's true but it's also a lot tastier too. Don't have to go too far just look at DC. Again, are there any places in the downtown Bethesda district with reservations systems so full that it takes a week minimum to get a table? Name one if you think I'm too harsh. When you start to see restaurants in Bethesda running big wait times and full reservation systems then you'll know better food days are ahead instead of the the constant turnover and closures.
Woodmont Grill always has a wait, so that's false. There are busy restaurants in Bethesda.
If you're going into every place with the attitude that all is substandard, it's no wonder you have so much hate and disappointment.
When does your place open?
10:00 AM - Woodmont Grill is one of the only restaurants that is difficult to get a table and they do an excellent job no argument there. I wish there were more like them. Their reservation system is not jammed however and you can usually get a table. The demand is not that high as it perhaps once was but at the same time, they've been around for many years. If Bethesda added a place like Woodmont Grill, it would help. Duck, Duck, Goose I'm not so sure.
10:06 AM - You see, that's a problem cause you let emotion into it. It has nothing to do with hate and I don't hate. And my attitude isn't that all are substandard that just happens to mostly be the case. This isn't a new argument ok? We have the highest earnings and education demo. in the country. We don't deserve better than Quigley's Irish pub or whatever they're calling the place that took over from Hard Times? Chain restaurants? Tommy Joe's? They all stink period. Think I'm a snob? No, I'm not saying we should only have the most expensive and nothing cheaper will do. No, not at all. At all price points, we should have the best. You know what's terrible for breakfast? Tastee Diner. People have to wake up and realize that our neighboring communities and areas not a far drive away are better than what we have. That's all. When does my place open? Well, I'm not opening a restaurant but I am in the hospitality business and I know what I'm talking about. If I did open, I'd open the best BBQ place within miles of here and make a fortune. Cause it doesn't have to be Michelin star rated to be good and successful.
Places in Bethesda where I've faced waits of 30 minutes or more to get a table: Silver, Mon Ami Gabi, Rio Grande, Kapnos Kouzina (ok, it's new so that's why), Brickside, Barrel and Crow, Redwood.
Now, this is on a Friday or Saturday night. I realize all those places will be easy to get a table on a Tuesday for example.
As for DDG, there used to be a French restaurant in the same location as I recall. It was decent. The other French restaurant you refer to a block away (La Vieux Logix) is definitely a different target market. They come off as stuffy and popular with the geriatric crowd. It's not a bistro-type place that's more casual. I can't speak to DDG as I haven't been there, but if they go for the more casual bistro style, I think it may work.. assuming they get the rest right too, like product, execution, service, etc.
4935 I've never had an interest in going there. It used to be an Italian place (Tragara or something?) that was popular for its banquet hall as the location of many a bar mitzvah and wedding reception. I think that's how they stayed in business so long, as otherwise the food was unremarkable -- but few other places in Bethesda have a big room for a reception (Positano is the other).
Still, for the restaurant deadpool, my money is on Soup Up, then Gusto Italian Grill.
Yes. I agree. Kapnos has some promise though as does Barrel. The others you mentioned are not winning any best of awards. Deadpool - you're right on target. Gusto possibly could have made it but the location isn't great. Parking, on the other hand, can never be blamed.
Parking in DC is awful and expensive. Doesn't stop probably 100 successful places from opening in the last couple years from crushing the cash register.
Didn't Barrel just lose their chef? So all that good food Seitsma liked is now out the window for something different? :(
I forgot he liked that place one of the few he did. So much for that.
2:57: I think they are spamming Dyer, is more like it. More attention paid to the news, and less to Robert Dyer would probably improve their coverage. The whole thing about the tweet and rapid troll response to my article was that they were somehow tipped off that I knew about the "soft opening". Meanwhile they knew nothing, because they didn't actually give an opening date in their tweet.
Gaslighting your spam ad with my delete button in 3...2...1....
Vieux Logis has superb French food, especially the specials. Shout out for Chef Christan Gautrois!
Looking forward to trying DDG, but Vieux Logis under Chef Gautrois is in a class by itself,
11:02 am, I love love Tastee Diner. Who do you represent? You want to open a restaurant, fine, but leave Tastee outta this a local icon, deal. (God!)
6:59: Poppy is that you?
I lost track of who said what but i'll give me $0.02. I have lived in Bethesda my whole life - so I have seen the growth. Those in this post who are discussing the lack of restaurants in downtown Bethesda that require a "wait" or "reservation" I believe they are somewhat correct.
Yes, there is Black's, Woodmont Grill, Olazzo, and Rio Grande that require a wait beyond 30 minutes or reservations at their peak times - Friday/Saturday 4:00 - 6:00 PM. However, outside those days and times one can basically walk right in and get a seat.
What Bethesda doesn't have is a place like Rose's Luxury in DC. I have been four times in the almost five(?) years it has been open. It was named America's Best Restaurant a few years ago. Still to this day people have to wait outside the restaurant before they open to be immediately seated or to reserve a spot for the night. My wife and I went this past January on a Wednesday night and I still had to wait 1 hour before they opened (5:00 PM) to get a spot. It was cold, light flurries, and windy but they still had 20 people in line at 4:00 PM. That is something I want Bethesda to have.
What does gas lighting mean?
5:12 AM - Exactly correct. DC hottest restaurants (and there are many) don't even have tables available on week nights. It has been discussed time and again and no one seems to know why more top chefs ( we have Jose Andres and Mike Isabella now) aren't coming into the downtown area. There's plenty of talent but great and I mean great places at all price points, won't come. How bout an incredible deli? Jettie's is very good actually but something on the par of a Casapulla in Rehoboth. Bradley Food and Beverage has been around for years and is not great despite its long success. The right concepts (again, don't have to be fine dining) opened by people who have experience and not looking for a new hobby, will make money simply by giving people want they want. I'll tell you right now that if a kick butt BBQ joint came, not the faux que we have now, it would make a fortune. We've had at least two fail cause they stunk. We just need to stop patronizing substandard places. Let most of these close, they won't be missed.
9:00PM - oh god no. Poppy is the antithesis of progressive. Good fiction, but unappealing narcissism to many.
5:58AM - Did either BBQ place have a woodpile out back? If they didn't, they're not even trying to be BBQ.
@7:04 AM - This is 5:12 AM... I do not think they did and both places were horrible. Even something like Urban BBQ (which has gone slightly downhill recently) or Black Hog BBQ (Urbana, MD) would work pretty well in downtown Bethesda.
Rocklands should open up in Bethesda. They have one on Glover Park and one in Rockville, so it makes logical sense to put on right between them.
They could put it in the space where Nest used to be. What's up with that one anyway?
7:46? 7:04 back at ya. Gotta have that woodpile! Johnny Boy's in La Plata is probably still my favorite. Will have to try Black Hog BBQ.
No. They were crap.
Urban is crap Black Hog in Frederick is better than most around here.
Nest is coming back different name. Rockland's isn't good enough in my view but not terrible.
Woodpile important but experience in BBQ critical. No BBQ around here is worth a darn. A few recent ones in DC are legit. Black Hog from Frederick good as Chubby's on 15 outside Emmitsburg.
Johnny Boy's in La Plata - worth the drive. Little shack with picnic tables in back.
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