Bleu Duck Kitchen

I stopped in Rochester MN to crash with some friends on my way to MSP and they suggested that we have supper at the Bleu Duck Kitchen. I knew that Rodchester had quite the food scene with diverse options, so I was excited to try a new restaurant. We got a reservation and here were some of the highlights -I really liked the open and inviting space. Right inside the front door to your left is a beautiful bar area if you're just wanting a snack or cocktail, but then, it flows into the dining room and open kitchen. You can tell a restaurant has it together when they are bold enough to have an open kitchen. They want you to see their professional operation and how much intention they put behind their cooking.- I loved their craft/curated cocktail list. Quality, house made ingredients and variations elevated recognizable drinks. I opted for the straightforward Manhattan which was well balanced and booze forward. My friend had a daiquiri that was pretty potent and could have used a little more orgeat to balance the acidic flavors.- We went all out for this culinary adventure. We started with their French onion potato skins that were a little messy and tough to cut through, so you might want to go at like sushi with just one bite. However, I really liked the layers of flavor. The polenta fries were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside with a great goat cheese chipotle sauce, My steelhead trout was cooked perfectly and the bed of gochujang risotto and pea salad were great compliments. Honestly, I would. LOVE to go back just be able to try more of their entrées. They all sounded so good. The pork tenderloin was some comfort food and my friend appreciated the vegetarian options.The star of the show might have been this crêpe cake though! Holy cow. The time it must've taken. 10/10, but definitely be ready to share.

Open table states the inspiration behind the name is Billy Madison who drew a blue duck because he had never seen one before, and he wanted to see a blue duck! When I saw this I knew that I had to stop here. Deviled Eggs - (4 halves) Avocado mouse / crab These were good. Not my fav deviled egg ever. A Coffee Drink - Rum / Coffee LiqueurVanilla Syrup / Cream - perfect brunch drink. Lobster Fried RiceKimchi / Tamari / Yum Yum Sauce / Scallion / Sunny Egg - obsessed and loved this dish Smoked SalmonEverything Bagel / Dill Cream Cheese / Red Onion / House Vinaigrette / Cucumber-Tomato SaladKir Royale - Crème de Cassis / Prosecco ( I only ordered this because it was in Emily in Paris) I really enjoyed the vibes, food, and service here. Definitely will be returning to dine for their Happy Hour in the future. I want the Hot Dogs! Park in local ramp or on street.

Wanted something a little different and better than the usual American standard restaurants while we were in Rochester, so we decided to go to to Bleu Duck. the menu was fine and the ambiance was good, but the food was over processed. We had the mussels and meatloaf. The mussels were way over salted and the meatloaf was way over seasoned with vinegar. If both of them had been left alone they would have been great. Mussels don't need salt; they come from the sea. And corned beef doesn't need vinegar, it has a natural tang. But with the extra salt and vinegar, the food was inedible. The dessert was good, though.

Came here to celebrate our anniversary, and honestly it was such a disappointing time that we're planning on re-celebrating elsewhere. Making a reservation was easy. Parking can be a little bit of a challenge, but we figured it out. Upon arrival, checking in-- we were seated immediately. I was not a fan of our server, and if I'm being honest, this really determined our overall experience. I felt like we were not appropriately welcomed or greeted. She handed a menu, took our order, and that was it. She did not check in on us throughout the night. We also noticed that she was more attentive to the folks around us, which is fine, happy that others were having a better experience. I wish we could have had that experience too. Our food arrived in a timely manner, however, my steak was bland and dry. I ordered it medium rare. I felt like it lacked seasoning. The tenderloin was okay at best. We were recommended this restaurant by many of our friends, however, it was such a disappointing experience. I really wanted to like this place. It's a laid back restaurant, not too spacious; interesting music choice for the crowd. Anyway; I don't have any plans on visiting again.

Wonderful establishment with a great selection of wines, cocktails and creative dishes.When we arrived for our reservation, unfortunately we could not be seated right away but were offered seats by the bar and a free appetizer to make up for the wait. Wow, that's service!!!After just a few minutes, the previous party left and we were seated at a nice table with our appetizer already waiting for us. Unfortunately, the fried calamari and vegetables had a very salty breading (I live for salt, and the overall flavors would have been perfect, but it was simply too much of a good thing).Not a big deal as it was offered to us anyway.We ordered different oysters from the special menu - all were fresh and delicious.From the creative menu, I chose the duck breast (you kind of have to at Bleu DUCK) and was not disappointed, it was absolutely PERFECT!!!The restaurant itself is beautiful, not too noisy and is perfect for an evening with friends, business or a date.Will definitely return next time I'm in Rochester!

Probably the best restaurant in Rochester. We live out of town, but it has become our new favorite. The vibe is great and the menu changes from time to time. There are always a lot of great food choices to please any pallette. We always get the oysters (which are fantastic) and you may want to try the calamari. The duck and osso bucco are also delicious, and the Chef's Catch is often a great choice. The cocktail list is also impressive. It is always crowded, so make a reservation on Open Table.

We stopped here for dinner when visiting Rochester from Chicago. We were pleasantly surprised by the value for food quality here, first and foremost. The food quality and presentation are excellent, and the prices are very reasonable for what you get. The prices start from mid-twenties per plate and increase with market value of steak and oyster dishes. We ordered the steelhead trout and duck plate. Both were delicious; my husband loves duck and this was no exception. The meat was tender and cooking was well-balanced. He also enjoyed the accompaniments. The squash puree was well-matched to the dish and season (November). I ordered the steelhead trout and absolutely loved it - it was comforting and warm, with just a touch of coconut. The jalapeño was not spicy (seeds were removed) but gave the dish appropriate balance. The trout was medium to well cooked, and crispy skin balanced the amazing risotto pairing perfectly. We also ordered the pumpkin crepe cake and crème brûlée for dessert - both were delicious, but the pumpkin crepe cake was a homerun hit. The service was pleasant and friendly, and the ambiance was cozy but the place fills up quickly for dinner, so come early if you can. I would say this was a little more on the upscale side. We would come back if we could. Strong recommendation.

How about everything?!? I did not expect such a great experience, quality, and value.

As usual before heading to a new city outside our usual purveyor I checked Yelp for recommendations on where to eat dinner. Bleu Duck Kitchen came highly rated and it was only a hop, skip and a jump from the Mayo Civic center where we had concert tickets. Its reviews for places like this that I really dislike the 5 star scale and leave me really torn on my review. While there aren't any written rules that I can find when you spend over $100 on dinner for 2 I personally really want to love the place and I almost feel bad not being able to rave about it. I'm going to say Bleu Duck has so much potential and I can see why it has great ratings. It's a cool dining space with a small well curated drink and food menu that rotates somewhat regularly. The oyster and caviar bars are great and I loved being able to try several different individual types rather than having to order 6 or 12. Service was good even with our server dedicating much of her time to a table of 10 seated next to us. Ok on to the actual food part of the review. We had the French onion soup potato skins for a starter, the duck and the wild boar. I felt like ordering the way the menu was laid out first, second, main was going to be way to much food not to mention pricey but the portions are definitely small enough you could safely do that individually. The potato skins were unique and different though I wouldn't say amazing. The duck was done perfectly and the accompanying greens and squash were excellent. It's the wild boar where things went south. It first came out looking gorgeous but upon cutting into it was nearly raw. The waitress promptly brought it back to the kitchen where they simply tried to re fire the same pieces. Didn't help as it was still quite under done. To their credit they offered to cook another but at that point I was nearly done with my meal. Again they did the right thing and took 50% off that plate so no complaints there. Be warned it's pretty loud inside with high vaulted ceilings and brick walls in a smallish space. All this added up to a 3.75 star experience. I think it's worth a visit if you are in the area and I would go back because the potential is there. I just didn't feel great about spending $150 dollars and not being able to rave about it.

Great small eatery in a great part of downtown Rochester. Building itself is rich, very warm. Service is great, more of a formal experience than what I expected. Great menu, featuring a variety of meals that have a unique twist. A lot of menu items are locally sourced. Oyster bar is a plus, with a good variety of quality fresh oysters. Atmosphere and staff well blended. Comfortable setting and great service go hand in hand with the unique flavors presented in the menu items. Formal enough to feel like you are in a higher tier establishment, but not suit and tie. Still comfortable and fitting for a blue collar guy like myself to enjoy a great meal and not feel out of place in a pair of blue jeans and a polo.