Duchamp

Special dining hours during Restaurant Week. Woo hoo! Restaurant Week has been good to Duchamp for the last 2 years.
For $ 44, the enjoyed dishes are pâté, mussels, white fish and dark chocolate mousse. This year, the price is higher and the portions smaller. Maybe the ingredients are much more elaborate and exquisite compared to last year.
Everything was delicious! The mousse was exquisite — the powdered peanut butter on mousse is an original creation that added another level of taste and texture into the boring mousse. There was also a crunch in the bite.
I look forward to next year.

I really meant to pay my dear Duchamp a repeat visit way sooner than a year and a half after my intro visit, but… I just dropped the ball on that one. I have no other excuse. With my Gilt City voucher in hand (beer, cheeseburger, gelato* deal for $ 18), my pal and I looked forward to this meal all week!
Hit: nice ambiance. Like the candle feel.
Hit: deliciously juicy burger! That havarti queso is da bomb.
Hit: Black Dog gelato, y’all! Pistachio tasted more like almond/​marzipan, but you know I still inhaled it!
Miss: I specifically asked the waitress if I could replace the fries with brussels sprouts or some other veggies. She said she’d check with the kitchen, and they may have to charge me for the substitution, to which I said okay, but I’d like to know the selection of potential replacements first. Wait… wait… waiting. Waitress disappears. Burger comes out with fries. You can’t deny I really tried to be good, but those fries just found their way to me, I guess.
Miss: the clear, plastic-​y chairs don’t match the calm, cool, collected, chic feel of the restaurant. It reminded me of the chairs I had in grade school.
*For those of you who know I’m currently on a 30 day Paleo challenge (eating regimen that allows lean meats, fruits, and veggies and doesn’t permit grains, sugars, and dairy), I will confess that I ate the bun, cheese, a few fries, the gelato, and most of the beer… CARPE DIEM!

We took my parents here for the first time on ¹¹⁄₂₅. We were seated immediately. The service was great and the food fair. The meal was way over priced for what you were served. I am glad we tried it, but we will not being going back. My mom and I had the skatewing, my dad had the yellow tail snapper and my husband had the hanger steak. The fish was great, but the steak was a little salty. If you go order a side dish.
The music was extremely loud and it was turned down when we asked them too. I can’t believe we had to ask.

I. Think. This. Place. Is. Awesome.
Me and a friend were thinking of what would be a good place to eat right now. We weren’t in the mood for anything specific, but we needed something as we were starving. I used my Unilocal app on my Droid and thought hmmm… I have always heard good things about Duchamp but never really thought about going.
We drove over and were able to grab street parking right across the street from the place. Walked in and was greeted instantly. I like the look of the place… very intimate with dim lighting and candles to set the mood. Not a very big place but it definitely makes up for its small stature in which I will get into shortly.
Our server Emilie B was more than awesome as she referred me to two pretty good specialty cocktails (dont remember the name of them). My date got the $ 25 Prixe Fix Meal which included the mussels (good as hell), Roasted Amish Half Chicken (very juicy and packed full of flavor) and duckfat fingerling potatoes, and pumpkin gelato (out of this world). The chicken was too big for her so I had to help her out *wink wink*
My meal was awesome as well! I got the Linguine which was very delicious. The linguine included veal & pork shoulder ragout,
ricotta salata and fines herbes. Very nice sized portion… not too big, not too small. Emilie definitely helped with our dining selections so a big kudos to her for knowing whats up. Also they made sure the water glasses were filled everytime we took a sip so I can definitely say the damn thing was done all around iun this cozy spot.
Will definitely see the insides of this place again!

Awesome outdoor patio – spacious and tucked away from the street, with a bare, modern simplicity that lets you enjoy the outdoors, the food and your dining companions. Communal seating is the only drawback.
DRINKS – Bespin Cooler and Smoked Jaguar – both interesting and delicious and they don’t skimp on the alcohol.
FOOD–
1. Halibut – wonderfully cooked and flavorful.
2. Flatbread pizza with goat cheese, tomato, pancetta – great.
3. House-​made goat cheese ravioli, seared fennel, squash,
watercress pesto – fantastic, creamy, delicious, our favorite dish.
4. Baby green salad – smoked blue cheese, spiced pecans, plum,
sherry vinaigrette – fresh and tasty.
SERVICE – Attentive.
ATMOSPHERE – Casual, cozy, romantic, great for a date or group of friends.

A must in the summer, but feel free to skip in the winter. As many a Unilocaler has mentioned they have one of the best patios in the city. While they can’t guarantee the patio when you make a reservation (blah) they can put in a special request. And the few times I’ve put in such a «special request» I’ve been lucky to dine on this pretty fab patio.
I’m not only a fan of Duchamp’s patio, but also fond of their cocktails. The Audrey’s Cup was so delightful that I ordered two of them. My husband ordered the smoked jaguar and while it may sound like a manly drink it looks like one of the girly cocktails I tend to enjoy.
The food is good, but nothing particularly exciting. On my most recent visit my party of 6 ordered a bunch of things for the table. Favorite apps included the mussels, steak tartare and grilled octopus. None of the entrees we ordered were that good– the goat cheese ravioli was especially a letdown. However, Duchamp certainly knows how to make a french fry and I should probably use this review to apologize to my dining companions for eating all of them.
Somehow after an entire bowl of fries I still found room for dessert. We were all about the chocolate cake, but my hubby insisted on the rhubarb. And so we got both. The chocolate cake was as good as the french fries (perhaps even better), but the rhubarb didn’t really do it for me. I think the hubby agreed, but pretended like it was the best dessert in the world since he had insisted on ordering it. Sigh. Personally I think we should have gotten two chocolate cakes.
Our waitress was friendly, although she did comment several times on our healthy appetites. I was waiting for her to oink at our table by the end of the meal, but I guess she had a point… we did eat quite a lot! She also pulled the «I forgot to include tip on the check, but you guys seem nice.» I guess she thought we were not only big eaters, but also big tippers.

*to the tune of Beyonce*
«All the single ladies, all the single ladies, all the single ladies, all the single ladies…
Now get yourself to Duchamp»
That was a horrible attempt to rhyme, but whatever, you get the point. Get yourself some smoking sexy chef Aaron Lirette and his equally sexy food.
Scene 1 — getting there: A few days before the man’s birthday, girlfriend Preet called and asked what we are doing for his birthday. having just returned from a whirlwind tour across Europe, Arizona, and San Diego, I was at loss with planning his birthday. Luckily she stepped up and suggested a few choices and we settled on Duchamp. Reservations were secured at the last minute courtesy of Preet calling incessantly and making sure we get the perfect time (a 6:45pm reservation? Do I look like a senior citizen?). We scored 8pm reservations for Saturday dinner.
Scene 2 — cocktails: Day of the man’s birthday! We were greeted warmly and requested to wait at the bar while our table is being set up. The Smoked Jaguar felt like losing my virginity again, one of the sexist cocktails I’ve had in this city. How can you not feel sexy when tequila is combined with house-​made lavender syrup, agave, creole bitter, and lime… and sprayed with a mist of Mezcal? Can you resist the temptation? I couldn’t! Preet’s Bespin Cooler is the perfect summer drink, with citrus vodka, St. Germain, lemon, Sanbitter Soda, orange essence, served with a long stalk of mint. Looked as tall, beautiful, and elegant as Preet herself.
Scene 3 — the food: The manservant steps in. With his undying gratitude and unflinching love for his boss (me), Matt made sure it was stellar experience. It probably helped that he knows chef Aaron. Chef came to our table, chatted with us, and sent over special salads that we normally wouldn’t have ordered. Seedless watermelon covered with prosciutto and other stuff? Simply delectable. Ordered a few more appetizers to share: the farro, house-​made pasta, rabbit foie gras mousse, shaved fennel salad, and the famous baby octopus everyone is talking about. We couldn’t ask for a better waitress than Laurel, she made sure everyone was happy and well taken care of.
The man loves burrata. The Farro was served with smoked grapes, marcona almond, pea shoots, and drizzled with mustard vinaigrette. Vanished in a few minutes.
House-​made pasta: pulled wild boar with pine nuts and raisins, covered with a layer of flat pasta and shavings of Parmigiano-​Reggiano. Simple, yet stunning.
Rabbit foie gras mousse: my favorite dish of the lot. I am a huge fan of foie and pâté. The rabbit foie is served with apricot jam steeped in sauterne. The stunning component of this dish is the sauterne apricot jam. Smear a little of the jam on the baguette along with foie and you will be transported to foie heaven. Yes, such a heaven exists — a place where there is unlimited supply of foie and pâté — in my mind!
Lastly, the famous baby octopus everyone’s been talking about. Most likely the best octopus I’ve had in this city. Slightly charred baby octopus served with a side of chick peas on top of romesco sauce. Brilliant combination of flavors and textures.
All through this meal chef Aaron came to our table and made sure we are enjoying our food. Laurel made sure our cocktails were refilled, before we moved on to wine. She asked the man what he likes and recommended a Slovenian Tohkai Brda. The Tohkai Brda — not as sweet as a traditional Hungarian Tokaji, and more dry — complemented our dinner very well.
For main courses, we ordered the Rainbow trout, duck leg confit, and fish of the day — Pompano. While pondering over a fourth entrée choice, Laurel recommended we get the pork chop. We weren’t quite sure, because pork chop is a simple and boring cut of meat, but I am glad we took Laurel’s suggestion. The pork chop is a big slab of meat (almost a pound), with a rib at the end. Cooked to perfection in a charred leek vinaigrette, it elevated the traditional boring pork chop to a higher level.
The highlight of the entrees was the rainbow trout. A butterfly filet of trout sauteed with ramps, Spanish chorizo, and served with a slight drizzling of harissa. My goodness! The subtle flavor of trout combined with smoky chorizo and spicy harissa resulted in delightful moaning on my behalf.
The duck leg confit was like a festival of beets. The confit was served with charred beet greens, baby beets, and beet gastrique. Beet-​a-​palooza! Ok, that was lame.
As if we weren’t full by this time, chef Aaron treated us to a few desserts. A chocolate cake, bread pudding, and the most divine of all — rhubarb consommé layered with mascarpone, topped with pecans, set in a pool of sweetness with citrus meringues floating around. It was so incredibly beautiful, I wanted to make love to it right on the table. Heaven came in a bowl.
Service was stellar. Laurel made sure we had a fantastic time.
Food you want to make love to. And quite possibly the chef as well!

I am so embarrassed. I have been busy — traveling too much and save my foodie love for travel and tend to stay close to home when in town.
Gosh I am love with drop dead gorgeous Chef Aaron and the food at Duchamp.
Seated outside my dreamy Bulleit Bourbon cocktail warmed me up — and serious service like Laurel’s is hard to find in this town — pleasant, knowledgeable, agreeable, professional and yet still in charge. Thanks Laurel for adding to the romance of the evening of my «chosen family» dinner evening.
Gosh the food is lovely and tempting on so many levels — wild boar ravioli — yum — Rabbit foie gras with sauterne soaked peach jam. well now that kith & kin is gone I have a new go to place — Laurel brings what we need without asking I have beverages, food. YUM I forgot I was out and I can actually my friends and conversation!
Oh that roasted octopus Aurore talks about in her review rivals City House in Nashville… savory. Thanks to the chef for all the subtle components without being crazy — oh yea and for being cute (why am I am the only who mentioned this — single ladies get your ass to Duchamp).
Listen duck confit, a pork chop that was TO DIE do you remember the old days the GOOD old days when Tilli’s was a real restaurant (I am talking previous owners years ago and they had the best — anyway now Duchamp has the best pork chop un f’n believable my dad will be so happy when he comes to town.
But listen DESSERTS — I am so over desserts I don’t even order them anymore — well we had no choice — unbelievable HUGE portions — and seriously the chocolate dessert was refreshingly different and chocolately — the rhubarb floaty soup with meringue I can’t even begin to explain — brilliant.
People were saying something about value — I am not sure what they are referencing — value is what you make of it eh? I had a dreamy romantic memorable evening — and I will be back.

We wanted to switch up locales from Lincoln Park/​Old Town so decided to head over to Duchamp for Sunday brunch. I was hoping to sit outdoors but overheard upon arrival that they were nervous about rain… only to have the people seated next to us move to the outdoors upon their request.
First impressions: extremely loud. My husband and I are not old fogies but every single sound from a fork hitting a plate to the chatter of some of the kids nearby was amplified. The sound foam on the walls does nothing– clearly, they know that they have a problem with the acoustics.
The Father’s Day menu was prix-​fixe which we weren’t aware until we got there. The cucumber gazpacho was very good, the fritatta was cold and more of an egg casserole with very few vegetables in the «vegetable» version. The rhubarb dessert came with a few different elements that were not explained and therefore left me wondering how to re-​construct my semi-​deconstructed dessert. The flavors were good but it was tiny.
Lastly, the bill was very expensive. In my opinion, not even close to worth it.

I urge you to check this place out because I have a strong feeling you won’t be disappointed.
First off, I love the patio. It is spacious and the atmosphere is quite nice We arrived at 6.30p on a Friday and had no problem securing a spot in which to feast… and feast we did.
The octopus was so good that we ordered a second plate (even though we already had plenty of food on the way). Also, I’m already an existing fan of brussel sprouts but these guys take this side dish to the next level. My friends that hate sprouts were even converted. I had the pleasure of enjoying the trout as my entrée. The taste was remarkable and the presentation was brilliant as well. Bravo Chef Lirette.

It has taken me FOREVER to get to Duchamp. Tornados, thunderstorms, subzero weather, floods, locusts, pestilence — you name it. But I wanted that burger and damn it — I was going to get it.
Finally we made it last week and it was every bit as good as I imagined it would be. I mean, how can you go wrong with havarti cheese, tomato rémoulade and crispy romano french fries? It was SO good — the brioche bun was perfect — the meat was so flavorful. Note: — they do tend to cook them rarer than I like, so keep that in mind when ordering.
Another tip: get the flatbread pizza w/​pears, date balsamic spread & blue cheese and bacon. It was fabulous! I am talkin’ drooling good. Boring-​your-​friends-​for-​days good. Obsession-​bordering-​on-​scary good.
And then, my friends, we come to the dessert portion of our excellent meal. Sweet jesus (an exclamation — not the name of the dessert): chocolate cake sitting in salted caramel sauce w/​malted vanilla Black Dog gelato and marcona brittle. And the brittle is homemade. For sure. We asked the chef who was visiting a nearby table. Whoa. Just sell that shit by the box, please.
Check out the photo of this fab dessert. And then go get it. Get it all.
Also, brunch is now available at Duchamp, and I already know what I am ordering. Do you?

If you haven’t been to Duchamp recently, it’s time to pull it together and get yourself to Bucktown. Duchamp has a recently updated menu courtesy of sous chef turned executive chef Aaron Lirette and honestly, it’s nothing short of amazing.
They’ve kept the favorites like the Asian chicken wings, which are undoubtedly the best wings in the city and the luscious mussels chock-​full of garlic broth and brought up some new menu items that are upping the ante in both style and flavor.
If you’ve ever wondered about wild boar, look no further than the house made pasta with wild boar, pine nuts and… raisins? Surprising in every way, mainly because a) I doubted I’d ever eat boar and 2) who knew raisins in a savory pasta dish would be so outstanding?
Chef Aaron is doing great things with fish these days, so do yourself a favor and listen up when your server talks about the specials. It’s ramp season right now, so we were treated to a delightful mild fish with ramps. Delish.
Don’t forget the cocktails. Again, all updated, so get on board! I sipped on the Yakuza with Bulliet Bourbon, Oninoshitaburui Sake, Fig Simple Syrup and Lemon Essence. Lovely and super boozy.
The new face of Duchamp is tops.

Three things you NEED to know about Duchamp at this very moment:
1. They have a new — and absolutely ahhhmazing — Chef. With former chef Allen Sternweiler off working on a new venture, former sous chef and gourmet sensation, Aaron Lirette, has stepped up to fill his shoes in the kitchen. Now if we’re being honest, it must be said, he has not only thrown those old shoes out the window, but appears to be wearing kick ass spurred boots instead. Gone is the stale, but trusty menu of Euro/​American favorites and in are impeccably prepared, seasonally exclusive, beautifully plated, contemporary cuisine creations. Duchamp has had a major food facelift, and not like the Joan Rivers kind, there’s nothing jarring here, no Sir! This Bucktown spot has just become an overhauled rendition of what a truly inventive dining experience should be. Bravo!
2. What you should eat:
\\ seared diver scallop, parsnip purée, oyster mushroom, bacon
\\ baby octopus, chickpea, radish and romesco
\\ house made pasta with wild boar, pine nuts and raisins
\\ duck leg confit, baby beets, charred beet green, beet gastrique
\\ rhubarb, mascarpone, pecan, citrus meringue
3. And lastly… the cocktail menu has also received quite a bit of a special treatment — and a hefty dose of acclaim to boot — in the way of specialty liquors mixed with undeniably clever and creative accompaniments. Time Out magazine recognized them as having one of the Best New Cocktail Programs in the city, and I recognized how much I effing loved my smooth, sexy Yakuza with Bulliet Bourbon, Oninoshitaburui Sake, Fig Simple Syrup and Lemon Essence. Bottoms Up!
If you haven’t Duchamped in awhile, this is the time to do so. Summer is upon us and you know that fighting for territory on that (glorious as ever) outdoor patio is like wrestling Rosie O’Donnell for a fistful of cupcakes. The message here? HURRY!

I ate here during Restaurant Week with a large group of ten or so, and was duly impressed. The cuisine on the RW menu (which presumably is representative of the regular offerings) is an excellent representation of the adventurous American style prevalent among the leading restaurants in the city.
I started with the steak tartare, and it was superb. Fresh, meaty, and topped with a raw egg and scallions. This dish alone is worth a return visit. For my main course, I had the beef tenderloin topped with mushroom bordelaise with a side of bacon wrapped asparagus. The beef was delicious medium rare and the bordelaise added a wonderful earthy dimension to the meat. For dessert, I had the chocolate cupcake, which provided a perfect bookend to the meal. The chocolate was moist and the accompanying malted ice cream was rich and creamy — a close second to Longman & Eagle’s malted cream.
The service was excellent and managed our large group with aplomb. We never had to wait long for drinks and they did not rush us while we were waiting for a couple of late arrivals. Of course, why would they? We were ordering cocktails! And the cocktail list was impressive. I started with a refreshing rye Manhattan and moved on to one of their house cocktails — the Judge. The Judge, like many of those presiding in the Daley Center, is a whiskey heavy concoction. It combines Bulleit bourbon, the Dalmore single malt scotch, carpano antica, punt e mes, lillet blanc, Fee’s old fashioned bitters, angostura bitters, and lemon essence. (I am the king of cut and paste). It was a deeply smoky cocktail that was restrained from going over the edge of murky syrup by the lillet blanc and lemon essence. It has my highest recommendation to all of my noble bourbon boozers.
I dug the wine list, as well. Small, but well curated with an emphasis on terroir — old world style California, South American, and European wines. The Beckman Chateauneuf du Pape offering, Cuvee le Bec, is pleasantly priced at $ 48.
The décor is dark and mysterious, and while the tables are placed close together the sound level is quite manageable. We will definitely be back to try the braised duck, beef cheeks, and other regular menu offeringss.

It had been a while since we had dinner last at DuChamp so we decided to stop in with a Village Vines reservation for 30% off. As I have come to expect from DuChamp, the food is rich, bold, and delicious. Although the fare is primarily American with French and Italian influence, the chef here seems to take calculated risks that usually pay off.
Mixed greens salad — Lovely fresh greens, nice bold blue cheese, a refreshing dish to start out meal off.
East meets west wings — I was too intrigued by this small plate appetizer not to order it, and I’m glad I did. It was 5 – 6 wings with a spicy Asian (think chili oil meets sweet and sour), thick peanut sauce, and a bit of bbq. A superb combination of flavors, complex, but not overwhelming. The menu stated that it came with a wasabi mayo, but I didn’t see it with our dish… not that it needed it. And the coleslaw that accompanied this dish was amazing!
Linguini with ox tail — This was our least favorite in our meal. The sauce was just too sweet to do justice to the ox tail. There were nice cuts of tender oxtail, but it thought the sauce just overpowered this dish, and it just seemed like it lacked the depth and richness of a good Italian pasta sauce. I paired this dish with a glass of the mencia, which was a very nice dark, medium bodied, dry, old world style red.
Acorn squash stuffed with mushroom risotto — This dish was the hit of the night! The risotto was simply delicious, creamy wild mushrooms. The radicchio, and endives were a nice touch. I would highly recommend this dish if you don’t mind going with a vegetarian option.
Overall we had another great meal at du champ. If they keep the acorn squash on the menu, I would definitely order that again on our next visit.

I’m a bit torn between a 4 and a 5 review for Duchamp. I’m leaning toward a 4 due to the price of wine…
My sister and I visited on one of the price fixed menu nights… we thought it would be a good deal…$ 25 for a three course dinner (most menu items included). The fixed menu was great and we were able to try a number of the items (all delicious!).
The drink menu, however, was quite pricey. A glass of sparking started at $ 12 and the least expensie wine was still $ 10. I know this isn’t out of line for the city, but based upon pretty reasonable food prices, I was surprised at how expensive the drinks were. We were done with dinner and had spent basically the same amount on alcohol as we did for food!
The atmosphere was great. This would be an excellent date spot. The communal tables don’t make you feel packed in and I still felt like we had our own space. Large groups may make the spot a bit rambuncious (spell?), but overall, it was a nice space.
Service was really great. We were recommended food (though, to be honest, I’m sure all of the good is great).

It’s been a long time since I’ve gone all the way…
To five stars that is.
But I had to give it up to Duchamp.
Even if this was my first time.
Duchamp kept me warm and set the mood.
Not only did they have a covered door way but they had thick ceiling to floor curtains at the entrance to block out Chicago’s bitter cold December night. My girlfriends and I cozied up to a long wooden communal table with clear plastic chairs-​chic and comfort combined. This theme would again emerge in their food.
Duchamp paid attention.
Our glasses were always refilled with water. The server even came around to empty our beer bottles into our glasess for us every now and then which I appreciated even though I’m a drink-​out-​of-​the-​bottle kind of girl. Chef Allen Sternweiler came by to make sure that our meals were to our liking. Nice touch!
Duchamp knew what I liked.
We dined on a Tuesday night which is when they offer a 3-​course $ 25 prix-​fixe dinner. Sophisticated comfort food in an American-​French bistro done right.
Start with the east meets west hot-​wings with soy mayo. Think crunchy hot and sour wings with a touch of honey. I thank Julie R. for sharing. My other girlfriend liked saucy wings so much that she began dipping the bread in the soy mayo.
I had the braised beef cheek stew with brown buttered spaetzle. Nommy nom nom. Could have been more tender but the flavor with the red wine reduction was richly delicious without being too heavy.
Our trio of desserts included an icecream sandwich with vanilla gelato-​light, nutty, and fun (this was my favorite!), lemon tart with a delicoius flaky and buttery crust, and a mini chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate buttercream-​this was a bit dense, more like a brownie textured cupcake packed with chocolate yumminess.
Needless to say, I left satisfied yet at the same time, wanting for more.

Yummy! My boyfriend and I came here on a Thursday night and were very pleased with the entire meal from start to finish! Our waiter was EXCELLENT, he recommended a few things on the menu and even gave us his honest opinion when we asked about the cheese plate and he offered up a few other options that he thought was better. I like that, he wasnt just trying to sell us everything on the menu!
I had the fish and chips and let me tell you, this was the BEST fish and chips I’ve ever eaten… ever. It was red snapper in a tempura batter and it was absolutely light, tasty and NOT greasy! I was amazed, there was NO grease! The fries were equally as delicious. I had a glass of wine and it was a little weak on the pour, but that was my only complaint.
My boyfriend had some kind of gin drink that he enjoyed and the Pork, which was just as delicious as my fish n chips! He doesnt like beans, and he even ate the beans on the bottom of the dish! I was shocked! We both pretty much cleaned our plates!
I will definitely be coming back here soon! It was SO good.

Small plates, large plates, drinks and appetizers in a trendy, detailed to the max restaurant. No detail is too small. Look around. Outside their entrance door is a tented door system which is the first in trying to keep out the cold air. Once you enter you walk through a heavy dark colored curtain which is draped around the entrance, the second wave in cold protection which adds a bit of mystery to entering. It’s drafty in this space and the cold seems to move about the room rampantly, you may like to keep your jacket on. Sadly the warmest space is the restroom for one. It’s so nice and warm inside (and when I said earlier that every detail is covered) take a look anywhere. You need a few minutes to just sit and soak in the décor and atmosphere. Something for everything, for example after having a salad or appetizer, they bring you fresh flatware. (Instead of the usual practice at most places, they place the used flatware on the table. Ew.) Extra plates sit a top the table in case you want to share. The comfortable plastic molded chairs, the long wooden buffet type tables, and even the kitschy lighting. Interesting, cute for a date or meeting your girlfriends.
The food. I was looking for their brunch or the famed burger. I wished summer was here, so I could sit in their nice garden seating and have brunch. Instead we sat inside, ordered a cocktail, two burgers which came with garlic & Romano cheese fries and an order of crispy Asian wings with soy mayo. For those that can’t look at the amply provided photos, their Havarti cheeseburger burger and food in general is all done in gourmet presentation. For me the burger was just okay, a full serving \ a huge chunk of burger smothered in tasty cheese and a toasted bun. I couldn’t taste any seasoning in the meat and the sandwich dressing they put atop it was plain Jane. Fries were served hot and were tasty to even the next day when it was reheated. Asian wings were interesting, if you like the flavors of soy or Saki sauce, this would suit your palate. It was slightly too salty for us, nonetheless, every last piece was devoured. We were lucky enough to meet the chef and part owner, good guy, chatted us up a bit about his restaurant and details about the second venue Zealous.
The cocktail, well it was poured with a light hand and after one for $ 10.25, I ended with water. Why, because I think if I’d continued to order them it would cost me around $ 41 to leave with a decent buzz. With food and the one cocktail we totaled around fifty dollars. Some dishes are small and some medium, with this said, I’d suggest not coming hungry, but wanting to taste only. Best when shared with friends. Duchamps is a small space. I’m guessing their sit down ability to be around forty or fifty people. But, that would be pushing it. Best to call ahead. If you are familiar with the area, parking is hard to come by. Make sure to check the side streets for signs because most of it has neighborhood assigned parking.

Unimpressed. Don’t get it or its appeal. I had high hopes for Duchamp, but they fell vastly short. I came here for our traditional New Year’s Eve pre fixe dinner. We both agreed that we’ve experienced much better New American cuisine elsewhere in the city.
We arrived on time to the darkened restaurant. With the black velvet curtain and dim lights, I nearly took a header walking into the restaurant. The clear chairs make an interesting contrast between the darkened interior. The hostess seated us quickly. We looked over the wine and drink menu. I chose a Suzanne cocktail teeming with ginger and St. Germain. This cocktail was the highlight of my evening. My husband ordered the Egg Nog cocktail. Duchamp has an excellent bartender because these drinks packed a flavorful punch.
For our prix fixe menu, I ordered the Mini Braised Duck Rillette Tartines & Chilled Cauliflower Purée. From its description, I expected it to be warm. Instead it was cold and reminded me of tuna salad, not braised duck. The dish disappointed. My husband ordered the lobster white pizza. It wasn’t very lobster-​y or white because it had a lot of red sauce on it. Out of the two starters, his was much better.
For my entrée, I chose the sweet potato risotto with brown butter sauce. The brown butter overpowered the sweet potato to the point of being bland. The sweet potato risotto disappointed further because it was so underseasoned. I couldn’t taste the sweet potatoes until I salted it. When I saw the salt selection on the table, everything made sense. Meanwhile, my husband had the steak and eggs. His steak looked and tasted delicious. The accompanying bacon and egg quiche was light and airy. It was amazing the vast difference between these two dishes from a seasoning and flavor standpoint. One was pretty well seasoned; though the mister said his dish was better with the addition of salt to one completely underseasoned and bland.
For the third course, we had some artisanal cheeses. These were pretty good especially the creamy brie and manchengo. They gave us bread with nuts which we had to request some nut free bread for me. Our server seemed confused by this request like we were yanking his chain or something. We managed to get a soft loaf of bread which is pretty good.
For the fourth course, we had a sampling of their desserts: lemon tart, chocolate cupcakes, and ice cream sandwiches. Again, I wasn’t impressed. The desserts were so pedestrian and a little too close to home in ease to make. They just didn’t thrill or delight us.
Our service overall was alright. They cleared plates a little too quickly and really didn’t want anyone to linger let alone enjoy their meal. It felt like the fastest meal I’ve ever had at a high end restaurant.
After our NYE dinner experience here, I probably won’t return here or go out of my way to. I didn’t experience any amazing food delights where I remember the dish fondly and want to return to taste it again. Our meal was just an average New American meal with nothing special to note.