The Cotton Duck

Great place and delicious food. Only disadvantage: portions are not big enough (IMO)

Perfection in four little walls! You’ll appreciate all the detailing!
From the industrial ceiling, to the intrinsic tile floors.
the seasonal paintings on the brick-​layered wall.
to hand crafted counter tops.
there’s too much to list down but there’s something for everyone.
I appreciate a good thing when I see it!
A vote of thanks to the Chef for the exquisite dishes!

Came here for a birthday party – party of about 20 people on a Saturday night. When you walk in you walk through a nice courtyard with lights hanging everywhere. Inside we stood at the bar for an hr to be seated. We brought our own wine and vodka (it was BYOB) and the bar tender was able to mix us a few drinks.
For appetizers we had the Burrata – which was smoked beets, pumpernickel, and house mustard it was tasty but not the best I have ever had. Nonetheless a good start to the evening.
For the main course I had the BLACK TRUMPET RISOTTO and it was honestly THE BEST RISOTTO EVER! it was so creamy with butternut squash and chickpeas. I finished it in less than 5 minutes. It wasn’t like any other risotto I’ve ever had before.
For dessert we had the DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIE with banana on top and marshmallow and yuzu on the side. Again one of the best brownies I have ever had. It was so moist and perfectly sweet and chocolate-​y.
Overall: seating time took longer (but again we had a large party), atmosphere was wonderful with their unique art touches, food was impeccable, service was great.
4 STARS.

Really wanted to like this place, and we did. Everything tasted good, but nothing stood out in my mind. I give the food 3 stars.
I give the service 4 stars. Our server was attentive, but not intrusive. He explained the menu and how it integrates with the artwork, both of which change from time to time. The server also let us know that they have a small kitchen so they take the order for all the courses upfront, so that they can pace the courses.
They’re not open for late night; I think they close at 9pm. It’s BYOB and lovely. It was cold and close to Christmas when my friends and I went, but walking in, there was a decent sized outdoor area that may seat people during the warmer months. Look forward to stopping by again when it’s warmer.

Walking past the colorful mural outside, through the courtyard, and into the gallery/​restaurant gives an initial feeling of stumbling upon a hidden gem. The atmosphere is comfortable and exudes cool. The service is friendly and approachable, but our server was a little on the reserved side compared to some of the other servers around us. He seated us at our table and poured up some waters and didn’t immediately introduce himself as our server, so I wasn’t quite sure who was for a while.
We had a primetime Saturday reservation and the restaurant was half-​full when we sat down, but was full before we left. Lots of young good-​looking people, but also a good number of well-​aged foodies as well.
We brought bourbon and vodka and I felt like I was still in college spiking my drink. We ordered the Elephant (spiked with bourbon), and the Tulip (vodka) and both were fantastic. It’s nice to be able to top off the cocktails with more booze as they get watered down by the ice. At the risk of sounding like a fancy-​pants, they can step up their ice game to something above vending machine level which help that watering-​down problem.
They must be minding the reviews because the food came out more quickly than expected based on some of the recent negative reviews, and the cutlery and plates were immaculately clean and changed between courses. Nice touch, but I’m not that fancy.
The food was world class. The dumplings alone were enough to max out the star rating for this place. Both neighboring tables ordered these and each plate was clean in two minutes flat. The Duck Neck Sugo was rich, delicious, and interesting, and the Beef Bavette was quite good as well. The sunchoke side was good but we could have done without it quantity-​wise. The chocolate brownie had many different components, and maybe I was drunk at this point and it was extra amusing, but all the different parts of this dish from the bruleed banana and marshmallow, the yuzu foam and cream, to the graham cracker and little ice-​cream bonus made this like four desserts in one. It’s like a S’more brownie a-​la mode topped with bananas foster and a taste of key lime pie on the side. A lot going on, but it worked… on me… I was definitely drunk. Looking forward to coming back seasonally as the menu changes at least.

Oh man, this place is so good my gf and I have set up a new standing dinner meeting here every time we are in town! Frankly, I don’t know what I’m going to do when they switch menus! The pork dumplings are so good I may suffer heartbreak. Luckily, the food is consistently on point that I never miss a thing.
Seriously, this restaurant is a beloved gem that simultaneously rotates its menu with a corresponding art show every six weeks (approx). Id call the atmosphere romantic, classy but without a hint of elitism.
I love that it’s BYOB with incredible mixers to make dangerously yummy cocktails. The service is fantastic & friendly but not overbearing.
And the food, oh the glorious food. It’s always a delicious blend of my favorite comfort ingredients with a touch of fine dining all wrapped up at your neighborhood dinner spot. I love the dumplings & oysters to start. The steak & duck entrees & the BLUECHEESE CAKE. Yum!!!

Wanted to love. The décor is cute and I love where it’s tucked. The menu sounds enticing. However I found the food just ok and there were a few other issues which killed it for me. we had the pork dumplings, duck neck sugo and red drum. The red drum was decent, but I found the dumplings just ok (slightly bland) and the duck was much too sweet and not savory/​umami enough. The bucatini was also not what I expected, almost like they had run out of what they had wanted to serve with it. It didn’t seem to fit with the sauce and tasted like bland, uninspired boxed pasta.
A few other issues plagued the meal – the food came out incredibly slowly. We had an 8pm reservation and didn’t eat our mains till past 9. Thank goodness for byo and the wonderful wine we brought (the best part of the meal).
The other part that killed it was that the utensils were not clean. As soon as I brought my fork close to my face to eat the first bite I got a hugely unpleasant smell of mildew and wet towels. It completely ruined the first dish. I had to ask for new cutlery.
I might come back because maybe it was an off night – other reviews seemed glowing. Willing to try again.

My partner and I decided to try this place before a concert. Wow!
We were greeted by a pleasant and personable hostess, and our waiter was great! Both of them knew their stuff about both the restaurant and the menu. I know it’s easy to say «well duh, they work there» but. You’d be surprised.
On to the food: We started out with the pork dumplings (not my taste, but my partner loved them) and the hamachi which was delicious.
For our entrees, we chose the steak and the salmon. Both of which were delicious as well. The steak was cooked to perfection and both meals were portioned appropriately.
The desert tho. OMG. We tried the brownie and were practically licking the plate.
It’s a smaller restaurant with a very intimate, yet friendly, setting. They display beautiful and stimulating artwork, and the waiter let us know that the menu changes to reflect what is on display. Very neat! It won’t break your bank either. We were shocked to see how low the prices were. It’s easy to say you get way more than you pay for.
We can’t wait to come back!

This place is a hidden gem! The food, service and atmosphere were impeccable. Being a BYOB establishment allows you to have a fabulous bottle of wine without the mark up. They also have many mixers to add to any type of alcohol you bring. We wish it were closer to where we live. The art exhibit rotates every 3 months as does the menu. The one slight downside is parking. Difficult to find. Don’t hesitate to try this place.

Came here with my out-​of-​town parents and boyfriend for dinner, based on the awesome reviews. It did not disappoint. The service was impeccable and food was super delicious. We had just about everything on the menu, including 4 desserts (one was so good we had to order twice) ;) We’ll be back soon. Tip: Get a couple nice bottles of wine at Vin or Binny’s beforehand, BYOB!

I had a very good brunch here! Unique tastes and cool décor. Ambitiously tucked away but this place (with its patio) will definitely take off in the summer.

Came here with a group of friends for a nice dinner on NYE. I’d never been to this place and wouldn’t have looked twice if I passed it on the street because it’s so low-​key. But it was recommended and BYOB, so I was definitely down for that on one of the biggest nights of the year. The place is intimate and dimly lit, and has a different featured artist every few weeks, which influences their menu selection. Since I was with a group, we tried pretty much everything since each person got something different. This dishes were good, especially the short ribs, the pasta dish, and the brownie. I will say though that the portion of some entrees were rather small. I wanted to share the short ribs with my husband so we only ordered one. When the food arrived the piece of meat was so small we kinda just looked at each other, like it was a kids meal. But the brownie and unlimited booze made up for it.
Oh and our waiter was Aaron who was AWESOME. He made sure our glasses remained full and our bottles were uncorked when we were ready. He even toasted with us at midnight to bring in the New Year. He was exceptionally patient and extremely knowledgeable. We will be back!

I’m so disappointed in this place. I had been looking forward to trying The Cotton Duck with my husband for New Year’s Eve due to the menu, the beautiful pictures on the website, and the great reviews. I hate leaving negative reviews but unfortunately I typically feel inclined to leave a review when I either have an exceptionally good OR bad experience. This time it was bad.
Our reservation was at 9:15 and we arrived a little early so the hostess told us that we could sit at the bar. We accepted her offer and waited to be seated. Their bar has a menu where you can order mixers to go along with your liquor. We waited over ten minutes for someone to acknowledge us sitting there. We ordered a bottle of the mixer for $ 12 and enjoyed some of our cocktail before being seated.
Our waiter (I believe his name was WILL. Now, I really wish we had Aaron as a our waiter after seeing other reviews) advised us that food should be ordered all at once and he would bring our starter first, but everything else would come out together. That was perfectly fine with us as we always share food. For the starter, we ordered the Foie gras custard. We struggled to get through it. We both love foie gras, if prepared correctly, but this dish just didn’t do it for us. I think it was just the combination of flavors. The waiter placed two small plates on the table and I noticed that not one, but BOTH, had dirty pieces of dried food on them. I asked the waiter for new plates and then noticed my knife had a creamy, white substance on it. I asked for a new knife.
Our entrees arrived at 10:24pm. Yes we waited OVER AN HOUR for 3 small entrees. Now, mind you, the menu here is very small and changes every 3 months. In my mind, that means most of the food is prepped, considering the limited selection. The establishment is also very small and even though it was NYE it wasn’t overly crowded. We were starving by the time we actually received our food. The foie gras custard starter did not do much to hold us over for that hour. These are the entrees/​veg and their prices:
Blue Fish /​21
shrimp butter, anson mills grits
Nice flavor with a seared crust on the outside, but the fish was extremely overcooked.
Short Rib Sauerbraten /​22
dill, rutabaga, golden raisins
Again, nice flavor and tender. So tender that it tasted grainy… if that makes since. Almost like meat that has already been chewed. Gross. The texture was very off putting. The waiter put one steak knife on the table (although he said the food was meant to shared on our individual small plates) and placed the short rib dish directly in front of my husband. Maybe he thought that since I was a woman that I didn’t eat beef??? Not sure what he thought, but I did ask for my own steak knife so that I could cut my OWN piece of meat.
Sunchokes /​12
wild boar sausage, grapefruit, radish
This dish had great flavor combinations but it wasn’t executed properly. I have never had s
sunchokes before, but as far as I know they have a similar texture to a potato. There were about 3 tender pieces of sun choke and the rest were hard and undercooked. We couldn’t even finish the whole plate. The wild boar sausage combined with the fruit and greens, however, were delicious.
Throughout our dinner, our water was NEVER refilled. We also had to ask for a new glass of ice for our cocktails since after an hour they were watered down.
We finished our meal and the waiter gave us the check.
I noticed the check showed:
Short Rib listed for $ 23 and
Blue Fish listed for $ 23
I always check the tab to ensure it is correct and pointed it out to my husband. He wanted to get home before midnight so he said to not worry about it.
So to recap:
–3 dirty dishes.
–Waited on entrees for over an hour.
–Most food was either extremely overcooked or raw.
–Overcharged on our tab.
–Terrible service.
Like I said, I REALLY wanted to love this place! Oh well. We did tip the waiter nicely because we ALWAYS do, but I could not wait to get home and write my review. I would hate for someone else to have a negative experience here. Happy New Year!

Went here last night with my husband and our friend. We had an amazing experience. Service was amazing, the décor (current art display) was interesting and of course it being BYOB definitely makes a difference.
We ordered two small plates, three plates from the entrée section (two meat and one starch), root veg side and a dessert. Everything was delicious. My favorite was the Rohan duck scrapple, which is duck liver, kidneys, heart, etc. ground up and cooked with spices and vegetables. It’s served almost like sausage patty, and includes a perfectly cooked sunny side up duck egg. Yum! The other dishes we had were the foie gras custard, short rib sauerbraten, dry aged bavette, duck neck sugo and the dark chocolate brownie. All the dishes were amazing.
I’m really excited to go back when the menu and the art display changes. Next time I’ll also be sure to bring a bottle of whiskey or vodka to be mixed into their mocktails.

Wonderful service! Very savory dishes with attention to detail. Very classy without being stuffy. BYOB, and a great liquor store nearby in case you forget to bring the drinks. Really cool German expressionist art on display and for sale. I would definitely recommend this for an upscale date night!

The environment of the restaurant was awesome. The arts hanging in the restaurant change every 3 months! Very inspiring! The foods were pretty good. My friend and I ordered the duck scrapple, hamachi, the rib, and bevette. Everything was outstanding! The duck scrapple and bevette are my favorite! Will definitely go back for special occasion! I would say the average price for each person is from $ 40-​$ 50 at least.

Byob and great mixers, the food was delicious and fairly priced for the style and atmosphere. My only complaint was that our busser basically grunted at us and the server seemed like it was his 1^st day. Also the whole building was freezing. Bring a jacket

We ordered fluke, beef tongue, fried oyster, pork belly and duck. Fluke is one of the best I’ve even tasted with a tint of smokey flavor. So is fried oysters — not typically of a fan of fried stuffs since I like oyster in fresh! However this one turned out to be good with fresh caramelized tomatoes and vinegar whipped cream. Beef tongue is never alike any of the beef tongue I’ve had with a smokey flavor and gnocchi that melted together on your tongue.
The only thing to mention that the wait time during dishes is too long even the restaurant isn’t full. However it’s a byob place so I guess I’m still enjoying it :)

Wow! What a cool spot! I remember when Bleeding Heart Bakery used to be here. Anyway, great restaurant, wonderful service from Will.
We had the aged beef, oysters, octopus to start, and it was all wonderful.
We then had for entrees the cod, steak and duck, and again all wonderful. The mushrooms and chard were also on point. I loved the blue cheesecake (literal blue cheese, fyi) and these amazing donut things. For 4 of us it was $ 200, but well worth it. I cant wait to go back when the menu changes!

We went here for the first weekend that they started to do brunch !! Luckily we got a beautiful day in November ! So we got to experience the charming outdoor space, very cool and vintage feeling, and complimented by some lovely relaxing live music
Okay so the food: it was literally amazing there where four of us and so we shared the monkey bread that came in a skillet it was just perfect, like nothing I’ve ever tasted soft and fluffy and there was the most delicious fudge river bed yummmm !!!
We all ordered something different and everyone was delighted, it was simple food with a twist of chic !!! And the sides where great too
The service was great and friendly and we didn’t feel at all rushed (which is my pet peeve) !!
Can’t wait to try dinner !!