I drew a blue duck because I’ve never seen a blue duck and to be honest with you, I really wanted to see a blue duck.” -Billy Madison

When I think of places where I would like to eat, a night out with the girls is what typically comes to mind. This is when I know that we need to go to a place with delicious food and a wonderful drink special to help make everyone feel satisfied.

I recently decided that I was going to start to venture out and eat at some places in the area that I typically would not. The first one that I was drawn to was The Blue Duck in Maplewood, Missouri and needless to say I am honestly not sure if I even need to go anywhere else again.

Seriously, we do not think that we will need to go anywhere else. As my friend and I were leaving she said, “Do you want to make this our new “spot” to go on Saturdays?” The reasons why I would like to go back are numerous, but there are a few that stood out.

1. The drink selection satisfies everyone’s needs.

Have you ever gone somewhere with a group of people and they complain because they feel sick to their stomach after drinking some drinks that seem to have mostly sugar in them? Or have you ever gone somewhere in which you question if there even is any alcohol in the drink that you were given? Whether it is a girls night out or a simple birthday dinner, there is always going to be someone who complains.

If I could sum up The Blue Duck in one word it would be “selection”. There seemed to be an option for just about every type of person that could walk into those doors, from the liquor menu to the food itself.

I decided to get a drink called “Just A Really Complicated Dirty Martini” mainly because it’s complicated-just like my life.

In this martini there was Botanical and Navy Strength gin, Dry and Blanc Vermouth, Fino Sherry, Olive Oil, Saline, and parsley oil- so yes, very complicated.

The way I would describe this martini is “the kind of drink that you actually want your bartenders to make.” It is in a small package, but it most definitely packs a punch.

2. There is a happy hour after 8 pm, making it a perfect spot to go before going to St. Louis for the night.

Who doesn’t love a good martini hour? The cool thing about it is you get the pick the gin that you want and they will do the rest. All for only $8. Who needs $10 beers in St. Louis when you can get martinis for $8.

3. There are plenty of healthy options on the menu for people watching what they eat.

After playing sports my whole life and working at a supplement store for years, I have always made choosing healthier options a priority. A lot of the time, I find myself struggling to find anything remotely healthy on the menu. When I do, I usually end up being jealous of everyone else’s food.

The cool thing about this menu was the amount of healthier options that were being offered. I ended up going with the Roasted Asparagus. This comes with harissa, house yogurt, burnt onion, and mint.

The cool thing about this meal was it was filling, but you did not feel bloated. It almost felt like eating pasta itself, due to the house made yogurt and harissa that it could be dipped in. It had a smokey taste, and the burnt onion seemed to give it the extra kick that made you question if it was even a vegetable after all.

4. The food combinations are so different that there is no way you can find them anywhere else.

I actually pulled the owner aside and asked him how he comes up with some of these recipes. Everything on the menu seemed so unique from the Korean Fried Chicken Quarters to the Chili Braised Pork Tacos. The more options the better, although it got hard to choose. I finally did choose though, which leads me to reason number 5…

5. The Duck Fried Rice

I don’t know how this isn’t already famous. It gets a whole number to itself because it is that good. This was quite possibly the best thing I have ever eaten. It is a dish that is made up of a duck quarter, duck ham, peas, radish, furikake, and egg. I was left speechless by how good it was. It looked so good, in fact, that I forgot to take a picture of it before we ate it, because we were so excited to dig in.

I don’t think that I will ever look at fried rice the same again. This single dish was like a whole Thanksgiving dinner rolled into one bowl. There was a sweeter taste to it, and when it was added with the two different types of duck it really brought that “home-cooked” Thanksgiving feel.

Not to mention we licked the bowl clean.

6. The dessert was to die for.

First of all, it is very hard to eat dessert after an appetizer and whole meal. As soon as I heard that there was a gooey butter cake pie, I knew that I had to go for it. Now, I come from a hometown that is known for having good pie, specifically because of Oprah Winfrey saying she loves it. Well, if Oprah were to try the St. Louberry, I think it would take the cake as her new top spot. The pie is a strawberry and blueberry topping with a gooey butter topping. How much more St. Louis can you get?

This pie was for sure filling and can most likely be shared… but you might actually prefer to have the whole thing to yourself.

7. Oh yeah, the pie crust is a recipe from a jail.

I enjoy history just as much as anyone else. The pie crust is a recipe from a state penitentiary. So that’s just a fun fact to let you know how lucky those prisoners are to be eating this pie crust. What could they be feeding them in there?

Overall, I think The Blue Duck felt so cozy, yet fun. It is the perfect place to pregame a night out, go on a cute date, have brunch, or really do just about anything. With the 12 minute drive from the city, I am shocked I had not been here sooner.