01/05/2012 - QC Foodie - Duck City Bistro

Think of a typical restaurant experience: guests are seated by a host, they order drinks, review a menu, orders, the wait staff serves the food, checks back in a few times, the guest leaves. Now replace that with a cozy, personalized, unparalleled dining experience in the heart of Downtown Davenport. Duck City Bistro is unique from the greeting one receives upon arrival to the personal visit from Chef Jeremy at one's table. A host describes menu offerings showcased in the display case. On a previous visit a couple of years ago it was Chef Charles, the founder and owner, now retired, who charismatically and ceremoniously recited the details of each dish in his rich and creamy baritone voice. Each dish was as equally tantalizing as the last to the point that I was completely at a loss as to which to choose. No strangers to food, we were surprised when some components of the dish were "defined" for us as if we wouldn't know what they were, yet others like foie gras weren't. So I guess novice foodies can feel comfortable patronizing this restaurant and experienced foodies shouldn't feel patronized. Sorry, I couldn't resist the opportunity for a pun.

The tables have large white paper covering them with a neatly scrawled personal welcome for a nice touch. Even though they have a decent wine list, we ordered Gin and 7s which were created absolutely perfectly. Our waiter was knowledgeable and polite and made some recommendations since I was a bit indecisive. Ricardo ordered lobster bisque and Filet of Beef Melissa and I ordered a Ceasar Salad with housemade croutons and Sea Bass. We strongly considered ordering duck but as we had thoroughly enjoyed that on a previous visit, we decided to expand our horizons. We enjoyed the French bread and the baked garlic to spread. I ate some of Ricardo's lobster bisque for research purposes and we both thought it was delicious. Ricardo thought the beef was good but not extraordinary and I enjoyed the sea bass. The salad was fantastic and the croutons, excellent. The sea bass was topped with a mango, chutney, cashew nut crust, served with pomme de chez, fresh vegetables, and the whole plate is infused with a curry oil. The flavor was rich, yet light and I liked the was the curry oil pulled the whole dish together.

Even though the restaurant has a large seating capacity, it feels smaller and more intimate because it consists of the main building and on the other side of a dividing wall is what seems to be a later addition, kind of a four season porch feel. The restaurant lighting is dim and romantic but not so dark that we needed to use my geeky key chain flashlight to see the menu. During our meal, besides our waiter, Chef Charles, his wife Melissa and Chef Jeremy all came by individually to make sure all was well with our food and experience and to chat. The cuisine may be made with the freshest ingredients, the food created with great detail, but the atmosphere is coolly casual. I ended up playfully doodling on our table covering with the crayons provided and enjoyed reading the chalk scrawling decor and fun photos of various visitors on the wall. I recommend business casual to dressy attire. We leisurely enjoyed our meals and drinks and left commenting on how nice it was to have such an unique option in the Quads.*

*The menu doesn't list prices for the features as it does for the other options which are moderately priced, so while we won't be making a weekly pilgrimage to Duck City, it was a special occasion for us and we didn't mind splurging beyond our usual budget for a memorable evening out.