New chef at Duvic’s mixes it up

Duvic’s is well and deservedly known for its delicious drinks—it was one of the first true martini bars to be established in the Capital City, back before they first got trendy. But food has always been a tricky item to manage there. A bistro opened briefly in the bar in 2008, operated by Scott and Mike Dardenne, but closed quickly after a month amid confusion and differences of opinion with then-owner Frank Duvic. However, new owners David Pittman, Shane Courrege and Robert Ross believe they leave that track record behind with the help of new head chef Noah Lessard. No stranger to the restaurant business, with stints at Sullivan’s Steakhouse to the four-diamond rated Pinehurst Hotel in North Carolina, Lessard is also confident in his abilities, and over the past two months, has begun introducing gourmet dishes for customers to wash down with the bar’s signature martinis.

“The menu is based on a ‘small plate’ concept,” Lessard explains. “The plates are a little smaller than an appetizer portion—that way you can order a few different things to try.” Most of the menu is made from scratch, and features duck in quite a few items, such as the duck and crawfish boudin balls and the duck confit tacos. Lessard has also devised an upscale answer to cheese sticks—flash-fried mozzarella medallions, served with a fresh marinara sauce. Their burger goes beyond your typical after-drink slider as well, with four separate cuts of beef, ground on-premises, with fresh butter lettuce, cluster tomatoes and red onion. Although Lessard admits that the fare is “barfood-esque,” he feels its extra culinary flare will more than satisfy adventurous diners and comfort food-seekers alike.

Although he does have plans to expand the menu in the future, he also wants to keep it “short and simple”—doing a few items, but doing them well and consistently. You can look for the new menu at Duvic’s every Monday through Saturday, starting at 5 p.m.