The sky is grey, heavy with the threat of rain, reflected in the cloudy silver splashes of the harbour waves. Gulls float and bob nearby, gentle sprays of water flicking from their wings as they take flight. Azure dimples break up the clouds, a hint that the sun may smile down after all, so I take my chance and sit on the breezy deck of the ferry, watching the water churn and splash as it makes its way to Dartmouth.
The white awning of Ducky’s on the Waterfront is a familiar sight to anyone who regularly rides the ferry, just as the frothy wake of the ferry is a familiar sight to the staff at Ducky’s.
A wide bank of windows at the front has a beautiful panoramic view of the city. So it’s a shame that the inside of the restaurant doesn’t capitalize on what could be a very natural embrace of that view. Instead, the decor is wholly disconnected, the room fashioned as a trattoria of sorts, trellising plastic grapes the most distinguishing feature.
There is another disconnect in the menu: a mix of forgettable sandwiches, salads, pizzas and pastas. Ducky’s might have a great view, but the menu suggests a lack of point of view.
I order the steak sandwich ($9.95) and my friend orders the grilled artichoke pizza ($14.95). The sandwich, served on a soft kaiser roll, is a pile of grainy, overcooked steak, green pepper and onions under gluey melted cheese. It’s served with carrot and celery sticks, dry and tinged with brown, on a bed of lettuce. I pick through it, conjuring up an “Oh, it’s fine” when the server asks.
My friend is equally ambivalent about her pizza, served split in two, a serviceable Caesar salad plated between the two halves. Neither the artichokes nor the peppers have the deep, ashy flavour of promised grilling and roasting. The onions have a nice caramel colour, but don’t make up for the overall blandness.
We linger with coffee ($2) and a shared apple, pear and rhubarb crumble ($6.95). The dessert is a lovely balance of sweet and tart. The buttery crumble and tender chunks of apple and rhubarb make up for our uninspired entrees.
Encouraged by the pleasant finish to the meal, two days later I head back for brunch with another friend. “Welcome back,” the server says, smiling, as she fills our water glasses. It’s Saturday morning and the farmers’ market is in swing just outside the restaurant, replete with fresh produce and local inspiration, a reminder of the restaurant’s unseen potential.
The brunch menu is small, concise. I order the eggs Charlotte ($10.95), a Benedict variation with smoked salmon. My friend orders the breakfast bagel ($6.95). Coffee is served in big cups and refilled often.
The plates are simple. A handful of potatoes and a few slices of apple accent each meal. The apple, much like the veggies from lunch earlier in the week, are dry and taste old. The potatoes, however, are fantastic. They’re well-seasoned and tender, crispy and golden-brown on the edges. The poached eggs are great, with fluffy whites and slightly runny yolks. The Hollandaise is applied with a light touch—which I like—and is delicious with the smoky, buttery salmon. The fried egg on the bagel sandwich has a crispiness to it that is very tasty with the generous slab of cheddar and ham, adding up to a satisfying breakfast.
There are clearly bright spots in the drabness at Ducky’s, but without any assertion of personality or passion, I question whether or not they can really shine. They certainly wouldn’t have to look far for inspiration.
This article appears in Oct 14-20, 2010.
As a common customer of duckys,I would have to disagree with most of your comments made about them.the service is always amazing I love having a familar face and bein reconised as one of the regulars.as for the complaints made about the decore its not original its not like every other common restraunt its got its own unique yet appealing design,the food there has never been an issue the servings are well perportioned the entrees and dessert plates have a simple yet perfect decore.duckys is my favorite restraunt ,its not just because they always have such great service its the food,the desserts,the portions,the coffee,the people there the environment.I don’t know how any food critic could even say most of the things said here.they obviously have no specialty in the food industry.and to say after two visits you and your friends had such a horrible experience.well reading that article was a horrible experience for me.who would start an article off with a paragraph like that.someone who obviously don’t have much writting experince well then again your working for a news paper that is giving away for free.you should be saying to yourself find a new job maybe something your a little better at.because writting as a food critic is not one of your good qualitys.I LOVE DUCKYS ON THE WATERFRONT and I’m sure if u ask anyone that’s been there or that have ever signed the guest book you’ll know the truth.
Dianne, if you’re going to criticize someone’s ability to write, it’s probably advisable to have a reasonable grasp of basic spelling, punctuation and sentence structure before you do so. Although I understand that this particular “restraunt” and its “plate decore” may be dear to your heart, I have to side with the reviewer on this one. Ducky’s could easily be lumped into the large pile of other barely passable and quickly forgettable restaurants in this city.
My problem with Ducky’s is the menu is kinda of flat. Again, this is a personal taste as most on there I care little for. But hey, whatever turns your crank.
If I were Dianne, I wouldn’t be dissing others “writting”.
“I order the steak sandwich ($9.95)….The sandwich, served on a soft kaiser roll, is a pile of grainy, overcooked steak, green pepper and onions under gluey melted cheese. It’s served with carrot and celery sticks, dry and tinged with brown, on a bed of lettuce. I pick through it, conjuring up an “Oh, it’s fine” when the server asks.”
You, and others like you, are not helping the restaurant scene at all with your fake politeness. Instead of telling the server that it’s a crap sandwich, you tell them it’s fine and then bitch about it after the fact. Why not just tell them it’s not acceptable and send it back? If they think what they are serving is “fine” do you think they’ll bother to try harder to improve?
I think I’ll go to McDonalds and review their food today. Although, I kind of know what to expect. Nevermind, that would be a waste of time!
Ducky’s used to be very good. They had an awesome Caesar salad and French onion soup – and the pizzas were quite good as well. The last two times I visited however, the food had really gone down hill. It’s unfortunate because it used to be a great little place to go!
Well, they’re gone now so nothing really matters.