Chef Kevin Hickey grew up in Bridgeport playing Atari at that same Gem Bar as a kid, and came back to it in 2014 after nearly two decades at the Four Seasons' Allium (where he earned two Michelin stars) and opening Bottlefork. The name 'Duck Inn' has nothing to do with a duck theme — it's lifted from a different joint his great-grandmother ran in McKinley Park in the 1930s. Rockit Ranch Productions (Billy Dec's group, also behind Sunda) owns the restaurant.
It picked up Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America list in 2015 and a James Beard Outstanding Restaurant semifinalist nod in 2024, alongside a running Michelin Bib Gourmand. Weekend vinyl DJ sets and brunch round out the schedule.
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