If it looks like a duck, and it walks like a duck, then it must be a duck.

Well, not always.

At least not in the case of Blue Duck Tavern, the new restaurant that cleverly manages to be many different things at the same time.

It’s modern with a state-of-the-art, custom-crafted Molteni range, but classically American with a wood-burning oven, dark walnut tables, and a burlap wall. The private tasting room is intimate but interactive with a chef’s table.

Even the menu’s versatile, using seasonal, local ingredients. Expect the likes of braised short ribs with a side of pickled tomatoes, and battered soft-shell crabs with garlic polenta — proving it’s possible to serve sophisticated cuisine and down-home cookin’ on the same plate.

Dessert is indulgent yet healthy: hand-churned ice cream made with strawberries, peaches, or whatever’s fresh and in season.

Now that’s just daffy.

Blue Duck Tavern, 24th and M Streets NW (202-419-6755 or blueducktavern.com).