The Fluttering Duck

During my sophomore year at DePauw University (aka my only good year of college) the Duck got a makeover. It went from being kinda blah, to having a bit of class and being a pretty legit hangout.

The Ducks now seems to have gone back in the other direction. It had a much more fratty feel to it than the Duck of c. 2003 (really, a bar appealing to frat boys at a college infested with them? DO GO ON!) and that just wasn't the scene I was hoping for on a dreary January day when all I was doing was killing time until the real attraction in Greencastle opened up for dinner (more on that later).

Also, I got ignored at the bar for several minutes before someone actually acknowledged my existence. (In fairness, the guy who did serve me wasn't standing there when I walked up and helped me as soon as get got behind the bar). The service I did get was friendly and efficient.

Their on tap beer selection is most of the junk you'd expect for the Greeks (frat boys/sorority girls, not people from actual Greece) who just want to get drunk cheaply, but there was surprisingly one diamond in that rough, a delicious Sun King Cream Ale that I wish was available in Chicago, so kudos to the duck to try to bring some actual taste to the beer selections.

Also, the prices were pretty cheap. 4 bucks for a pint of craft brew? I'll take it.

So all in all, it was a bit disappointing to return to the Fluttering Duck as an actual adult, but there were a few bright points to remind me why it was such a destination back in the day.

I just arrived for an interview, and was happy to be able to have dinner by myself... ah, Midwest food.  

I asked the waiter for beer selections, and he suggested the New Belgium seasonal, which I got.  Not something that special for me, but one I know I like.  *Later* I saw that their beer menu was incredible and had my favorite!  I wish I would have asked for the full menu at the time.

I had a Reuben sandwich, which was good.  It seemed to be the healthiest option on the menu - cabbage on it, after all.

The atmosphere of this place is a bit strange, in a good way.  There is a wall of TV's playing all sorts of sports.  And there is a hunting video game.  But there was also a table of young women next to me having a bible study.  Clearly this is a well-loved and well-used establishment.  It was a great introduction to the area!