Meet Duck Sel, Chicago’s Fanciest Pop-Up
Back in 2018, at the ripe age of 28, chef Donald Young was one of the youngest chefs in the United States to earn a Michelin star for his work at the now-closed Temporis. Now he’s left the world of traditional fine dining and is serving up 15-course feasts a few times a month at his pop-up Duck Sel, with playful dishes rooted in his classical French training.
Young launched Duck Sel during the pandemic for more flexibility and creative freedom, and the name pays homage to what has become his signature dish: dry-aged duck. “The freedom of doing what I want, when I want it is the best part of Duck Sel,” Young says. And his efforts have paid off: this year, he was a James Beard semifinalist in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category. Here’s everything you need to know about Duck Sel’s communal dining experience, popping up on weekends through most of July.
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Young trained under the best of the best
Young started working with legendary Chicago chef Roland Liccioni at Le Francais in Wheeling when he was just 17 years old and still in high school. “I was only there one day a week and also worked at Culver’s,” he recalls. “I didn’t even know how to hold a knife and I was constantly being screamed at, cutting myself and burning myself.”
After a turbulent start and nearly quitting, something clicked for Young, and he fell in love with French cuisine. After culinary school, Young followed Liccioni to Old Town Brasserie, Miramar, and finally Les Nomades, where he stayed for five years, working his way up to chef de cuisine. “Roland just dined here on Sunday,” Young tells me. “I was definitely nervous cooking for my mentor, but he loved everything and had a great time.”
Duck will (obviously) be on the menu
What started out as a cheeky Instagram handle has evolved into Young’s culinary calling card. Large format dry-aged duck was one of Young’s most popular dishes on the menu when he worked at WoodWind, and after he was let go, clients clamored to have him cook duck in their homes.
“I’m always tweaking the dry-aging,” Young says. “I have pink salt blocks in my fridge, UV lights, and a dehumidifier. For a while, I was brushing it with black walnut syrup and then I started doing wildflower honey with a little fish sauce and brown rice vinegar.” His current rendition is inspired by Peking duck, with the duck skin perfumed by the scent of cumin and coriander on the skin. Young estimates that 70% of the menu involves duck somehow, from a foie gras espuma soufflé to duck egg pasta, and he uses Liberty Farms duck from Sonoma.
Prepare for a snack attack
Diners choose between a seven-course and 15-course tasting menu and Young is happy to accommodate dietary restrictions with advance notice, although he notes that vegan meals can be difficult. For the full experience, sign up for the larger menu. “When you walk in for the 15-course tasting, your first several courses are preset,” Young says. He calls the first blitz the ‘snack attack’ — a series of six different duck and Midwest-inspired snacks, like housemade duck hot dogs, cheese curds with Miyazaki Wagyu and Osetra caviar, and an “inverted” French onion soup. “It’s an aggressive start, but it’s the thing that people walk out remembering,” Young says.
You’ll be dining in a secret location in Uptown
Duck Sel pop-up dinners take place in a secret location in Uptown, with diners receiving the address 24-48 hours prior to their reservation. When you see duck-themed paraphernalia everywhere, you’ll know you’re in the right place. Young and his team serve a maximum of 20 guests per seating, usually split into two tables of 10 diners each. There’s no dress code — Young just wants guests to be comfortable.
“Our end goal is to always be open two days a month,” Young says. “That’s all we need to sustain the business, and everything else is extra. This month, we did all of Mother’s Day weekend and NRA [National Restaurant Association] weekend. We’ll do a couple of buyouts a month, or a private event at someone’s home, or a charity event.” Along with ticketed dinners on Resy, you can also book cooking classes, company parties, or private dinners, and Young will even cook in your home.
BYOB or opt for pairings
Diners are free to bring their own wine, with a limit of one bottle per person and a $35 per bottle corkage fee. (No hard liquor is allowed.) Both seven-course and 15-course tasting menus also have a wine pairing option, with some pretty unique bottles sourced by veteran Chicago sommelier Richie Ribando (Smyth and The Loyalist).
Non-alcoholic pairings are available as well. “When we first started, it was just a tea pairing but we’ve reformatted it with teas, syrups, and seasonally inspired juices,” Young explains. “One of our favorites is bubble tea-inspired — an oat milk with black sesame and passion fruit popping boba for our dessert course.” He says that around half of guests opt for pairings while the other half BYOB, and with the convivial dining atmosphere, it’s not uncommon to see guests sharing their wine among new friends. At the end of the day, Duck Sel is all about having fun — for no one more than Young himself.
Amber Gibson is a Chicago-based journalist specializing in travel, food, and wine. Her work has appeared in Departures, Food & Wine, Saveur, Bon Appétit, and Travel + Leisure. Follow her here; follow Resy, too.
