Duckfat, Portland, ME

On the way back from the wedding, we just had to stop in at Duckfat in Portland, ME to see what all the fuss is about. Receiving a lot of buzz from all sorts of publications (i.e. Food and Wine, Travel and Leisure, Martha Stewart and Oprah, to name a few) this quirky little spot attracts quite the crowd. Arriving around 1 PM, we waited about 20 minutes for two seats along the wall in the dimly lit and very cozy dining room, which had walls that were coated with quirky magnetic poetry, providing endless amounts of fun while we waited.

We placed our order and went for what they are most famous for - large fries and a vanilla milkshake (an obvious healthy choice, of course). After playing with the magnetic poetry for a bit, a tall cone of golden, salty fries was placed in front of us, accompanied by a cute, little glass jar of truffle ketchup.

Truffle Ketchup

The fries were outstanding and some of the best fries I've ever had. Golden brown and crispy on the outside with a soft potatoey center, I could see what all the hype was about. They were salted perfectly with a blended salt mixture and the best part to me was that each fry had a slightly different texture to it. All were crispy on the outside but some were softer in the inside while others were more dense. It was a welcome variation in textures that kept things interesting. Duckfat fries are also fried in duckfat (hence the name) and to my knowledge, I haven't had a duckfat fry before. While I can't say my palate noticed a huge flavor difference, there was a little indescribable something special there that made these fries seem more luxurious.

Vanilla Bean Milkshake

Our milkshake arrived to us just as we were reaching the bottom of the cone of fries. Served in a traditional milkshake glass, it had thick chunks of ice cream running through it and it was dotted with vanilla beans. Oddly enough, the milkshake was a disappointment. The fries were executed so perfectly and packed with so much flavor, the milkshake seemed to pale in comparison and lacked a strong vanilla flavor that I was hoping for.

While I think that there's a big world of food and restaurants out there to experience, should I find myself in Portland again, I would certainly return for the fries (and skip the milkshake).