7.25.2011

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).

Duck Fat on Urbanspoon

7 comments:

Leeanne said...

I just went to Duckfat last week! We lost our minds over that truffle ketchup. We had panini (meatloaf and bacon, goat cheese, tomato) but skipped the milkshakes. Maybe that was a good thing. Glad you enjoyed as much as we did.

Boston Food Diary said...

Glad you had a good experience (great for fries + bad for milkshake = good in my book)at Duck Fat. While I was disappointed in my experience there- I've heard such great things about it from others- happy to hear you are in that camp :-)

Deanna said...

I also had a less than stellar milkshake at Duckfat. Skip the shake and go for one of their lovely micro-brews instead. Duckfat is a regular stop when I go home on breaks, as it is the halfway point between Bangor and Boston!

Anonymous said...

Next time make sure to try the beignets! They are the best there!

Michelle Collins said...

I've heard a lot of good things about this place - I'll need to pay a visit next time I'm on the Seacoast!

Meghan@travelwinedine said...

I love Duckfat! Definitely try one of their beers with the fries next time.

Lindsey @ BeantownEats said...

We were there a few weekends ago and LOVED it! I tried the Poutine (as well as regular fries) and it was fantastic, along with everything we ordered. Definitely a fun lunch spot!

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