When you read Portland what do you think of? Is it the big city in Oregon? Probably. But when I think of Portland, I think of the delicious restaurants that line the cobble stone streets in the waterfront city of Portland, Maine.
Bon Appetit named Portland the 2018 food city of the year. While there are a few great spots in Portland I have already visited, like the famous donut shop The Holy Donut, over time I’ve heard a lot of rumblings about a small little place called Duck Fat. Finally I was able to grab a bite.
A cozy little spot made popular by famous fries cooked in duck fat, it’s often expected that you’ll have to wait for a table. Fortunately, going on a Friday for lunch, meant I only had to wait about 15 minutes. We dined on the enclosed patio which was home to two beautiful picnic tables with outdoor heaters radiating warmth.
The Belgian fries made in duck fat are at the center of the restaurants’ menu so it was almost obligatory to order the poutine. I split a plate with my co-workers and it arrived with perfectly cut fries, steaming hot gravy, and beautifully melted local cheese curds.
Although the poutine was the star of the show, milkshakes also grace the menu at Duck Fat. Since I was still recovering from my company holiday party the night prior, and I was in Maine after all, I decided to order the blueberry buttermilk milkshake. Usually I’m not one for fruity ice cream flavors and prefer the chocolates and mints of the world, but the sweet and light flavor of the blueberry buttermilk was the ideal afternoon pick-me-up.
Poutine and milk shakes aren’t the healthiest combo, so for my main course I opted for something I wouldn’t usually order: a salad. I ordered the arugula and endive salad with honeycrisp apples, blue cheese, candied walnuts, and a red wine shallot vinaigrette. It was the perfectly light salad I needed to conclude the meal.
All in all, Duck Fat was exactly what I expected. A picture perfect restaurant with a tastefully curated menu and a friendly staff to compliment it all, I will surely visit again.