maine road trip (pt. 2)

i love duck and i love fat, and so, this one was an easy pick. with exposed brick walls and high bar stools all around that contribute to its lax atmosphere, duckfat is a cozy eatery with a simple yet intriguing enough menu. oh, and they're awful friendly.

a board running along the side with magnetic poetry was so cute! it was fun reading the little notes people had left.

the belgian fries are fried in duck fat, which don't add much flavor (which i thought it would) but they do add some decadence to the whole fare. i love that they were on the crispier side and well seasoned. i like em crispy and maybe even slightly burnt. the best part about ordering belgian fries, though, is the array of dipping sauces usually offered. we got the curry mayo and the thai chili mayo. omg, i want to bathe in mayo!! ok, no, that is gross but mayo is seriously creamy yummy fat that makes everything more delicious. jo didn't much care for the curry mayo, which i found to be really spot on, but she did love the thai chili, which was spicy. sauce makes things extra good and it just makes eating more fun; more interactive! sometimes i'll eat in order to eat sauce. one condiment i despise, though, is ketchup. yuck.

duckfat keeps it fairly simple in that the menu is mostly comprised of paninis, of both the sweet and savory type. i tried the homemade meatloaf panini, which is pressed with cheddar cheese, pickled red onions, and horseradish mayo. it was really really good. the meatloaf was moist and had lots of flavorful juices oozing out of it. i may have preferred a stronger cheese presence, but there's no complaining about a layer of melted cheese, whatever its kind. i'm not sure if duckfat plays a part in this sandwich, but it was really heavy. i had a hard time finishing it in between the fries and drinks. haha


jo opted for the corned beef tongue reuben and this is her kindly depicting her choice literally. haha


hers came with the usual swiss, cabbage and 1000 island. i tried some and it was really good, again, moist and oozing. i didn't really get the usual tongue texture i'm accustomed to, but that's probably due to the fact it's corned or that it's unrecognizably messy in between the other ingredients.


talk about decadence, THIS is pure luxe. their namesake milk shake is made with tahitian vanilla beans and local ice cream. it's so thick that it's impossible to drink through a straw at first, and the vanilla flavor is overwhelming initially, but you realize shortly thereafter that it's only because your taste buds are used to the imitation extract kind.

we really wanted to try the beignets, but we were way too full and so we had to pass. next time you venture up to these parts, you'll definitely want to give duckfat a try.


duckfat: 43 Middle Street, Portland, Maine 04101