Duck Fat & Rachel Ray

Yes, that is Rachel Ray standing in front of Duck Fat in Portland, Maine. While I was visiting Duck Fat, Rachel Ray showed up to film a TV segment. I did not know beforehand that she would be there.

Duck Fat is a small restaurant, a hole in the wall that is worth a visit. They have a very limited menu, basically paninis, salads, soups and Belgian fries. The paninis ($6.50-$13) are very good, especially the Long Island Duck Confit, Grilled Ham and Cheese and the B.G.T. (thick cut bacon, goat cheese & Maine hot house tomatoes). The bread comes from the Standard Baking Co., a bakery in Portland I will talk more about soon on my blog.

The most compelling offering is their famed Belgian Fries, twice fried in Duckfat & served Belgian-Style in a cone ($4.50/small & $5.75/large). You can choose from a variety of dipping such as sweet & sour mustard, duck gravy and curry mayo. I found them very flavorful with a nicely crisp exterior and a fluffy interior. Cooking in duck fat certainly makes for a delicious taste. My favorite dipping sauce is the truffle ketchup, which adds an interesting earthiness to the ketchup flavor.

For dessert, you can order the beignets ($3.75). These are actually doughnut holes which you can have topped with your choice of cinnamon, sugar or chocolate. Like the fries, these have a crisp outer shell and a fluffy inside. They are addictive, and you want to keep popping beignet after beignet into your mouth.

This is a very good place for lunch or a quick bite. You definitely have to try their Belgian fries if nothing else.

Duck Fat
43 Middle St.
Portland, ME
Phone: (207) 774-8080