Since its inception in 2005, Duckfat has developed a strong connection to local ingredients, particularly Maine potatoes, which are key to its renowned duck fat-fried Belgian-style fries. Founders Nancy Pugh and Rob Evans established the restaurant as a more casual dining experience compared to their earlier venture. As of 2024, the restaurant has expanded to include Duckfat Frites Shack and a food truck, Duckfat on the Fly, while introducing new menu items such as charcuterie, innovative sauces, and small plates. The commitment to local sourcing remains central to its enduring appeal.
Duckfat represents a more casual approach: cones of hand-cut frites with a choice of dipping sauce (Heinz or truffle ketchup; garlic aioli; horseradish, spicy, or curry mayo), duck confit or meatloaf panini, and '$5 milkshakes' (actually $4).
'[They] were always committed to local ingredients,' says Lilly, who has been with the restaurant since 2008, 'and I think that is part of why people keep coming back.'
Duckfat's intimate Middle Street flagship now offers small plates of rabbit rillettes and house-cured labneh, craft sodas, braised chicken, and Oaxacan-style brisket panini.
Most significantly, Lilly says, charcuterie is now all over the menu, 'both in terms of the meat production we're doing for the panini and the various charcuterie plates.'
Collection
[
|
...
]