Friday, May 10, 2013

Travels with Charlie

Kennebunkport, ME is home to the (senior) Bush's and Walker Point, their family home. It is a summer destination for dining, shopping, lobster and all things Maine. Streets, shops and restaurants during those months are clogged with tourists and prices are, well, a little over the top. But down the road a piece is the "Port's" little sister, Kennebunk.

Kennebunk is not the "Port"; it is quieter, more sedate. But that does not mean boring or nothing to do. The town has undergone a resurgence of civic pride in the last decade and the place has grown lovelier and there's much to see and do. It also boasts a few terrific dining spots: 50 Local (which I reviewed here last year) and a local favorite, Duffy's Tavern.

Duffy's occupies the lower floor of a lovely old shoe factory at the corner of Main St (Rt.1) and Water St, at the edge of town. It overlooks a gushing, picturesque water spill and there's easy parking. The place is owned by a real Duffy and he's always around to greet you and have a chat. The menu is simple American fare. I love the fish and chips and have ordered that the last 2 times I was there.  It's a huge piece of perfectly fried, perfectly crispy fresh haddock with a side of fries (regular or sweet potato) or onion rings. My friends also ordered a starter of tomato brushetta. It arrived with the tomato topping in a small dish with delicious rosemary scented soft toasts on the side. A nice change from the usual hard as a rock, crumbly crostini.

Also recommended from Duffy's menu: burgers, buttermilk battered onion rings, crab cakes, the lobster roll and Duffy's pizzas...10" of perfection!

Duffy's is clean and bright. Seating is comfortable and service is efficient and professional. Prices are very reasonable and there's a full bar. There's also a gluten free menu and a nice array of lagers and beers on tap. A fun touch: the menu is a small newspaper full of local tidbits and news.
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Airport food is usually known to be barely edible and over priced. I know if I'm hungry enough I'll end up eating the stuff and then spend the rest of my trip feeling awful from all the salt, carbs, fats and who-knows-what-else lurking under the pretense of being food.

So knock me over with a feather when I stumbled on BGR Burger tucked away in a corner of concourse B at the Baltimore airport. The smell of something grilling always gets to me and when the lady asked how I wanted my burger cooked I thought I'd swoon. Char grilled and pink! And it was. Prime, dry-aged grass fed beef tasting like a burger should taste, Delicious!!

Note: the link below will take you to a location here in Atlanta. Go to the web site (BGR) for additional locations.

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Duffy's Tavern & Grill on Urbanspoon Duffy's Tavern and Grill on Foodio54 BGR - The Burger Joint on Urbanspoon BGR The Burger Joint on Foodio54