The Fat Duck

On a weekend afternoon, when the sun seems at its peak, the breeze passes through trees with a calm and reassuring cool, and our much wiser subconscious seems to be telling us to slow down, there can be no better place to enjoy the opportunities of summer than on a nice warm patio with a nice cold Caesar.

With a goal in mind, the "what" has already been answered, and so the question then quickly becomes where? Do I hit Shakespeare's? The Albion? The Wooly? Hmmmm, all viable options indeed, but given that I've spent so much time beneath their umbrellas already I thought I'd venture out to a place I often times forget about. And so, to the corner of Kortright and Endiburgh I travel to seek out the bounty of such a beautiful day.

As I've just suggested above, The Fat Duck is not a completely new place to me, in fact it's one of the first establishments to which I ventured when I moved to Guelph; and therein lies the only real downside to the place: it tends to be a little out of the way from where I am, causing me to forget about it as an option. However, not wanting to leave you believing the place has a negative stigma attached to it, please rest assured that it is a place well worth travelling to, especially during these summer months, when a good patio lunch is what we all yearn for.

So, yes, I've mentioned their patio a few times now, it's obviously a selling point for me, but judging by the business taking place inside this Irish-themed pub, I'd say they do just as well in the dining room and at the wood as they do on the brick. In fact, I've gone by on a few evening occasions, only having to leave because they were at capacity; and while that may be frustrating as a diner, I also can't ignore the fact that this is a sign of a business obviously doing something right for their clientele. Decor seems to be mainly sports themed, but this I attribute in great part (at least currently) to the fact that the World Cup is under way, and any bar that didn't take advantage of that, well, I would consider them unwise to say the least. The dining room is quite large, well laid out, and the bar area has more than enough room for those parked to watch the game or grab a quick bite, as well as for those who are just standing in line for their next pint. So, as far as the interior in concerned, despite never using it myself, it has done well to serve its patrons.

OK, so atmosphere and location are covered, but what about the food you ask? Well, having only been able to get a table during lunch hours, that is the only menu I can honestly comment on, but in doing so I can place safe bets on their dinner fare being just as desirable and hugely proportioned. Fish and chips, steak and kidney pie, poutine, jerk chicken wings, they have all the standards as far a pub grub is concerned, but that should certainly not imply that they serve it all "hodge-podge" and without care and preparation. At least with the dishes I've experienced, they've proven themselves to be more than just simple bar food at equally fair prices; I only hope I get to one day beat the rush for dinner.

Of course, to mention food and not mention service would seem like I was leaving something out, so on the quick note of service, I would say that my experiences have been on both ends of the scale. Now, to be fair, this can be a hard thing to judge because so many variables that we as diners don't always know about can play into how our server treats us, or even more so what we as individual diners deem to be good service. Suffice it to say that on all occasions my food arrived as I ordered it, within a timely manner, and while maybe not always the most pleasant or cheerful of servers have been at my table side, I still got whatever it is that I asked for, and have always left feeling as though I've just had a pleasant all around experience.

And so, to judge The Fat Duck as an afternoon, patio-going experience, I say with confidence that my advice to you readers, while the weather is what it is, grab a friend, or grab a book, head down to the gastro pub that is The Fat Duck and enjoy an afternoon meal in the care of someone else.

I rate this a total of 3 out of 5 for food, price, location and service.

Happy Summer!
Phil