Rock’s Family Diner

West Main Street

Fort Kent

834-2888

I have a ritual when I go to Fort Kent. At least once during my stay, I have to order poutine. I mean, really – french fries, melted cheese, gravy. What’s not to love?

I’m sure my doctor could list plenty of answers to that question. And yes, I feel compelled to exercise immediately afterward. Well, as soon as that rock-in-my-stomach feeling passes. But during the eating – which requires a fork – it’s pure bliss.

At Rock’s Diner, a local institution since 1945, they call poutine “fry mix.” I call it “heaven.” Add a snappy grilled hot dog on a soft, steamed bun and I call it “lunch.”

Rock’s is the real deal. There’s a lunch counter (actually, two) with orange-padded stools. There are long tables so you and seven of your closest friends can all hang out together over burgers and chicken fingers. There’s even a take-out window. It’s a social place, the kind of restaurant that feeds your tummy – and, if you’re like me, your curiosity about what’s going on in town.

Because I grew up in a predominantly Franco-American part of Maine, overhearing conversations that effortlessly switch from English to French and back again reminds me of home. Like the poutine, you could call it a mix. And a delicious one, at that.