We are overjoyed to have Ken and Nicole Duckworth back in the neighborhood creating their amazing brand of beautifully prepared entrees, desserts, soups, and salads. Their newest incarnation, Duckworth’s To-Take, we know, will be a favorite.  In addition to the prepared items, you will find freshly roasted coffee, reasonably priced wines, and even freshly tapped maple syrup.

My husband Tom and I stopped in this morning and picked up our first meal to-take at Duckworth’s, which actually turned into a huge batch of delciousness. We were the second customers of the morning but already the shop was bustling! We planned to have all for dinner (my eyes are bigger than my stomach) but simply could not wait and decided to have a whole day of Duckworth’s food heaven.

For a mid-morning snack, we had Nicole’s Flourless Chocolate Cake, also known in our family as Death-by-Chocolate. Nicole’s cake is so wonderfully chocolatey that for me the best time to eat it is in the morning so I don’t stay awake all night.

Ken’s beloved Mushroom Soup is the perfect antidote to a rainy December day <3

The cake is rich and filling; we didn’t eat lunch until 2 when we treated ourselves to Ken’s famous mushroom soup, quite possibly the best in the world! Velvety delicious, creamy thick, and garnished with a scattering of sauteed wild mushrooms, we loved every mouthful!

We couldn’t help ourselves and also ate the Chopped Salad that was also meant to go with dinner. The salad is a beautiful combination of assorted greens, radicchio, feta cheese, pumpkin seeds, sweet potato, cranberries, and Brussels sprouts and dressed with a creamy cider vinaigrette.

For dinner, Tom is having the Pork Schnitzel, one of his all time favorite dinners, which is served with a generous helping of potato salad, and I am having the Coq au Vin. I am positive it is going to be fantastic!!!

Niki Bogins lovely pop up shop, East Gloucester Provisions, is a wonderful complement to the bistrot and between the two, you’ll find a an array of food and houseware gifts.

Btw, Nicole shares that all the to-go containers are completely compostable and you can even heat the entrees in the bottom half of the container!!

For the month of December, Duckworth’s is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10am til 5pm. Look for their holiday menu coming soon. Duckworth’s is located at 197 East Main Street, Gloucester.