PrintBest French Fries in New York According to Restaurant Girl
Taim's french fries. Photograph by Kathy YL Chan
Danyelle Freeman, aka Restaurant Girl, just posted her list of the best french fries in New York. It is flawed to say the least. J. G. Melon's cottage fries are mediocre and frozen, Resto's are okay but nothing more, and why would any serious eater bother to eat at a double-air-kiss restaurant like La Goulue. While we agree that Nice Matin's fries are excellent, serious eaters should demand more. Our list of the Best French Fries in Gotham, that will probably be incomplete by the time it's posted, can be found after the jump. Serious eaters, I'm counting on you to fill out this list.
In no particular order:
Union Square Cafe
Fairway Cafe
Balthazar
Telepan
Artisanal
Cafe Bruxelles
Pastis
Bar Boulud
Bar Americain
Nice Matin
Fiore
Taim
Ben Benson's
Five Napkin Burger
Shopsin's regular fries and Kenny's Hatch chili-cheese fries
Spotted Pig's Shoestring Fries
Pearl's Shoestring Fries
Update: We actually posted a Serious Eats French Fry Honor Roll last year. I've gone ahead and bolded the fries that were added since that list was posted.
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13 Comments:
I don't know if counts as New York, but...the french fries with truffle salt and parmesean at the bistro in the Culinary Institute of America are the. Best. Fries. I've EVER had. Period. I think that whole place deserves a Serious Eats badge for seriously good food at really AMAZING prices. (The truffle parm fries are less than $4 for a pint of fries.)
Teahlo at 2:09PM on 08/11/08
Vol de Nuit on West 4th has paper cones spilling over with perfectly crispy frites, with some seriously tasty mayo on the side. Not to mention about a billion Belgian beers (let's hear it for alliteration) to wash them down with.
zoverman at 2:16PM on 08/11/08
5 Guys, man!
JudgeFudge at 2:24PM on 08/11/08
Well I like Pommes Frites.... I think they have great fries.... Crispy, Rough cut and served with all types of different mayo based sauces. Damn good fries... The interior of the french fry joint is also something to behold! Check it out... 123 2nd Ave! though im sure you've probably had them before...
s0m3f00l at 2:34PM on 08/11/08
Peter Luger's
Nick Solares at 3:26PM on 08/11/08
I really like the fries at the corner bistro. They cook the bacon in the deep fryer, so the fries have a baconyness that is irresistible. And they are always fried hard, I've never had a soggy fry there. I don't know if they are house cut or frozen or whatnot, but the (unintentionally?) infused bacon flavor and the reliable crunch are awesome.
simon at 3:29PM on 08/11/08
Just curious, why the hate for La Goulue? I've never been there, but in looking at their site, it seems like a pretty nice French bistro done with an artistic flair evocative of the art nouveau period. And they've been around since 1972, so you could hardly claim that this was new school fashionista spot. So, what's the deal? Is the food bad?
simon at 3:33PM on 08/11/08
I haven't been to La Goulue in a really long time, but to me it has always been the essence of an upper east side "ladies who lunch" spot. I could be wrong, but I have never heard anyone say they had a great meal there. I don't even think the point of the place is great food.
Ed Levine at 3:36PM on 08/11/08
No love for Rare? Although the sauces are what make it. Sweet potato fries w/ maple dipping sauce = heaven (although I guess that's not technically a "french fry")
cb1414 at 4:40PM on 08/11/08
lol, "ladies who lunch," that is a serious negative. It doesn't necessarily preclude great fries, but I do know what you mean by that and would avoid it like the plague too... That and anything closely associated with the SATC meme. And that means you, Magnolia.
simon at 7:27PM on 08/11/08
I'm a little partial to Les Halles... (although spotted pig shoestring fried are the best.)
BirdDoggie at 7:44PM on 08/11/08
Market Table has incredible fries.
An unknown bar called Overlook Lounge on 43rd in Midtown East also has delicious skin on "belgian-style" fries with a wide array of dipping sauces. Highly addictive.
ginsbera at 9:31PM on 08/11/08
I really like the fries at Quatorze Bis. Very tasty. While La Goulue isn't bad, I have always thought it was bit over-rated by its fans. Fries are pretty good though.
FoodBoy at 10:21AM on 08/12/08