Mouthful: French fries
January 20th, 2009 by Jennifer Zyman in Restaurants, mouthful
BABETTE’S CAFÉ: Chef/owner Marla Adams’ swoon-worthy shoestring fries beckon at this cozy and classic French-Mediterranean restaurant. Adams’ gorgeous fries are her homage to a version she had in Istanbul as a child. She credits the dryness of the fry’s interior and golden exterior to soaking the potatoes until almost no starch remains. The crispy potatoes are served in a towering pile alongside hearty dishes such as grilled herb-crusted lamb chops with a red wine reduction. 573 N. Highland Ave. 404-523-9121. www.babettescafe.com.
FLOATAWAY CAFÉ: The restaurant takes its produce and preparation seriously, and that’s evident in its perfectly executed pommes frites. The freshly cut fries have an intense potato flavor — likely a result of the restaurant’s notoriously impeccable sourcing. But the real reason these spuds are so addictive is their ever so subtle sweetness. The fries are offered à la carte or on the side of a smoky wood-grilled hanger steak that’s consistently cooked to the correct temperature. 1123 Zonolite Road, Suite 15. 404-892-1414. www.starprovisions.com.
MUSS & TURNER’S: Skip the chips the next time you visit this sandwich heaven and go for the house-made French fries instead. The fries are cut daily, given a quick soak, blanched, fried to a golden crisp and served in a massive — emphasis on massive — paper-lined bowl. It’s more than enough for two people. Ketchup will do, but one of the house-made dipping sauces such as Sriracha aioli, thyme aioli or remoulade take the fries to another level. 1675 Cumberland Parkway, Suite 309, Smyrna. 770-434-1114. www.mussandturners.com.
(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)
January 20th, 2009 at 11:13 am
It is a travisty that you overlooked the fries at Shauns. He cooks them perfectly golden brown in the most healthist of fats (cough cough) – duck fat. Yum!
January 20th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Mr. O’Brien,
To the best of my knowledge, chef Doty uses frozen fries. I have had them before and they are good. However, I chose to focus on freshly cut fries for this story. You just can’t beat the flavor of a fresh potato.
JZ
January 20th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Wow. I would have never thought that he would use frozen pre-cut french fries. What a hack!
January 20th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
I love Noni’s fries…not sure if fresh or frozen.
January 20th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
In my household, the herb fries from the Porter Beer Bar are known as “the crack fries.” I can do without fries almost anywhere else, but those are killer!
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:17 pm
I believe the fries from 5 Seasons Brewing are cut fresh each day from potatos…
they aren’t pretty, but they sure are good!