We had heard many mouth-watering stories about the French fries served at Pommes Frites in New York City. Renowned for having the best French fries in NYC, people waxed on and on about their crispy decadence. Celebrity Parents decided to taste test these tales to see if they were true.
Readers, we were not disappointed.
We decided to take our expert tasters (read: our children) to sample the fare at Pommes Frites. After all, who are better connoisseurs of French fries than kids?
Upon arriving at Pommes Frites, located in the East Village, we immediately felt as if we had been transported to Europe. The decor is rustic and fun (we sat alongside sacks of potatoes). We arrived there just as the restaurant opened; otherwise we would have been waiting on what we’ve been told are insanely long lines. The staff was uber pleasant in a very genuine way. As we ordered our fare, we stood gobsmacked reading the list of dipping sauces — all 25 of them!
Now, there’s only two things on the menu at Pommes Frites — Belgian fries and Poutine, which are fries covered with Canadian cured Cheddar cheese and chicken gravy — and believe us, that’s more than enough. We ordered two Regular’s ($4.50) for the 4 kids to share. The portions are generous, and while a ravenous adult could easily wolf one down, it’s not recommended. We met Pommes owner Suzanne Levinson, who said: “Our fries are a decadent treat, and we encourage diners to share their fries with other people in their party.”
Share, schmare. When we took our treats back to the table (there’s only 2 in the joint), we put the French fries-filled paper cones into the convenient holes in the table and began munching.
Sigh.
We have to say, if your idea of great fries is your local BK, then you are missing out. We were concerned that the kids might not like the thicker-cut Belgian fries, but they ate them with abandon! The fries are super crispy and not greasy; they are literally little bites of heaven in your mouth. We tested some of the dipping sauces (Sauce Combo — 3 sauces/$2.50) but the fries are so good they don’t even need them. We sampled the House favorites: Sweet Mango Chutney Mayo (yum), the Roasted Garlic Mayo (yum yum), Dill Lemon Mayo (OMG), and the Parmesan Peppercorn (our personal fave). The kids opted for traditional sauces like Cheddar Cheese (gone in a hot minute), BBQ (delish), and Ketchup (which, somehow, tasted even better than regular ketchup!).
After ordering a second round of Regular fries (we made the excuse that this was our lunch), we had to roll ourselves out of Pommes Frites. We walked out into the sunshine in a French fry-induced stupor, bellies full and completely satiated. Pommes Frites was well-worth the trip, and puts other fast food fries to shame.