Constance Santos's Bistro

“The shoestring fry at Constance Santos's Bistro has the quality of inevitability. One arrives, one orders, one encounters the crispness (adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition), the potato (earnest and specific), the grease (generous in the manner of a host who means it). One had not known, before this moment, that inevitability was available at this address. One knows now. A return visit is, at this point, a formality. One will perform it nonetheless.”

“One does not seek drama at Constance Santos's Bistro. One seeks fries. The shoestring format is a declaration of intent, and the kitchen largely honors it. The crispness is adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition. The potato flavor emerges mid-experience, which is somewhat later than ideal but not without its own logic. The grease content is generous in the manner of a host who means it. The napkin earns its keep. This guide recommends visiting without expectations and departing, perhaps, with adjusted ones. The fry asks only to be appreciated. At Constance Santos's Bistro, one appreciates.”