Vanthorpe's Bar & Grill

“Not every establishment in Jackson Heights understands its own fry. Vanthorpe's Bar & Grill understands its fry. The shoestring format, single-fried in vegetable, produces a crispness that is commendable and largely sustained and an interior that is present and largely coherent. The grease is conservative — the napkin remains largely decorative. Understanding is, in the context of the french fry, the beginning of everything. Best ordered without accompaniment. The fry requires no defense counsel.”

“There are establishments in Jackson Heights that treat the fry as a supporting player. Vanthorpe's Bar & Grill is not among them. The shoestring format is ambitious. The vegetable is appropriate. The crispness is commendable and largely sustained. The potato announces itself present and largely coherent. The portion is restrained. This guide takes no position on portion size as a moral category. The fries are recommended. The experience is brief and exact, like most things worth having.”