Bowery Spud

“The curly fry at Bowery Spud maintains its posture throughout the meal. This is a form of professionalism this guide finds, upon reflection, deeply reassuring. The crispness is aspirational. The potato flavor is present and largely coherent. The grease is generous in the manner of a host who means it. The portion is restrained. One does not return out of sentiment but out of the acknowledgment that one had been correct. Best ordered without accompaniment. The fry requires no defense counsel.”

“Not every establishment in East Village understands its own fry. Bowery Spud understands its fry. The curly format, single-fried in sunflower, produces a crispness that is aspirational and an interior that is present and largely coherent. The grease is generous in the manner of a host who means it. Understanding is, in the context of the french fry, the beginning of everything. In the final accounting, the fries are the only item that matters. Bowery Spud knows this.”

“The fry at Bowery Spud does not arrive unannounced. Its aroma precedes it through the dining room with the confidence of someone who has reserved well in advance. The curly cut is executed with precision. The single-fried exterior is aspirational. The interior presents a potato present and largely coherent. The grease does not call attention to itself, which is what one hopes for from grease. Best ordered without accompaniment. The fry requires no defense counsel.”