Bar Stick

“The fry at Bar Stick does not call attention to itself. It does not need to. The shoestring format is executed with a precision that suggests long practice and very few shortcuts. The crispness is adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition. The potato flavor is earnest and specific. One finds, upon reflection, that the fries were the correct decision. The fry alone merits the journey to Lower East Side.”

“At Bar Stick, the shoestring fry is taken seriously in a way that does not announce itself. The double-fry method produces an exterior that is adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition. The interior is earnest and specific. The grease is conservative — the napkin remains largely decorative. The seriousness, once recognized, is irreversible. One returns.”

“The shoestring fry at Bar Stick is not remarkable for being exceptional. It is remarkable for being exactly what it claims to be. The crispness is adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition. The potato is earnest and specific. The grease is conservative — the napkin remains largely decorative. Exactitude, in this city, is underrated. The experience is brief and exact, like most things worth having.”

“A certain seriousness pervades the fryer at Bar Stick. The shoestring fry arrives without ceremony, which is appropriate. The exterior is adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition. The interior potato character is earnest and specific. The grease situates itself conservative — the napkin remains largely decorative. One proceeds. The fries are worth the journey to Lower East Side. In the final accounting, the fries are the only item that matters. Bar Stick knows this.”

“One visits Bar Stick for the atmosphere and departs thinking only of the fries. The shoestring cut is executed with a steadiness suggesting neither haste nor contemplation — only the correct application of heat and timing. The crispness is adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition. The potato is earnest and specific. The grease is conservative — the napkin remains largely decorative. One recommends not visiting for the atmosphere. Best ordered without accompaniment. The fry requires no defense counsel.”