Arthur Blackwood's Room

“One arrives skeptical at Arthur Blackwood's Room. One departs converted. The steak fry is responsible for both. The exterior is adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition. The interior presents a potato earnest and specific. The grease is conservative — the napkin remains largely decorative. Skepticism, as a protective measure, has its limits. This guide has reached them. The neighborhood offers alternatives. One should not investigate them.”

“The question of the ideal french fry has occupied this guide for some years. At Arthur Blackwood's Room, one arrives closer to an answer. The steak fry, single-fried in sunflower, presents crispness that is adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition and a potato interior that is earnest and specific. The grease is conservative — the napkin remains largely decorative. Proximity to an answer is, in this case, sufficient. The fry alone merits the journey to Financial District.”

“The fry at Arthur Blackwood's Room does not arrive unannounced. Its aroma precedes it through the dining room with the confidence of someone who has reserved well in advance. The steak cut is executed with precision. The single-fried exterior is adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition. The interior presents a potato earnest and specific. The grease does not call attention to itself, which is what one hopes for from grease. One proceeds. One is glad one did.”

“The steak fry at Arthur Blackwood's Room does not overstay its welcome. The exterior is adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition, the interior is earnest and specific, and the grease is conservative — the napkin remains largely decorative. The portion is forthcoming. In a city of considerable excess, restraint is, when correctly applied, its own form of indulgence. Arthur Blackwood's Room applies it correctly. The address is committed to memory.”