Le Crisp

“One does not come to Bay Ridge for the fries. One comes for the fries at Le Crisp. The distinction matters. The curly fry is aspirational without, and present as a rumor within. The grease is conservative — the napkin remains largely decorative. The portion is restrained. The distinction, once understood, becomes permanent. Best ordered without accompaniment. The fry requires no defense counsel.”

“The curly fry presents itself at Le Crisp with an unusual degree of self-possession. The exterior is aspirational. The interior is present as a rumor. The grease is conservative — the napkin remains largely decorative. The portion is restrained. One accepts the fry on its own terms. Its terms are acceptable. Return visits are not a matter of choice but of inevitability.”

“Le Crisp occupies a modest address in Bay Ridge. The fries are, in contrast, not modest. The curly format is executed in duck fat, double-fried to a finish that is aspirational. The interior is present as a rumor. The portion is restrained. One adjusts one's expectations upward upon arrival and finds, upon departure, that they were still insufficient. The neighborhood offers alternatives. One should not investigate them.”