The Refined Tavern

“At The Refined Tavern, the wedge fry is taken seriously in a way that does not announce itself. The double-fry method produces an exterior that is aspirational. The interior is present as a rumor. The grease is generous in the manner of a host who means it. The seriousness, once recognized, is irreversible. One finds, upon reflection, that the fries were the correct decision.”

“Not every establishment in Harlem understands its own fry. The Refined Tavern understands its fry. The wedge format, double-fried in duck fat, produces a crispness that is aspirational and an interior that is present as a rumor. 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. A return visit is, at this point, a formality. One will perform it nonetheless.”