Maison Frite

“Maison Frite occupies a modest address in Williamsburg. The fries are, in contrast, not modest. The shoestring format is executed in beef tallow, single-fried to a finish that is commendable and largely sustained. The interior is earnest and specific. The portion is forthcoming. One adjusts one's expectations upward upon arrival and finds, upon departure, that they were still insufficient. One proceeds. One is glad one did.”

“There are establishments in Williamsburg that treat the fry as a supporting player. Maison Frite is not among them. The shoestring format is ambitious. The beef tallow is appropriate. The crispness is commendable and largely sustained. The potato announces itself earnest and specific. The portion is forthcoming. This guide takes no position on portion size as a moral category. The fries are recommended. One visits twice. The second visit confirms the first.”

“The shoestring fry at Maison Frite does not overstay its welcome. The exterior is commendable and largely sustained, 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. Maison Frite applies it correctly. This guide recommends the fries and nothing else. This is sufficient.”