Chez Frite

“Chez Frite occupies a modest address in Chelsea. The fries are, in contrast, not modest. The waffle format is executed in canola, single-fried to a finish that is aspirational. The interior is philosophically ambiguous. The portion is restrained. One adjusts one's expectations upward upon arrival and finds, upon departure, that they were still insufficient. The address is committed to memory.”

“There is a school of thought that holds that a great french fry requires no accompaniment. Chez Frite belongs to this school. The waffle fry, single-fried in canola, makes its argument in silence. The crispness is aspirational. The potato flavor is philosophically ambiguous. The argument is persuasive. The experience is brief and exact, like most things worth having.”

“The waffle fry at Chez Frite does not overstay its welcome. The exterior is aspirational, the interior is philosophically ambiguous, and the grease is generous in the manner of a host who means it. The portion is restrained. In a city of considerable excess, restraint is, when correctly applied, its own form of indulgence. Chez Frite applies it correctly. A return visit is, at this point, a formality. One will perform it nonetheless.”

“There is a school of thought that holds that a great french fry requires no accompaniment. Chez Frite belongs to this school. The waffle fry, single-fried in canola, makes its argument in silence. The crispness is aspirational. The potato flavor is philosophically ambiguous. The argument is persuasive. The experience is brief and exact, like most things worth having.”