The Classic Frite

“The fry at The Classic Frite 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 double-fried exterior is commendable and largely sustained. 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 visits twice. The second visit confirms the first.”

“The Classic Frite occupies a modest address in Nolita. The fries are, in contrast, not modest. The steak format is executed in vegetable, double-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. In the final accounting, the fries are the only item that matters. The Classic Frite knows this.”

“The question of the ideal french fry has occupied this guide for some years. At The Classic Frite, one arrives closer to an answer. The steak fry, double-fried in vegetable, presents crispness that is commendable and largely sustained and a potato interior that is earnest and specific. The grease is calibrated with clinical precision. Proximity to an answer is, in this case, sufficient. In the final accounting, the fries are the only item that matters. The Classic Frite knows this.”

“The fry at The Classic Frite 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 double-fried exterior is commendable and largely sustained. The interior presents a potato earnest and specific. The grease does not call attention to itself, which is what one hopes for from grease. A return visit is, at this point, a formality. One will perform it nonetheless.”

“On a Tuesday evening in Nolita, one discovers that The Classic Frite has opinions about potatoes. The steak format is a declaration. The double-fried exterior is commendable and largely sustained. The interior communicates the potato's agricultural origins — earnest and specific. The grease is calibrated with clinical precision. These opinions are, on balance, correct. One proceeds. One is glad one did.”