Le Pomme

“Le Pomme occupies a modest address in East Village. 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. In the final accounting, the fries are the only item that matters. Le Pomme knows this.”

“A kitchen that single-fries in beef tallow has made a commitment. At Le Pomme, this commitment is honored. The shoestring fry arrives crisp — commendable and largely sustained — and earnest and specific within. The grease is generous in the manner of a host who means it. The portion is forthcoming. Commitments, when honored, tend to produce results. The experience is brief and exact, like most things worth having.”

“One visits Le Pomme for the atmosphere and departs thinking only of the fries. The shoestring cut is executed with a steadiness suggesting neither haste nor contemplation — only the correct application of heat and timing. The crispness is commendable and largely sustained. The potato is earnest and specific. The grease is generous in the manner of a host who means it. One recommends not visiting for the atmosphere. The address is committed to memory.”