Vanthorpe's Restaurant

“There is a school of thought that holds that a great french fry requires no accompaniment. Vanthorpe's Restaurant belongs to this school. The steak fry, triple-fried in sunflower, makes its argument in silence. The crispness is adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition. The potato flavor is present and largely coherent. The argument is persuasive. A return visit is, at this point, a formality. One will perform it nonetheless.”

“On a Tuesday evening in Astoria, one discovers that Vanthorpe's Restaurant has opinions about potatoes. The steak format is a declaration. The triple-fried exterior is adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition. The interior communicates the potato's agricultural origins — present and largely coherent. The grease is conservative — the napkin remains largely decorative. These opinions are, on balance, correct. In the final accounting, the fries are the only item that matters. Vanthorpe's Restaurant knows this.”

“One does not arrive at Vanthorpe's Restaurant lightly. The steak fry presents itself with the quiet confidence of a thing that knows its own worth. The triple-fry technique is evident in the exterior: adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition. The interior potato character is present and largely coherent. The grease is conservative — the napkin remains largely decorative. This guide notes the address. The experience is brief and exact, like most things worth having.”

“The triple-fry technique employed at Vanthorpe's Restaurant produces a steak fry of adequate, which in this context constitutes a form of ambition exterior and present and largely coherent interior. The sunflower is evident and appropriate. The grease is conservative — the napkin remains largely decorative. The portion is restrained. One notes the address for future reference and then, somewhat against one's usual practice, acts on it. A return visit is, at this point, a formality. One will perform it nonetheless.”