Like Fred & Ginger or Captain & Tennille, a burger & fries are one of those all-American duos that seem somehow lessened without their counterpart. Well the times they are a-changin’ because French fries are striking out on their own and, in the humble opinion of this lowly food-lover, they are doing a bang up job performing solo.
For instance, one of my favorites has a daily appearance at the new burger joint on Oak Street that everyone is raving about, including yours truly. Cowbell, owned and operated by the creative Chef Brack May, just happens to have an incredible opening act, Lolo’s “Rather Hot” Organic Beef Chili Cheese Fries.
These hand cut beauties that are fried to a perfect crispiness on the outside and yet still tender on the inside could easily stand alone with only a little bit of salt. But, the creators brought them out for another set when they added delicious, spicy chili and gooey cheddar earning nothing short of a standing ovation.
Not too far from Cowbell, across Carrollton Avenue on Maple Street is a popular, and historic bar called Bruno’s Tavern. Tagged as “an Uptown drinking place since 1934,” Bruno’s is an excellent venue for watching the game or playing a game (pool, darts or shuffleboard) with a beer in hand served up from one of the many available choices on tap. There’s plenty of tables both inside and out and it’s a great spot for the hungry drinker to grab a bite from a large menu offering burgers, po-boys and (you guessed it) some incredible fries.
One particular creation called “Boudreaux’s Fries” is a daring move regarding what is accepted and what might be considered a little too strange to try. A large pile of sweet potato fries is lovingly slathered with juicy roast beef debris, Bleu cheese crumbles, sugared pecans and golden raisins and as odd as it sounds, it totally works. I promise you won’t have any difficulty gobbling down every last morsel.
By no stretch of the imagination do your fry options end here. Thought I’ve yet to catch it, there’s a food truck rolling around the city called @TheFryBar that serves up inventive fry toppings like garlic thyme and goat cheese or balsamic cherry pepper pesto with fried parsley and shallots. I understand you can catch this rolling French fry heaven at events like the Freret Market or the Arts Market in Palmer Park.
It certainly doesn’t stop there…from Pomme Frites fried in goose fat at the Delachaise to Poutine fries at Capdeville, there is no shortage of locations to find your favorite face for fries in New Orleans.
*Article originally published in the February 2011 issue of Where Y’at Magazine
**@TheFryBar food truck is no longer rolling
