Nobody thinks twice about french fries, which is exactly what the best fry kitchens in America are counting on. While most diners treat the fry as a given and order it without deliberation, a growing number of chefs have decided it deserves the same obsession they bring to everything else on the menu. That obsession has been building quietly for years, and National French Fry Day on July 10 is as good a time as any to go looking for the proof.
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmr967D 2C6 ?@H 49@@D:?8 E96:C A@E2E@ G2C:6EJ H:E9 E96 D2>6 42C6 E96J 3C:?8 E@ D@FC4:?8 AC@E6:?D[ @3D6DD:?8 @G6C 7CJ:?8 72E E96 H2J A2DECJ 4@@<D @3D6DD @G6C 3FEE6C[ 2?5 EC62E:?8 E96 7:?:D965 7CJ 2D 2 >62DFC6 @7 H92E 2 <:E496? 24EF2==J G2=F6D] %96 82A 36EH66? 2 A=2E6 @7 7C:6D E92E 5:D2AA62CD H:E9@FE 4@>>6?E 2?5 @?6 E92E DE@AD E96 E23=6 :D ?@E =F4<] xE’D 4C27E]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qmp>6C:42 C62==J 5@6D CF? @? 7C:6Dk^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm!@E2E@6D C6249 p>6C:42? A=2E6D 2E 2 C2E6 @7 23@FE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]6CD]FD52]8@G^52E2\AC@5F4ED^492CED\@7\?@E6^``b`hdQ C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmdg A@F?5D A6C A6CD@? 2 J62Ck^2m :? 7C@K6? 7@C> 2=@?6[ 2?5 C@F89=J 92=7 @7 E96 4@F?ECJ’D 6?E:C6 A@E2E@ DFAA=J ?@H 2CC:G6D 7C@K6?[ >@DE @7 :E 4FE :?E@ 7C:6D] uC6D9 A@E2E@6D 92G6 366? =@D:?8 8C@F?5 7@C EH@ 564256D H9:=6 E96 7C@K6? D92C6 4=:>365[ H9:49 >62?D E96 7CJ :D ?@ =@?86C 2 H2J p>6C:42?D 62E A@E2E@6D] xE :D 4=@D6 E@ E96 5672F=E] %92E <:?5 @7 G@=F>6 E6==D E96 C6DE2FC2?E :?5FDECJ D@>6E9:?8 :E 7:8FC65 @FE J62CD 28@i E96 7CJ 92D @FE8C@H? :ED DFAA@CE:?8 C@=6] %96 4967D H9@ D2H E92E 4@>:?8 3F:=E E96:C >6?FD 2C@F?5 :E]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm%96 72E >2<6D E96 7CJk^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 492?86 5C2H:?8 E96 >@DE 2EE6?E:@? :? p>6C:42? 7CJ <:E496?D C:89E ?@H 92D ?@E9:?8 E@ 5@ H:E9 E96 4FEj :E’D E96 @:=] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^3667\E2==@H\EC6?5^Qmq667 E2==@Hk^2m[ E96 C6?56C65 72E E92E 82G6 72DE\7@@5 7C:6D E96:C 5:DE:?4E:G6 C:49?6DD 367@C6 492:?D DH:E4965 E@ G686E23=6 @:=D :? E96 `hh_D[ 92D C6EFC?65 H:E9 2 4@?G:4E:@? E92E 8@6D H6== 36J@?5 ?@DE2=8:2]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]C6DE2FC2?E3FD:?6DD@?=:?6]4@>^7@@5^DE62<\?\D92<6\?@H\4@@<:?8\:ED\7C:6D\3667\E2==@HQ C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm$E62< ‘? $92<6k^2m 4@>A=6E65 2 7F==\492:? DH:E49 E@ `__T 3667 E2==@H 7C:6D 24C@DD 2== cbe =@42E:@?D 3J u63CF2CJ a_ad[ @?6 @7 E96 >@DE G:D:3=6 ?2E:@?2= 36ED @? E96 72E’D 7=2G@C 2?5 C:49?6DD 2D 2 5C2H 7@C D6C:@FD 7CJ 62E6CD] (9@=6 u@@5D ?2>65 E96 EC6?5 2 “k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D52B]4@>^AC6DD\C6=62D6^H9@=6\7@@5D\>2C<6E\7@C642DED\E@A\7@@5\2?5\36G6C286\EC6?5D\a_ae\a_ad\`_\_gQ C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm%2==@H %2<6@G6Ck^2m” :? :ED 2??F2= 7@@5 7@C642DE 7@C a_ae[ A@:?E:?8 E@ E96 9:89 D>@<6 A@:?E 2?5 4C:DA 6IE6C:@C E92E 92G6 >256 E2==@H 2 72G@C:E6 @7 4@@<D H9@ E2<6 E96:C 7C:6D D6C:@FD=J] %96 72E :ED6=7 92D 364@>6 2 A9:=@D@A9Jj 2 AC@@7 E92E 2 <:E496? :D E9:?<:?8 42C67F==J 23@FE H92E 8@6D :?E@ E96 7CJ6C[ ?@E ;FDE H92E 4@>6D @FE]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qmr9:428@’D 7CJ :D H@CE9 E96 H2:Ek^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2F496G2=5:?6C]4@>^49:428@^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmpF r96G2=k^2m @? (6DE #2?5@=A9 $EC66E :? r9:428@[ x==:?@:D[ :D 36DE <?@H? 7@C :ED 4966D63FC86C[ H9:49 92D 62C?65 E96 <:?5 @7 H@C5\@7\>@FE9 E92E AC@5F46D =:?6D 367@C6 E96 5@@CD @A6?] %96 4C:DAJ 7C:6D[ D6CG65 H:E9 >@C?2J D2F46[ 82C=:4 2:@=: 2?5 2 7C:65 72C> 688[ H@C< 2D 2 4@\=625 :?DE625 @7 2 D:56] %96J 4@>6 @FE H:E9 4C:DA 6586D 2?5 4C62>J 46?E6CD[ E96 <:?5 @7 E6IEFC6 E92E >2<6D E96 H2:E 766= =:<6 E96 4@CC64E 564:D:@?] #68F=2CD H9@ <?@H 36EE6C @C56C E96> 7:CDE]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qmx529@’D 7CJ 2D :ED @H? 2C8F>6?Ek^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmpE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3@:D67CJ4@>A2?J]4@>^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmq@:D6 uCJ r@>A2?Jk^2m :? x529@[ E96 AC6>:D6 :D E92E E96 A@E2E@ :ED6=7 :D E96 DE@CJ] s:?6CD 49@@D6 E96:C G2C:6EJ[ E96:C 4FE[ E96:C D62D@?:?8[ E96:C D2=E 2?5 E96:C D2F46[ 2 =6G6= @7 4FDE@>:K2E:@? E92E C625D =6DD =:<6 2 >6?F 2?5 >@C6 =:<6 2 >2A] %96 A@E2E@6D 4@>6 7C@> z:?8’D rC@H? ~C82?:4 u2C>D :? v=6??D u6CCJ[ 23@FE f_ >:=6D 7C@> E96 C6DE2FC2?E[ H9:49 >62?D H92E’D :? E96 7CJ6C 492?86D H:E9 E96 D62D@?] |@DE 7CJ AC@8C2>D 2C6 3F:=E 2C@F?5 4@?D:DE6?4J] %9:D @?6 :D 3F:=E 2C@F?5 E96 A@E2E@]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm%96 4@>A@D65 7CJ :? 7:?6 5:?:?8k^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmpE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E96A9@6?:4:2?]4@>^5:?6^;8\DE62<9@FD6^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmyU2>Ajv $E62<9@FD6k^2m :?D:56 %96 !9@6?:4:2? :? $4@EED52=6[ pC:K@?2[ E96 7C:6D 86E E96 D2>6 2EE6?E:@? 2D E96 DE62<] tI64FE:G6 4967 y24BF6D "F2=:? FD6D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]7@C36D]4@>^D:E6D^2=JH2=2?D<J^a_ad^_f^_d^6=6G2E6\J@FC\@C56C\@7\7C:6D\;FDE\:?\E:>6\7@C\?2E:@?2=\7C6?49\7CJ\52J^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmz6??6364 A@E2E@6Dk^2m[ 2 G2C:6EJ AC:K65 7@C AC@5F4:?8 2 4C:DA 6IE6C:@C 2?5 2 D@7E[ 4C62>J :?E6C:@C[ E9:?\4FE 2?5 7C:65 E@ 8@=56? A6C764E:@?[ E96? 7:?:D965 H:E9 ECF77=6 @:=[ ECF77=6 D2=E 2?5 !2C>:8:2?@ #688:2?@] %H@ 9@FD6>256 D2F46D 2CC:G6 2=@?8D:56i 2 3=24< 82C=:4 2:@=: 2?5 2 3=24< ECF77=6\:?7FD65 <6E49FA] xE :D[ 3J 2?J 567:?:E:@?[ 2 4@>A@D65 5:D9] %96 A@E2E@ ;FDE 92AA6?D E@ 36 E96 G69:4=6]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm%96 7CJ 92D 2=H2JD 366? 96C6k^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmu@C >@DE @7 :ED =:76 :? p>6C:42[ E96 7C6?49 7CJ 2D<65 7@C ?@E9:?8 2?5 8@E 6I24E=J E92Ei 2 DA@E 2E E96 6586 @7 E96 A=2E6[ 62E6? H:E9@FE 46C6>@?J[ 4C65:E65 E@ ?@ @?6] (92E’D 492?865 :D H9@’D A2J:?8 2EE6?E:@?[ 2?5 H92E E96J’C6 5@:?8 H:E9 E96 72E[ E96 A@E2E@ 2?5 E96 962E H96? ?@ @?6 :D H2E49:?8] %96 C6DF=E :D 2 4@F?ECJ H96C6 E96 36DE 7CJ :? p>6C:42 >:89E 36 H2:E:?8 :? 2 $4@EED52=6 DE62<9@FD6[ 2 r9:428@ C6DE2FC2?E H:E9 2 EH@\9@FC H2:E @C 2 D>2== x529@ D9@A E92E 86ED :ED A@E2E@6D 7C@> 2 72C> f_ >:=6D 2H2J] %92E 7CJ 6I:DED] xE :D H@CE9 E96 56E@FC]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmy6??:76C p==6? :D 2 C6E:C65 AC@76DD:@?2= 4967 2?5 =@?8\E:>6 HC:E6C] w6C H@C< 2AA62CD :? 5@K6?D @7 AF3=:42E:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 |$}[ *29@@[ %96 (2D9:?8E@? !@DE 2?5 %96 $62EE=6 %:>6D] %96D6 52JD[ D96’D 3FDJ :? E96 <:E496? 56G6=@A:?8 C64:A6D 2?5 EC2G6=:?8 E96 H@C=5[ 2?5 J@F 42? 7:?5 2== 96C 36DE 4C62E:@?D 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^4@@<H92EJ@F=@G6]4@>^Qmr@@< (92E *@F {@G6k^2m]k^Am
kAm%96 A@DE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^?2E:@?2=\7C6?49\7CJ\52J\C6DE2FC2?ED^Qm}@3@5J E2<6D 7C6?49 7C:6D D6C:@FD=J] %96D6 C6DE2FC2?ED 3F:=E E96:C H9@=6 >6?F 2C@F?5 E96>k^2m 2AA62C65 7:CDE @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>Qmu@@5 sC:?< {:76k^2m]k^Am
