Scout Notes: As soon as Suzanne Levinson tasted traditional Belgian fries on a trip abroad, she k...

As soon as Suzanne Levinson tasted traditional Belgian fries on a trip abroad, she knew she had to bring the concept home to New York. Such is the power of perfect pommes frites: in 1997, she opened the city's first Belgian fry shop, offering golden potatoes wrapped in paper, and poutine complete with Canadian cheddar cheese. Locals fell in love with the fries and made Pommes Frites an outright institution; 15 years later, everyone's still lining up for another cone of crispy, salty joy. The fries themselves make a case for many return visits, but there's also a serious inventory of sauces. Skip the ketchup and you'll be rewarded with Sweet Mango Chutney, Irish Curry, Organic Black Truffle Mayo, and more.

To understand how Pommes Frites makes such consistently masterful fries, all you have to do is watch the action behind the counter. The potatoes are cooked twice: once at a low heat, to achieve their internal smoothness, and then at a higher temp after you place your order, where they pick up their brilliant external crispiness. While you wait, you can peruse the epic list of dipping options and strategize your plan of attack. The standards—ketchup, yellow mustard, vinegar, Tabasco—are always free, but adventure's only a dollar away. It's worth the extra change to snag the Mexican Ketchup or Wasabi Mayo, and besides, especially since they'll always let you try before you buy.

---

Menu Highlights:
French Fries, $4.50 (regular), $6.25 (large) or $7.75 (double)
Sweet Mango Chutney Mayo, $1
Roasted Garlic Mayo, $1
Vietnamese Pineapple Mayo, $1
Pesto Mayo, $1
Parmesan Peppercorn, $1
Peanut Satay, $1
Irish Curry, $1

Hours:
Monday—Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Friday—Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m.
Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.