French fries in Paris
 

Can anyone recommend a favorite place for the best french fries in Paris?

Very subjective, but the best I have had were at Le Voltaire and Chez Georges (the one on Boulevard Pereire, not the one on rue du Mail).

Thanks, monet77. Any more suggestions?

and of course they don't call them french fries in France but "frites" like in the ubiquitous "steak et frites"

I asked the same question a few years ago while traveling. "Where are the best fries in Paris?"

The answer I was told was Brussels. This of course was from a Belgian.

Belgium is the acclaimed Frites capital of the world - no one disputes that.

Usually fresh cut and not frozen.

Franse frites may have been invented in Belgium

"french" of course applied to the method of cooking potatoes and not France or French

frenched-fried potatoes

I'm going to say something that I know I will be SLAMMED for, but I don't care, I'm going to say it anyway.

Back several years ago we had been in Paris for two weeks. I had many frites and all were great, some simply spectacular. I do tend to like them more well done and quite crispy -- sometimes I find them kind of underdone for my taste. From there we were on our way to Bologna by train. When we got to Florence our train to Bologna was delayed and we stood in the Florence train station for a few hours waiting for word of our train. Lee got hungry (thirsty?) for a milkshake and there was a MacDonalds in the train station. I went to get him one, and decided to get myself some frites while I was there. So we stood in the Florence train station drinking his milkshake and me eating these frites. I'll swear to this day that no frites I had eaten the past two weeks in Paris were any better. If those frites had been put on a plate in any of the Paris brasseries, people wouldn't have known the difference or in some cases would have liked the improvement.

Now I know some will say I'm crazy -- others will rant about how awful MacDonald's is (I'd normally agree), but my guess is most of those who would deny this is possible have not eaten MacDonald's fries in Europe where they are not prepared the same as in the US.

Don't get me wrong -- this was just a story -- not meant as a suggestion to head to MacDonald's to get the best frites in Paris.

Well NewPat - i was going to suggest McDonalds for good frites but was afraid of the Fodorpublic whipping i would get

But McDonalds has gone to great strides to produce - yes grow the best potatoes possible - all grown in France i believe and to me as well McFrites are tops.

And i think they may be fried in healthier fats.

"And i think they may be fried in healthier fats."

Well that part surprises me. I thought they probably tasted better because they were done in "unhealthier" fats.

I have had better fries in Brussels than Paris. Most of the fries I get in Paris aren't very good, as far as I'm concerned. They are too thick and just sort of like regular roasted potatoes. I don't like those thick ones (they call them "steak fries" in the US), but I've had the bad luck of getting mostly that style in Paris.

I just think it's hit or miss about things like that. The ones I had most recently at the Chez Clement restaurant in MOntparnasse were actually better than many I've had in a long time, which surprised me.

My understanding is that they taste better because of the flavor additives from the NJ that were added. At least that is the case with those in the States (cf. <i>Fast
Food Nation</i>). Remember the stink that was created when Hindus discovered that the fries are not purely vegetarian because the flavor additives are developed from beef products?

OK, not posh, not travelling to Belgium BUT if you're in the Latin Quarter, off of the St. Michel plaza, Rue Severin, there is a Greek gyro place... at a corner shop, open on 2 sides...oy vey, you can't miss the scent of that cone of bits-o-lamb.

tasted like really GOOD beach fries (I wish they had had a bottle of good malt vinegar to dress them...).

Agree about McD's fries.

If I remember correctly I think they actually coat the partially cooked fries in sugar before freezing them. This helps make them very crisp when fried at the restaurant.

Fresh cut, fresh fried, eat-em right out of the fryer can taste same, or really much better, that's why I love the roadside frites stands in Belgium.

Once ordinary fries sit for more than just a few min they can get limp very fast.

A few years ago I started noticing Pont Neuf potatoes listed on many Parisian menus (pommes de Pont Neuf?). They seem even more like steak fries as we know them -- thick cut. And I don't like them nearly as well as those very thin cut frites. I'm not sure if this was a relatively new term in France, of if I had just never noticed that term before.

SuzieCll writes: &quot;if you're in the Latin Quarter, off of the St. Michel plaza, Rue Severin, there is a Greek gyro place&quot;
Another &quot;similar&quot; place is on Rue St. Andre des Arts near Rue Danton. Great fries!
Best, Dave

Chips, fries or frites from frozen potatoes should be banned.

For a start they soak up the vinegar (oh yes, salt and vinegar on chips!) and go soggy.

The Belgian speciality is to cook them twice. The first time regularly until they go translucent. Pull them out, let them go stone cold, then flash fry them in super hot oil to brown them off.

Proper French fries are always cooked twice--that's why they're so good.

Thanks for the suggestions - we might need to try several places, (including McDonald's!), and do a comparison. Food research can be fun!

Neopatrick

Pommes Pont Neuf are as old as ........ Pont Neuf which was built between 1578 and 1607. It is said that these thick fries were first sold there, hence their name. They are traditionally served with &quot;Tournedos Henri IV&quot;.

The Best Steak Frites in Paris With Mark Bittman - Travel - New

In search of the best steak frites in Paris, the cookbook author comes away with five restaurants that make the list.
travel.nytimes.com/2007/04/29/travel/29Choice.html