Eastern Standard

Eastern Standard
528 Commonwealth Ave.
Kenmore Square
Boston, MA

Review:

The second stop on the Boston fry crawl was a place that had been recommended by one of the marketing people from the Boston Beer Co. My local crawl companions, Todd and Jason, were very familiar with the spot. It was attached to a hotel, but had completely separate management. It was a beautiful place, with a great beer list to boot. My grilled cheese sandwich was terrific and the frites did not disappoint. I'm not usually a fan of seasoned frites, but these were subtle and did not overpower the potato flavor. They were also well-salted.Their rating was no doubt improved by the setting, the food and the beer list.

Rating:

Carl's Jr.

Carl's Jr.
35 Rowland Way
Novato, CA

Review:

Despite the slight seasoning and being skin on, these are pretty average, a little dry and mealy.

Rating:

S & S Restaurant and Deli

S & S Restaurant and Deli
Inman Square
Cambridge St.
Boston, MA

Review:

I spent Sunday walking around Cambridge visiting toy stores looking to pick up some presents for my kids, when next to one happened to be the S&S Restaurant, which had been there since 1919. Being a sucker for a diner, I plopped down at the bar for some chow, including, naturally, frites. Nicely crispy, a little oily but the seasoning worked well. Decent overall.

Rating:

Father's Office 2

Father's Office 2
3229 Helms Avenue
Los Angeles, CA

Review:

Some of the best shoestrings I've had in a long time, with just the right amount of crispiness. They very, very thin, with a just a touch of seasoning. The garlic aioli sauce was very nice, too.

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Hollister Brewing

Hollister Brewing
6980 Market Place
Goleta, CA

Described on the menu as follows:

Duck Fat Fries
Fresh skin-on sliced potatoes fried in duck fat and soy oil topped with shaved Parmesan cheese and Italian parsley garnish

Review:

The duck fat gave them great flavor, though they could have been crispier. I couldn't tell if they were undercooked or if the fat and oil created that slight sogginess. The cheese and parsley gave them just enough extra something, too.

Rating: