Happy Hour: French Fry Edition
Five happy hours where you should order the fries.
Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Apr 15, 2010 at 12:18PM
11 Comments
It would appall you to know how many French fries I have eaten in the name of happy hour research. Don’t worry about that. Just know that the number is large enough to make me fancy myself something of an authority on the matter, and move on. Move on to this list of the best happy hour fries around Seattle. Then, go get greasy. It’s totally worth it.
1. The French make good French fries, the Belgians make better French fries. As a result, the French love to joke about how the Belgians are obsessed with French fries. This has been going on for a very long time.
In keeping with tradition, Brouwer’s is a Belgian beer hall that makes some of the best fries in town—not skinny nor fat, browned to crispy, with the perfect softness inside. During “power hour” (3 to 7 daily), a medium plate of fries is $3, with your choice of four dipping sauces—I suggest aioli or curry ketchup. You can also opt to for the “deluxe” option: a small order of fries covered with beer-cheese sauce, onions, and the aforementioned curry ketchup. That’s $5.
2. Restaurant fries in France are usually served as a side to a protein such as beef or roast chicken. These proteins are of course covered in sauce, and the excess gravy drips wonderfully onto the frites. This absorbent sort of fry is available at Cafe Campagne. It’s a little limper than what you might be used to, but it’s nonetheless delicious dipped into the cafe’s super garlicky aioli. HH is 4 to 6pm on weekdays, during which time a heaping portion of fries is $4.
3. The whole sweet-potato fry craze of the late 1990s was lost on me. I just don’t think sweet potatoes can stand up to grease the way good old-fashioned russets can. Yams, on the other hand—maybe it is that they are moister than sweet potatoes—fry up nicely. Nijo, a sushi bar in Post Alley, has a light touch with its yam fries, and serves them accompanied by an airy aioli with the consistency of whipping cream. HH is every day from 4 to 7pm at Nijo, yam fries cost $3. Let me take this opportunity to steer you away from the agedashi tofu, a favorite dish of mine that is not at its best here.
4. Crispy, cute little shoestring fries, when prepared well, can make people do a little happy dance in their pub booths. I’ve seen it happen, and it happened at Shultzy’s Sausage in the U District. The HH menu offers sweet potato fries, (no thank you), and chili cheese fries, $5. I order the latter without the chili or the cheese. Perfection. Happy hour is weekdays from 3 to 6pm and all day Sunday at Shultzy’s.
5. Oliver’s Twist in Phinney Ridge doesn’t serve French fries, it serves fingerling potatoes cooked in duck fat (duck fat!) and accompanied by aioli. These fried potatoes are groaningly good—the golden skin wrinkles with crisp, ducky-fatty goodness and the interior turns all fluffy. Most of us need a little salad with vinaigrette to cut the fat here, this is an exercise in extreme indulgence.
Happy hour at Oliver’s Twist is Monday through Saturday from 5 to 7pm, and from 5 until close on Sunday.
Tags: Happy Hour, Pub Grub
What is agedashi tofu?
So it’s cubes of soft tofu that get dusted with potato starch then deep fried and dropped into a dashi broth flavored with mirin and Japanese soy sauce. There are usually some green onions on top.
Voila! Bistrot has super garlicky fries that are great! You have to love garlic though.
I love garlic. But no happy hour at Voila! right?
What about Spur’s smokey shoestrings with smoked thyme aioli? Those are yummy for HH.
I know what you mean about the agedashi tofu at Nijo. How do they get it so wrong?? Also, French fries. I spent the last four years or so being over them completely but for some reason, I had them like eight times when I was in New York (Balthazar, you oldie but goodie, you were the best) a few weeks ago and I’ve been craving some Seattle versions ever since. Aside from HH fries, what are your favorite in town? It’s feeling like a French fry Friday to me…
Blaine: Those are good. I will have to revisit Spur happy hour soon.
Laura: I’m really put off by the gelatinous skin that forms around the tofu at Nijo. It’s yuck, right? I would love to try the fries at Balthazar, still have never been there. Happy hour aside, I think Cafe Presse (and probably Le Pichet, though I’ve never tried them there) has some of the best fries to be had in this town.
Bastille has amazing fries and are only $2.50 during happy hour!
Wendy: Thanks! I’m going to have to revisit those fries. I’ve been hearing great things about the food at Bastille lately. Back on my list for sure.
The new Scarlet Tree (65th Ave NE) has happy hour every day from 3-7pm where appetizers are 1/2 off. The fries come a little bucket, which is a pretty big portion. When we went they were crispy and perfect.
Seastar in Bellevue has very delicious happy hour fries too. The shape is definitely of the matchstick variety but slightly thicker to give you that potato-y bite. The seasoning is wonderful as well – at least two to three different types of herbs, sea salt with hints of crackling pepper to give it that wonderful punch. Plus it’s a great environment to do happy hour.