NYC’s most popular Belgian eatery is owned by Suzanne Levinson, a Washington transplant who fell in love with pommes frites (pronounced: Pom–freet) while touring Europe. The crunchy, irregularly cut fries served at her shop, Pommes Frites, are a must-taste.
How does an American get to open a Belgian eatery? When I was a student thousands of years ago, I was studying art history in Italy. Before coming back to the United States, I went to Belgium and the Netherlands where I discovered frites (fries) stores. We didn’t have that kind of street food in NYC. I graduated from school and was working full time, but I kept asking myself, “What about a Belgian frites store in New York?” Someone told me, “Suzanne, if you don’t do it, someone else will.” I quit my job, and 13 years later, we serve 5,000 pounds of fries a week. We have 30 different mayonnaise sauces. I hope the experience that you have at Pommes Frites is something you would find on the streets of Belgium.
Thirty sauces? Help us choose. The sweet mango chutney mayo is very good, the Vietnamese pineapple mayo is really good, he pesto mayo, too. We’re constantly trying to invent new sauces for variety.
What is the secret of Belgian fries? The recipe is quite simple! The fries are fried twice: once at a lower temperature for about six minutes, and then at a higher temperature to get that amazing crispy texture on the outside while remaining soft in the inside. The only difference is that the Belgians use a particular potato that we can’t find here.
Did you expect Belgian fries to be an instant hit here? You know, I thought it would only be a mom-and-pop operation. I thought I would work only from noon to 8pm, but it turned into a major operation. Like “frites” stands in Amsterdam and Brussels, we’ve had very long lines. Way too many!
Prices: Three paper cone sizes are available: regular ($4.50), large ($6.25) and double ($7.75). Add a dollar for the sauce, $2.50 for a three sauce combo. Poutine, a hearty Canadian dish, is also served (small: $5; large: $6).
Pommes Frites: 123 2nd Ave, New York, NY10003 (bet. Saint Marks Pl and E7th St) – Su-Th: 11:30am-1:00am F-Sa: 11:30am-3:30am – 6 Train to Astor Pl. P: 212-674-1234. Website: www.PommesFrites.ws
