Reporters name top french fries in the Manitowoc area. Did your favorites make the list?
MANITOWOC – America's love of french fries seems to go back as far as the founding fathers.
Back in 1802, Thomas Jefferson was said to have served 'potatoes served in the French manner' at a White House dinner.
Today, french fries, curly fries and garlic fries are served at thousands of U.S. restaurants. Diners are used to — and maybe even expect — the phrase 'Would you like fries with that?'
My fellow reporter Alisa Schafer and I have the tough job of visiting restaurants throughout Manitowoc County to have lunch and write our thoughts for our Savor Manitowoc monthly column. We've been dining our way through the area for a few years now, so we thought we'd do a quick write-up about one of the country's favorite foods: the humble sidekick, the french fry.
Looks to me like Alisa and I have opposite tastes when it comes to french fry styles. She likes hers thin and crispy, I like mine on the thicker side, and I even enjoy a thicker fry with the skin. When you look at what the British consider "chips" — a nice, big fry but still plenty crispy on the outside — that's what I'm looking for.
Here's a look at a few places we found our favorite fries:
Here are Alisa's top three favorite places for french fries in Manitowoc:
: Honestly, there's not much competition out there that even comes close to the specialty "fork fries" that Ryan's On York has on the menu. The shoestring-style fries come loaded with toppings like garlic, parmesan cheese or barbecue pulled pork. My personal favorite are the RoY fries, which come with shredded cheese, green onions and a good amount of the secret house sauce. Yes, I always eat these with a fork, and yes, I still always manage to get messy.
: The fries from Courthouse Pub are crispy and coated with a light breading that really makes these fries delicious. They always come out nice and hot, and they are usually what I eat from my plate first, before I even taste my sandwich.
: Time Out's fries are cut very thin, which is exactly the style that I love. They are hot, and crispy, and absolutely loaded onto the tray. While I wouldn't say they are the star of the show, they really do complement the main course well.
Savor Manitowoc: Reporters try steak on a burger, grilled chicken and cheese curds at Grizzly's in Manitowoc
: This is a great example of an upscale beer pub. I loved the wood floors and exposed brick walls, the beer selection, my S.S. Badger burger and my fries. The portion was generous, and they came in a thick cut I prefer. You need a substantial fry to pair with a hardy burger, and these stand out in my mind as just right.
: I love this place! It reminded me that smaller places that have been around forever have been around forever for a reason. This is one of the best bar and grill meals I have had in Wisconsin in a while. I had the coconut shrimp with a pile of french fries. The mound of fries was high, and the golden crisps went so well with the yummy seafood.
: OK, I cheated a bit with this one, but I feel I needed to give a shoutout to the sweet potato tots that came with my barbecue burger. I often order sweet potato fries if they're on the menu. I love the sweet flavor of sweet potatoes, especially deep fried with a bit of salt. These tator tots were sweet, cooked with a nice light but crunchy outside. And the portion was generous enough to be two meals.
So there you have it, the best places for french fries — according to Alisa and me. Let us know if you have other favorites!
Contact reporter Patti Zarling at pzarling@gannett.com or call 920-606-2575. Follow her on X @PGPattiZarling and on Instagram @PGPatti.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc restaurants with best french fries are Ryan's On York, Brick's
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