Where to find over-the-top French fries on Long Island
Mexican street fries with chopped brisket, guacamole, pico de gallo and more at Smok-Haus in Garden City. Credit: Newsday / Scott Vogel
So palatable is its combination of carbs and fats, so great its capacity to hijack our brains’ reward system, the French fry is potent in its simplicity, requiring only a little salt, maybe some ketchup, to trigger late-night treks to the drive-thru lane. Generally speaking, however, restaurateurs can’t help complicating matters, heaping every foodstuff imaginable onto fries, on the idea that we want to jazz things up every now and then. And few establishments embrace jazzing with the gusto of the following three:
The Diner Boys
2221 Jerusalem Ave., Merrick
The idea of a takeout diner might seem a depressing oxymoron to some, but this three-year-old establishment’s menu is as ambitious as any stainless-steel corner joint. Why, just check out its complexly dressed fries, whether slathered with Jack cheese, bacon and ranch dressing ($14), mozzarella and brown gravy ($11) or — especially — American cheese, bacon and an over-easy egg, a monstrosity that answers to the name Hangover fries ($14.25) and seems intent on curing the latter with sheer force of will. But the boys are sandwich impresarios as well, serving up every conceivable burger variation (including the $21.25 All-American, delicious and gigantic), along with fine Reubens ($16.75) and French dips ($17). More info: 516-809-7130, thedinerboysny.com
Chiddy’s CheeseSteaks
191 Main St., Farmingdale; 510 Union Blvd., West Islip; 2189 Jericho Tpke., Commack; 1851 Sunrise Hwy., Bay Shore (food truck)
As the name implies, the eatery worships at the altar of Philly’s best-known sandwich (offered in two sizes, 7 inches for $11, 10 inches for $14-$15), but Chiddy’s is just as fervently devoted to the fried potato. Witness its “Fry Bar” menu, whose highlights include, naturally, cheesesteak fries, “Hell” fries (with grilled chicken, hot sauce and provolone), disco fries — a local favorite — and the decadently soupy combo of marinara sauce and mozzarella dubbed Soprano fries (all $7 for small, $10 for large). The restaurants’ dining rooms tend to be cozy in the extreme, their décor an homage to the two food trucks that started it all, both of which keep on truckin’ to catered events and the like. More info: chiddyscheesesteaks.com
Smok-Haus
7 12th St., Garden City
Around the time that Chiddy’s went bricks-and-mortar, this feast for lovers of barbecue also opened, featuring an impressive selection of beef brisket permutations (including half-pound, meat-alone servings, $17), pork (e.g., $13 for pulled, $17 for porchetta), pastrami ($18) and tacos ($5.50-8). The latter perhaps inspired Smok-Haus’s own potatopalooza, Mexican street fries, in which skin-on spuds somehow survive a heavy dousing of queso, guacamole and chopped brisket ($15), or, in the case of the Greco, a topping of tzatziki and your choice of protein ($12). More info: 516-400-7102, smok-haus.com
Newsday writer and restaurant critic Scott Vogel aims for a refreshing, gimlet-eyed take on the Long Island food scene, often while drinking a refreshing gimlet.
