Fries, so often a throwaway side, at least in their preparation, deserve attention and appreciation. The potato from the Americas, julienned and immersed in a riot of bubbling fat in France or Belgium — I am not taking the side of one colonizer over another — is in itself an indulgence and, when served truly hot and crispy, a thrill that never fades. Embellishing them with more than a little ketchup, mayo or a quick dip in a vanilla milkshake is bold.
Be bold. Over at Phatsy Kline’s Parlor Lounge (129 Second St., Eureka), the bar menu offers excellent thick-cut fries that have had the preferred double-frying treatment that keeps them moist and fluffy inside with a toothsome crunch to their exterior ($7). Enjoying them in flattering lighting with conversation that’s pleasingly muted by velvet upholstery and shelves of books is treat enough. But the poutine is a worthy upgrade — that is, a traditional Québécois smothering of beef and chicken-based gravy and cheese curds melting just past their squeakiness ($12). A skinnier fry couldn’t hold up to the saucing, but these do the job admirably. The bar’s previous version topped with duck confit is missed, as it was a feast all on its own, but munching another gravy-doused fry soothes the ache a bit.
During the ever-shrinking Dungeness season, bestowing a scoop of picked crab on almost anything is a flex, be it eggs Benedict or a plate of fettuccine Alfredo. Decorative gold leaf could never. First, it’s arguably the most wonderfully delicate and sweet crab in two oceans. And while some of us are, in our hearts, wild otters who love to tear into a jointed exoskeleton, if you find someone who’ll pick an entire crab for you, hold onto them and never let them go.
The Trinidad Bay Eatery and Gallery (607 Parker St., Trinidad) makes a fine plate of fries: thin, hand-punched, skins-on and nicely salted. But it has channeled the spirit of departed fashion icon André Leon Talley’s and his edict “Luxury or nothing” with its Crabby Fries ($36). The crab comes from boats a crumpled napkin’s throw away, is tossed warm with butter and herbs from the kitchen garden and scooped at once onto hot fries already sprinkled with Parmesan. The addition of Old Bay aioli and a squeeze of lemon bring out the sweetness, the heat and the fat. Go early enough to take a well-lit stroll with a warm belly and a view of the sea, another local luxury.
Share your tips about What’s Good with Jennifer Fumiko Cahill (she/her), managing editor at the Journal. Reach her at (707) 442-1400 ext. 106, or jennifer@northcoastjournal.com. Follow her on Bluesky @jfumikocahill.bsky.social.
This article appears in The Siren’s Song Returns at Jim Dunn’s.