Best Belgian frites in Seattle? Our writer found 4 great plates
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Long and thin, or rather stumpy? Golden-brown, or deeply bronzed?
With the Belgian national team playing Egypt in Seattle on Monday, the first local match of the FIFA Men's World Cup, we decided to round up Seattle's best frites. And who better to take on this taste test than The Seattle Times' resident Belgian American soccer fan?
Despite the name, many posit that French fries actually hail from Belgium, like me. No matter how you slice the origin story, Belgians have made the invention their own: The country of just under 12 million is the world's largest exporter of frozen fries, it has a National Frites Association, and frietkoten - fry shacks that dot the country - have been declared part of Belgium's cultural heritage.
But what makes a frite? I consulted the expert source: my mother.
Belgian frites (known to Dutch-speaking Belgians as frietjes) are thick-cut, made from Bintje potatoes, and fried twice in beef tallow, she told me. But even in Belgium, she added wistfully, it's increasingly rare that frietjes are made the traditional way.
I didn't hold any Seattle frite to this impossible standard. Just give me a good fry with a nice crunch, a pillowy interior and deep flavor without being overly salty.
Still, amid my research, I followed up with my family group chat for more advice. Should I sample the frites doused in truffle oil? Reactions ranged from "not my thing" to "doesn't sound good" and "(redacted)."
Clearly, ceçi n'est pas une frite.
And when it comes to shape, "There are a lot of variations," said my mom, a frite purist. "But that's mostly a lot of fuss from fancy chefs."
All that to say: This list skews fairly traditional. For anything curly or spicy or zhuzhed-up, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place. For good frites that won't offend a Belgian, these four places made the cut.
Little Beast
5107 Ballard Ave. N.W., Seattle (Ballard); 206-644-8041; beastandcleaver.com/the-little-beast
"We're going for our version of the best Dick's fry you've ever had," our server told us - and these frites more than delivered. I personally love it when Dick's fries get kind of soggy (depending on your folding technique, more frites per bite!), but here, served on a plate instead of smothered in a bag, there's no limpness - only the perfect ratio of crispness to malleability. The frites ($8) here, at the sibling restaurant of celebrated Seattle butcher shop Beast & Cleaver, are hand-cut and fried twice in tallow. I'm sure my mom would approve. These frites top my list, and given that our side salad was a hit as well, I will be back.
Damn the Weather
116 First Ave. S., Seattle (Pioneer Square); 206-946-1283; damntheweather.com
"Get the bubbles," Bethany told me as I perused the wine list at Pioneer Square gastropub Damn the Weather, "they'll cut through the fattiness of the fries." And so, on a brisk Thursday evening, I enjoyed two new experiences: a sit-down dinner with a professional food critic - yes, I'm talking about the one and only Bethany Jean Clement! - and prosecco with my frites. I highly recommend both.
The same goes for Damn the Weather's frites, fried in duck fat, lightly dusted with five-spice - a Chinese and Taiwanese seasoning blend that often contains fennel, cloves, star anise and Sichuan peppercorns - and served with both ketchup and aioli ($14). The frites were quite dark and greasy, which softened their crunch a bit, but it made them all the tastier.
For the vegetarians: DTW also serves regular frites cooked in vegetable oil ($12).
Le Coin
4201 Fremont Ave. N., Seattle (Fremont); 206-708-7207; lecoinseattle.com
The chefs at Fremont restaurant Le Coin work to give their frites a deep and rich flavor without using a meat-fat shortcut of some kind. The frites ($7 during happy hour) are blanched, brined, frozen for four days, then fried before the shift and again to order with garlic and herbs - in vegetable oil, a server told me, so they're OK to eat for vegetarians. Beware, though: The deliciously rich aioli that accompanies the frites is made with bone marrow. (There's also a perfectly tangy homemade ketchup.) The frites were generously salted, and a hint of garlic and rosemary came through every other bite, which brought a nice variety to the dish - so these are leveled-up frites for sure. For another taste of home, I ordered the local mussels in a saffron broth with fennel, which were wonderful.
Good Voyage
8520 14th Ave. S., Seattle (South Park); goodvoyageseattle.com
This cute neighborhood cafe and bistro is open morn' till eve and serves natural wine (curated by its sister business, the tiny wine shop Left Bank) and French classics like a baguette with ham, butter and cornichons, but their frites are nondenominational. They come with wonderfully garlicky aioli or honey hot sauce, both housemade, or ketchup ($7). The frites, brined and twice fried in canola oil, are very crunchy and salty - the way I like ‘em, though the salt-sensitive should be forewarned - and they come in a cute cardboard paper tray, pairing well with a happy hour martini ($10) or cucumber soda ($6). I loved the vintage Parisian flea market vibe of the décor at Good Voyage, including the antique candlesticks dripping with melted wax planted on the shared wooden table. There's also a lovely patio with colorful chairs for summer nights.
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