Bobby Flay has a well-known love of a good burger (ideally seasoned only with salt and pepper), but his adoration for good French fries is slightly lesser-known. The classic side dish is one that’s easy to make but difficult to master, but according to the beloved celebrity chef, one restaurant, Balthazar NYC, has done just that. Located in Lower Manhattan, Balthazar has been a SoHo favorite since it opened in 1997. Contrary to what you might expect of a place praised for its fries, the restaurant isn’t particularly known for its burgers.
Bobby Flay spoke about his love for Balthazar NYC — which specializes in French cuisine — in a clip from his Food Network show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” He explained that while most restaurants offer fries, few treat them with the amount of respect as the Balthazar staff. “The fries at Balthazar are unbelievably perfect,” Flay said. “They take their fries seriously, which is important. The fact that the chefs at Balthazar give the respect the French fries deserve — that’s what makes them the best.”
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How Balthazar NYC Makes Bobby Flay’s Favorite French Fries
A close-up of salted, crispy French fries in a large pile – LarysaPol/Shutterstock
While restaurant French fries practically always taste better than the ones you make at home, the staff at Balthazar makes it their mission to go beyond the status quo. To do this, the restaurant prepares its fries fresh each day using Idaho russet potatoes that are sliced, soaked overnight, blanched in peanut oil, then fried to perfection before being tossed and coated with French sea salt. This relatively simple technique is a big reason why Bobby Flay loves Balthazar’s rendition of the legendary menu item. “There’s no truffle oil on these fries, there’s no garlic on these fries,” Flay assured. “It’s French fries, Period.”
Flay didn’t reveal what else he usually orders at Balthazar, but the restaurant’s lack of focus on burgers leaves many to wonder what his ideal burger-and-fries pairing would be. Unfortunately for Flay, J.G. Melon — the chef’s favorite burger joint and No. 3 on our 2015 list of the best burgers in America — is about a 30-minute car ride away on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, making it unlikely he will ever get the chance to enjoy the two items at their best side by side,
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