When times are good, when times are bad, French fries are there for you. Crispy, salty, slathered with ketchup or aioli, they’re the friends who simply want to make you smile. Here are our taste-tested, dining editor-approved fries for every occasion. Dig in, Sonoma County.
Classics
Handline: Hand-cut, double-fried French fries are the real deal. Get the homemade ketchup and special sauce. 935 Gravenstein Highway S., Sebastopol, 707-827-3744, handline.com
Acme Burger: A good burger demands a pile of stand-up fries. Old-school, thin-cut and perfectly salty. Locations in Santa Rosa, Cotati and Petaluma. acmeburgerco.com
Sequoia Burger: Classic burger and fries at Sequoia Burger in Sebastopol. 1382 Gravenstein Hwy. S., Sebastopol, 707-829-7543, sequoiaburger.com
McDonald’s: Anyone raised in a Happy Meal household knows these fries are hard to beat. Even the bottom-of-the-bag fries are a treat. A side of hot mustard sauce is my kryptonite. Locations throughout Sonoma County.
Fancy Pants
Augie’s French: There’s no shortage of potato options at this Santa Rosa bistro — duck fat-roasted Yukons, buttery pommes purée and, the crème de la crème, skinny fries served with a sauce boat of béarnaise. Share with a friend. 535 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-531-4400, augiesfrench.com
Bistro Lagniappe: The Bentley of French fries. Hand-cut pommes frites cooked in rendered duck fat with a crisp exterior and feather-light interior. Served with sauce choron, a rich béarnaise with tomato. 330 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-473-8181, lagniappehealdsburg.com
Fern Bar: Some things get better with age. These aged fries have a starchier, fluffier bite, perfectly paired with smoked mushroom ketchup and aioli. 6780 Depot St., Suite 120, Sebastopol, 707-861-9603, fernbar.com
Willi’s Wine Bar: Truffle fries. Nuf said. 1415 Town and Country Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-526-3096, williswinebar.net
Loaded
Iggy’s Organic Burgers: Iggy’s Style fries are a hot mess, but so good you should order two. Thick-cut fries with melted cheddar, pickled red onions, Iggy’s Million Island sauce, pickles and grass-fed beef. 109 Plaza St., Healdsburg; 6700 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, iggysburger.com
War Pigs Craft Kitchen: Dirty fries are oh-so naughty. Thin-cut fries piled with melty cheese sauce, pulled pork, coleslaw and more sauce. 8492 S. Gravenstien Highway, Cotati, 707-508-5551, warpigsbbq.food
Smokin’ Bowls: Hand-cut fries, fried in beef fat, tossed with the restaurant’s own seasoning and topped with a gloriously over-the-top mix of sauces, pulled pork, cheese, sour cream and more. 295 Southwest Blvd., Rohnert Park, 707-665-5265, smokinbowls.com
Pressed: Ground beef, melted American cheese, pickles, grilled onions and Pressed sauce, or bacon-and-cheese loaded fries with creamy cheddar sauce, will feed a small army — or a few hungry kids. 1451 Southwest Blvd., Suite 123, Rohnert Park, 707-992-0067, facebook.com/pressedburger
Galvan’s Eatery & Beer Garden: Seasoned fries are the base for this mountain of food, topped with marinated steak, mozzarella, crema, pico de gallo and jalapeños. Julie Andrews can keep her whiskers on kittens. These fries are a few of my favorite things. 500 E. Cotati Ave., Cotati, 707-664-5987, instagram.com/galvanseatery
Sassy
Wonderland: Tossed in garlic oil and Parmesan, these garlic fries avoid the harsh bite of raw garlic. They’ll keep the vampires — and maybe any rogue kisses — away. 20391 Highway 116, Monte Rio, 707-865-5133, instagram.com/wonderland_pizzeria
Crinkles & Waffles
Shake Shack: The school cafeteria favorite that still gives us a thrill. 2424 Magowan Drive at Montgomery Village, Santa Rosa, 707-581-8242, shakeshack.com
Folia at Appellation: Charlie Palmer may be an internationally acclaimed chef, but he loves waffle fries, which offer extra surface area for caramelization. Pinkies up: aioli with fennel pollen and garlic classes up the whole affair. 101 Dovetail Lane, Healdsburg, 707-723-2130, foliabarandkitchen.com
Skinny
Poppy: They’re not fries, they’re frites — and as slim and salty as a Parisian model. 13690 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, 707-938-2130, poppyglenellen.com
Steak
Underwood Bar and Bistro: Flat iron steak frites is a great combo of meat and potatoes. 9113 Graton Road, Graton, 707-823-7023, underwoodgraton.com
Goose & Fern: The chips in the restaurant’s notable fish and chips aren’t an afterthought. These fat daddies bring serious main-character energy to the dish. 116 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 707-843-4235, thegooseandfern.com
Heather Irwin is the dining editor for The Press Democrat and Sonoma Magazine. Have a tip or want to talk fries? Email her at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com.
