Paulius Musteikis
Frites, curds, gravy and frites.
Madison diners have embraced frites, the Belgian take on french fries that's less of a matchstick and more like a double-fried version of steak fries. Late last year, the new Mad City Frites moved in where Shakti, the long-tenured book store and mystical goods purveyor, once stood on State Street.
This is a pretty big footprint to fill for a shop that sells only one menu item. The frites are indeed thick -- a solid half-inch -- and are cut and fried to order. This didn't create a bottleneck during my visits, but I could see it getting pretty hectic around bar time; Mad City Frites extends its hours to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Outside of just ordering a cone of frites straight up, the only other option is poutine, which is becoming a pretty common sight on Madison menus these days as well. Here, a respectable pile of frites is covered with thick, salty brown gravy and a handful of cheese curds. There are forks available if you're shy. The curds would be better stored at a slightly warmer temperature; they don't get nearly as gooey as they should under the heat of the gravy.
That gravy and the panoply of 10 dipping sauces are made in-house. There's a lemony garlic sauce that isn't billed as having any lemon, and a Parmesan sauce that promises lemon but doesn't deliver; maybe they got switched before the label went on. Better is the zingy lime-sriracha, true to its description. Also good is perhaps the single beeriest beer-cheese dip I've ever encountered. One sauce comes with an order; additional are $1 each or three for $2.50.
The frites themselves are almost too thick for their own good, at least until the frying process at Mad City Frites gets a little more refined; they need more crunch to contrast with the creamy potato interior. Also, if the restaurant were kept a bit warmer, the frites wouldn't have the tendency to cool off too much between kitchen and table in these cold months. The occasional special menu item (pizza frites were a thing, back in December) would add some appeal.
But although I prefer Monroe Street's frites, from jac's or Brasserie V, these are a fine entry point for people unfamiliar with the style.
