Wilmington readers know what they want when it comes to frying. A StarNews reader poll to find the local favorite featured a wide range of candidates from New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties. While each candidate received a small number of votes, there was one clear winner — and it probably won't surprise any fry-lovers in the area.
Of the 2,500-plus votes, 64 percent went to PT's Olde Fashioned Grille, which has seven locations in the area. Their closest competitor, Poe's Tavern in Wrightsville Beach, also won the StarNews burger poll. Poe's received 20 percent of the votes, with J. Michael's Philly Deli coming in third.
What makes PT's fries so delicious? They're hand-cut. Customers can watch as employees remove potatoes from 50-pound bags grown in Idaho and run them through a potato cutter. The fries are then blanched and dried. They're deep-fried in 350-degree oil and allowed to air-dry completely before serving. They're finished fried to order and sprinkled with a special house-made seasoning of lemon pepper, garlic powder and salt and served with burgers and sandwiches or in ramekins with ketchup, ranch dressing or the ever-popular honey mustard dressing.
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“It sounds simple, but frying it right is an art,” says Joe Pate, owner of PT, whose newest location is at 3852 Carolina Beach Road in the Crossroads at Independence shopping center. In particular, the blanching process varies depending on the season and the starch content of the potatoes; sometimes cold water is used, sometimes hot.
“It can take a lot of trial and error to get the fries to taste great every time,” he says, adding that it's also important to dry the fries between each step to get the right texture.
Some people ask for “extra crispy” fries, he said, “but others prefer their fries barely cooked.”
The restaurant started on Fountain Drive in Wilmington and now has seven locations, including locations in Leland, Monkey Junction, Porters Neck and near Wrightsville Beach.
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Alison Ballard is StarNews' food and beverage reporter. She can be reached at aballard@gannett.com..
