#30 – CHICKPEA FRIES at PEACEFOOD CAFE

Once again Time Out New York released their Top 100 Dishes of the year and once again, I’m going to eat my way through every one. And no price point or subway delay will stop me. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100.

Perhaps my biggest weakness when it comes to fattening food is french fries. I can resist doughnuts, burgers, and bacon even (if necessary), but somehow french fries very sneakily find themselves in my hands on the way to my mouth. When they’re in my view, they don’t stand a chance. And usually I don’t even realize I’m eating them. I can only assume that it’s the salty grease along with that crunchy crisp texture that turns me into a mindless peckish zombie.

So wouldn’t it be great if I found an alternative to fries that would have a more positive affect on my manly physique? Four of Time Out’s list items are french fries and the one that seemed the least appealing to me were the ones that had the most detox potential: the chickpea fries.

I’ve been burned too many times in the past with bland dishes and fake meat that tastes like rubber so I purposefully avoided dishes with the words soy, tofu, and seitan at Peacefood Cafe on the Upper West Side. Instead we ordered a tempting chestnut and apple soup, the Japanese pumpkin sandwich, and those chickpea fries.

Service was friendly, but rather spotty and unattentive (I ordered a green juice that never made it to our table). But the food for the most part was fresh and nicely composed. The soup was the big disappointment as it tasted more like a heavy lentil pureé than chestnuts. It did have a touch of sweetness from apples, but the thick texture put me off.

The sandwich, on the other hand, was pretty great. The spelt bread was a little dry and flat so it looked like something I’d have had in my brown bag for lunch in middle school. If my mom could have come up with these combinations: earthy mashed pumpkin, sweet caramelized onions, ground walnuts, cashew cheese, and some olive oil and pepper for extra seasoning. In lieu of chips, a crunchy tangy jicama salad did the trick.

But the true winner of the night was, as TONY recommended, the chickpea fries. They were cut into large logs (these must be the vegan version of steak fries) and resembled thick french toast sticks so I was expecting them to be rather sweet. Instead, they were seasoned with some Indian spices (cumin, cardamom, chili powder, and cinnamon) and had a nice balance of sweetness and heat. Time Out mentioned that they’re cooked in a broth, but it seems to me they had to be fried in something in order to get that perfect greaseless crispy exterior that melted away to a warm soft center. With a tahini-like white sauce for dipping, these were as addictive as any french fry I’ve tasted.

Now if every restaurant could begin to substitute these for the usual greasy potato fries I’m used to, I may not feel so badly about myself.

Would Peacefood Cafe’s Chickpea Fries make my Top 100 of the year? Surprisingly, with an 8 out of 10, they just might. They were just as addictive as potato-based french fries with even more complexity and health benefits.