Your kids want french fries

Photograph by Cinzia Reale-Castello

Photograph by Cinzia Reale-Castello

Your kids want:

Mac and cheese | Chicken fingers | Lemonade | | A hot fudge sundae | Tacos | Hot chocolate | Grilled cheese | A milkshake | Burgers

GO TO:Pommes Frites

You know your daughter would order fries as an entrée if the kids’ menu gave her that option. A select few places, mostly specializing in Belgian frites, do just that, and none better than Pommes Frites, a ten-year-old East Village shack that gives this side dish the spotlight it deserves. Owner-operators Suzanne Levinson and Omer Shorshi cook their taters twice before serving the golden-brown goodies straight up in a crisp paper cone. Frites lovers eat them naked, or dressed: Little ones may prefer conventional choices like ketchup and mustard, while older kids can go for more-exotic choices, like the joint’s new rémoulade, or the “war sauce,” which gets its fire from peanut satay sauce and onion. If your tot is indecisive, ask for a free sauce sample.

The establishment itself is on the smallish side; there is limited seating (but no facilities) for those who wish to savor their frites in-house. If no chairs are free, just make your order to go. Frites are served in three cone sizes; the Double ($7.50) will feed the whole family, and the Regular ($4) is sufficiently generous to satisfy even the most voracious small fry. 123 Second Ave between 7th and 8th Sts (212-674-1234, pommesfrites.ws).

NEXT BEST THING:Crif Dogs

If your kids have a hankering for waffle-style or cheese fries, walk a few blocks northeast to Crif Dogs, justly famous for its glistening, fattening deep-fried wieners. After your junk-food lovers wolf down Crif’s crispy, golden taters, the old arcade machines on hand will show them what video games were like before the Nintendo Wii. 113 St. Marks Pl between First Ave and Ave A (212-614-2728).

Patty time! | Table talk | Eat with your hands | Dinner theater