Sweet of the Week: Dessert Fries at Jake Melnick's Corner Tap

A little salty with a little sweet is the way to go. That's how habits are formed. Just look at the cult following behind Wendy's french fries dipped in Frosties. Or the omnipresence of salted caramel in baked goods and desserts. Or more recently, the dessert I stumbled upon at Jake Melnick's Corner Tap, a complete salty-sweet surprise that was as delicious as it was novel. These were the first "dessert fries" I think I have ever seen, taking the logical next step from salty and sweet by bridging the gap and serving sweet potato fries for dessert. The hulking plate is a melee of sticky, smoky, salty, sweet sensations, and it's too addictive to stop until you've exhausted the contents of the platter. 

 

Sweet potato fries often flirt with the notion of dessert as is. I mean, french fries dusted with brown sugar and cinnamon seem more at home on a sweets menu than a savory one, in my opinion. Yet they are commonly found as sides for burgers, sausages, and the like. Kudos to Jake Melnick's for acknowledging the obvious and taking that smart next step. The treacly fries come tossed in good old fashioned cinnamon and brown sugar, along with smoked bacon, caramel, and chocolate sauce. It's all topped with a fluffy dollop of whipped cream and served with a maple-brown butter dipping sauce. Altogether, it's pretty crazy awesome, like carnival food gone gourmet. Good luck practicing restraint with these finger-licking snacks. 

- Matt Kirouac