Best Date on a Budget

 You don’t need to spend a lot of cash to have a super sexy date.  

Forget the need to throw down a couple of C-notes to impress, or eat oysters or pate to inspire your carnal imagination. When the city-dwelling boyfriend and I get together, one of our favorite ways to rendezvous is over beer and French fries. There’s nothing quite like tasting the newest what’s-on-tap while eating thin crisps of salty potatoes. Eschew the catsup or the urge to drown the fries in gobs of cheddar or chili, things that mask the flavor of the potato and make them soggy and nothing more than a nest for sauce. 

Truffle and Bacon Mac-n-Cheese Fries
at Jonesy's in Denver.

Instead, try a bit of mayo or garlic aoli.  I like my fries with malt vinegar, which makes them taste tart and earthy all at once, but leaves the creamy potato taste underneath.  Plus, it reminds me of eating chips wrapped in newspaper on the street in London and you can’t go wrong with that. Pair the fry combo with a lovely amber ale or, on a cold day, a chocolaty stout, or sample the latest Belgian Tripel in a goblet.  

Each beer enhances the taste of the frites in a different way, so get a sampler and figure out what’s your favorite. Greg and I trade sips of beer (he prefers more hoppy concoctions like IPAs for their citrusy notes and higher alcohol content, while I’m an ale girl through and through) over conversation about film or the cute hippy-chick waitress.  But inevitably, the banter turns to the deep pleasure of being together. Something about the casual atmosphere and the low-brow food makes for not only for a meaningful exchange, but inspires other delights.

My Favorite Pairing:
Greg with Sparkling Wine!

For an even sexier date, try ordering a sparkling wine with your fries. The bubbles in the wine lighten the potatoes even more, leaving you feeling not heavy and weighed down, but stimulated and a little giddy, and, most important, ready for some kissing.  Greg and I once stopped at McDonald’s on the way to the opera, and ordered two large fries to go. We sat in the parking garage of the concert hall, and ate what are some of the best French fries out there with a bottle of Prosecco I’d brought. Dressed in a long black skirt and heels (Me) and a jacket and tie (He), we felt capricious and quixotic; it was one of the most memorable meals we’ve shared.

Truffle Fries at Lark Burger

Favorite places for beer and fry dates in Boulder include The Mountain Sun for skin-on, fried-until-they’re-brown-and-crispy fries, but also try  Brasserie Ten Ten for pommes frites or Larkburger’s Parmesan Truffle fries. 

Let the kissing begin!