Daily News readers vote Depot Street Tavern's french fries as tops in Greater Milford

MILFORD — The best french fries in Greater Milford are made at Depot Street Tavern at 45 Depot St., according to an informal poll of Daily News readers.

Executive chef Kimberly Haslam, of Northbridge, has worked at Depot Street Tavern for eight years. She said its signature fries are a byproduct of the restaurant's three-step cooking process, as well as due to the hard work of the staff.

Haslam described the fries as being similar to New Jersey boardwalk fries, setting them apart from other restaurant fries in the region. They're cut thicker than regular shoestring fries, and the potatoes undergo a three-step process in order to give them their signature taste.

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The potatoes become Depot Street Tavern's signature fries by being hand-cut, blanched and then fried.

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"They're hand-cut a little bit thicker," Haslam explained. "They're not as thick as a steak fry but not as thin as shoestring. They're perfectly tender, they hold better and the crisp is still there."

Depot Street Tavern chef says best fries are result of 'hard work'

Depot Street Tavern opened in 2014 under proprietor Adam Hicks. Both he and Haslam are graduates of Blackstone Valley Technical Vocational High School's culinary program. They also attended Johnson & Wales University in Providence.

In the decade the restaurant has been open, Depot Street Tavern and its food have been featured on WBZ/CBS Boston's "Phantom Gourmet" and New England Sports Network's (NESN) "Wicked Bites." The restaurant also won first place People's Choice at the 2016 and 2017 Worcester's Best Chef competition, and received the 2017 WXLO (a Fitchburg-based radio station) Perfect Palate Award at Worcester's Best Chef.

Depot Street Tavern is known for serving classic American food at the spot of the former Crivello's Crossing, a breakfast and lunch place that was in business for 75 years (1938-2013). In addition to regular fries, Depot Street Tavern also serves hand-cut truffle fries, with truffle oil and parmesan cheese; and sweet potato fries that are hand-cut and roasted before being fried.

Haslam said Depot Street Tavern being recognized as Greater Milford's top fry maker is the result of its staff's hard work.

"It's exciting and it's good to know," she said. "We work really hard with our three-step process. They're not pulled out of the freezer. We're making them ourselves and not buying French fries."