A good Dish of the Week often earns its place by defying expectations. The grit fries at Sprig, a homey neighborhood restaurant near Decatur, somehow manage to surprise in multiple ways.
First of all, shouldn’t it be grits fries? Sure, it feels unnatural to have those two plural words describe a single dish, but no one in history ever has eaten a single grit.
Second, Sprig’s grit fries appear to be similar to polenta fries or semolina-based suji fries that you might have encountered elsewhere. These different interpretations of french fries involve molding a starchy base into long, thin pieces and frying them, thus creating a dippable and necessarily plain vehicle for different sauces. French fries and their imitators work so well because they don’t overpower you with flavor.
With this in mind, it was a pleasant surprise to taste the grit fries and realize that their closest comparison isn’t a polenta fry, but a mozzarella stick. Really, these are cheese grit(s?) fries, and they are better for it. The sharp taste of cheddar is the first thing you’ll notice when you bite into one of the fries, and the creamy cheese grits harmonize perfectly with Sprig’s piquant dipping sauce, a Cajun tomato gravy.
While Sprig’s menu does mention the sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on the grit fries, there’s no mention of cheddar. It’s the kind of simple culinary surprise that will put a genuine smile on the face of almost anyone.
That said, if you order this dish at Sprig, it will be your turn to defy expectations. Spare your server from hearing this question for the millionth time: “Wait, shouldn’t it say grits fries?”
Sprig. 2860 Lavista Road, Decatur. 404-248-9700, sprigrestaurant.com.
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