NOW CLOSED – Disco Fries with Bacon Gravy and Melted Gruyere at Jo’s in SoHo
October 18, 2011
You would think the title of this post says it all. But in order to fully appreciate the greatness that is Jo’s Disco fries ($10 full order, $4 smaller side order), you have to understand the bacon gravy. The bacon flavor is so palpable, you’re left combing through strands of nutty, melted Gruyere looking for a slice of crispy pork. You won’t find it; the genius of the bacon gravy is that the smokey pork flavor is so deeply infused into the broth it’s more bacon than bacon. This is achieved through a process that can only be described as “moan-inducing,” because after you hear each step, you moan at the pure decadence of it all. Render down bacon and add red wine. Reduce. Add cream and chicken stock. Reduce. Put through a food mill and then through a chinoise (a fine mesh sieve). Reduce. Toss with crispy, skin-on shoestring fries and your choice of melted cheese (Gruyere, cheddar, bleu, or goat). The result is beyond moan-inducing, it’s profanity-inducing, simply because proper English doesn’t offer words to describe this level of taste bud overload.
Jo’s Link 264 Elizabeth St near Houston St New York, NY 10012 (212) 966-9640 Open Seven Days Dinner: Mon-Thurs 5pm-1am, Fri-Sat 5pm-2am, Sun 5pm-12am, Brunch: Sat-Sun 11am-4pm, Happy Hour: Daily 5pm-8pm, Late Night Menu: Fri-Sat 12am-1am
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October 18th, 2011 at 8:13 am
We should not have read this post. It was more than enough just to look at the photos and crave. But after reading the post, now we’re salivating. Guess we’ll be headed to Jo’s very soon!
October 18th, 2011 at 8:23 am
Holy crap. I think I’m taking a sick day.
October 18th, 2011 at 8:24 am
Do they sell this bacon gravy?…I think I finally found a suitable replacement for all the blood flowing through my body
October 18th, 2011 at 11:28 am
okay, GOING
October 18th, 2011 at 5:45 pm
If there’s some truth to to the old wisdom, you are what you eat, these photographs are terrifying. On the other hand, bacon has rarely done it for me. Some think waking to the smell of bacon akin to their first day in paradise, to me, it’s baking bread. Saying this, the only real objection I have to description is the inclusion of goat cheese in the mix of melted cheese. If it works with cheddar, probably the most natural to take the bacon upward, the addition of goat is a mistake on the level of using skim milk to make chocolate pudding.
October 18th, 2011 at 5:50 pm
@Lil NYC Food Guy,
Well said, brother, well said.
@janet,
Did you go?
@RWordplay,
I hope your wrong about “are what you eat,” but sadly I know you’re right. I hope I didn’t confuse, but you only choose one cheese for the fries. Goat is not mixed with cheddar.
October 19th, 2011 at 6:14 am
No matter how they try to distinguish themselves from the traditional Canadian version, these are not “disco fries.” Of course, in NY, they’d have to be pretentious.
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:09 am
I definitely went!! I was a bit surprised by the bar atmosphere; I think I was somehow expecting a diner-type place for some reason.
My friend and I shared a large order of the disco fries (gruyere and bacon gravyyyy) and a beet salad – I just got the salad because it was cheap and light, but they complemented each other really nicely. The salad was surprisingly good, and balanced out the fries well. As for the fries – yummm. Cheese is always a good idea. Bacon gravy is even better. Although a lot of the gravy was pooled at the bottom of our dish so that we ended up eating most of the gruyere first, and then the gravy… but that’s just a minor quibble. I will definitely have to go again to try out some of their other stuff (and maybe explore different disco fries combinations)!
October 31st, 2011 at 1:27 am
This is actually called poutine. A dish that is served in Montreal
January 16th, 2013 at 12:31 am
It’s called poutine. Not disco fries. what an asinine name…