Ask the Critics: Where Can I Find Fry Bread?

Jenna A. asks: Does any place in New York serve fry bread?

Dear Jenna: The Thanksgiving holiday does seem like a good time to enjoy fry bread, the rather fattening (but tasty!) Native American treat made by submerging leavened dough into oil until golden brown, and then drizzled with honey or other toppings. While you might find similar offerings under different names (Trinidadian doubles, for example), only a couple spots sell the specialty. Here’s where to go.

Blue Smoke sells a great fry bread for $5.95, warm and puffy like a Louisiana-style beignet. True, the chipotle-herb butter made with smoked jalapeños, chives, parsley, and lemon juice might not be the most traditional accompaniment, but after you eat it, you’ll wish it were the gold standard.

In Prospect Heights, modern Southwestern spot Piquant offers Navajo fry bread alongside tortilla chips with its made-to-order guacamole appetizer for $10. Just don’t ask how many calories are in that dish!

Finally, you should mark your calendar for next May, when Drums Along the Hudson, an all-day Native American cultural festival, returns to Inwood Hill Park. Iroquois Eatery is a food vendor and sells traditional fry bread topped with honey and sugar and is probably the most authentic rendition of the dish you’ll find here in the Big Apple.