On Friday evening, the dining room at Midtown's Le Rivage filled as service began. Among the appetizers, Pommes Anna appeared—a layered potato dish with a crisp, buttery edge. The chef, Paul Denamiel, said he added it back to the menu for the season. 'It's a classic, and people ask for it as the weather cools,' he noted in the kitchen, slicing Yukon Golds by hand.
Pommes Anna, a dish rooted in 19th-century French cooking, involves thinly sliced potatoes layered with clarified butter and salt, then baked until golden. Served in wedges, it resembles a savory cake. Diners at Le Rivage paid $15 for a portion, with some sharing as a side to steak frites.
Other French restaurants have followed suit. Last Wednesday at Balthazar in SoHo, a line cook plated Pommes Anna alongside roast chicken. The dish drew regulars as well as tourists, some recognizing it from social media videos. At Bar Bête in Carroll Gardens, the kitchen is preparing a version with duck fat, available later this month.
While Pommes Anna requires little beyond potatoes and butter, the method is exacting. Chefs report that the key is to keep the layers tight and cook at a steady low temperature. 'Every step matters with this dish,' Denamiel said. As autumn menus shift, restaurants are looking to familiar comforts, and Pommes Anna fits the present mood—simple, seasonal, and rooted in tradition.