French Fry Heaven, Towson

It didn't take long for Scott Nelowet to fall in love with french fries in Europe. While most fries he had tried in the US were droopy or overly crisp, the cones of Belgian fries had a crisp exterior paired with a soft interior due to the chefs' double-frying technique. Nelowet recreates these perfect fries at French Fry Heaven, but instead of serving them as the Belgians would—with mayo or vinegar—Nelowet devised a menu of more than 50 sweet and salty toppings, including brown sugar, cinnamon, caramel, cheese, and more.

Chefs begin by creating thick-cut slices of potatoes and sweet potatoes, which they then fry twice in gluten-free oil. Once fries have cooled, they pile on toppings, such as the French Quarter fries' Cajun seasoning and remoulade sauce or the cha cha fries' sweet and hot mix of cinnamon, sugar, and red hot chili sauce. Each order of fries can be further customized with flavorful salts, which have been infused with either black truffle, smoked wood, or ghost pepper for the hottest spice you can legally handle without putting your tongue through stop-drop-and-roll training.