I love french fries. I mean, who doesn’t, right?

But given my career path, I’m served a lot of fried tubers, and I really shouldn’t eat every fry that graces my plate. So I’ve come up with my own personal barometer, and it’s called “worth the calories fries.”

I’ll try one at every new place, but if they’re not great, I won’t eat any more.

At some point, I started keeping a list of which restaurants serve fries that I can’t help but consume.

Some are fresh cut, some are frozen, but they all have a few things in common: They’re crispy outside, fluffy inside and usually come with some sort of above-average dipping sauce. Usually. But sometimes, all I want is some squeeze-bottle ketchup.

BLUE DOOR PUB

Hand-cut planks that are a little thicker than your average fries means fewer schnibbles on your plate. Crisp outside, fluffy inside, and nothing but ketchup to dip them in, but nothing else is needed. Order with a famous Blue Door blucy (juicy lucy stuffed with blue cheese), of course.

Blue Door Pub: Three locations, 1811 Selby Ave., St. Paul, 651-493-1865; 3448 42nd Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612-315-2470; and 1514 Como Ave. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-367-4964; thebluedoorpubmn.com

SAINT DINETTE

Proof positive that frozen fries can be done right, these simple, crinkle-cut potatoes are fried until perfectly crisp, dusted with good salt and served simply with ketchup. They are served separately from the restaurant’s amazing burger or bologna sandwich, but come in a tiny bucket large enough to share with friends.

Saint Dinette: 261 E. Fifth St., St. Paul; 651-800-1415; saintdinette.com

MERITAGE

Hands down the most irresistible fries on this list, these fries are thin, hand-cut, crisp, edible by the handful and come in a generously sized cup for a reason. Perhaps the best part about the fries, though, is the lick-the-cup-good bearnaise sauce they’re served with. Moules frites in the restaurant’s pretty bar is one of our favorite summer dinners. And there’s never a fry left.

Meritage: 410 St. Peter St., St. Paul; 651-222-5670; meritage-stpaul.com

THE NOOK/SHAMROCK’S

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Here’s your list of 20+ places offering State Fair food & drinks in lieu of the Fair Hand-cut and fried almost to the point of being burned, these fries have flavor to spare, especially when the cheese and juice from the burger sharing their basket drips down onto them. I cannot resist these fries, nor do I want to.

The Nook: 492 Hamline Ave., St. Paul; 651-698-4347; crnook.com

Shamrock’s: 995 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-228-9925; crshamrocks.com

AMSTERDAM BAR AND HALL

I recently learned that the chopped raw onion garnish on these hand-cut, deep-golden fries is controversial, but I think it adds an extra layer of flavor. You can choose from 10 dipping sauces to go with the fries, too, and though every sauce I’ve tried has been delicious, I especially love the honey sambal and the peanut satay.

Amsterdam Bar and Hall: 6 W. Sixth St., St. Paul; 612-285-3112; amsterdambarandhall.com

BLACK DOG

This little coffee shop/cafe/music club has recently expanded and stepped up its food offerings, so it’s worth a visit for more than just these hand-cut, tasty fries. Be sure to order a side of spicy mayo or bearnaise to go with them, or if you’re like me, both.

Black Dog: 308 E. Prince St., St. Paul; 651-228-9274; blackdogstpaul.com

COOK ST. PAUL

The care that goes into making these hand-cut fries is almost off the charts. They’re fried and chilled three times, then stored cold until you order them. All of that care results in super flavorful fries that are near the top of my list, but what puts them over the top is a healthy dip in the restaurant’s house-made Korean hot sauce, which is sweet, spicy perfection. My husband calls the sauce Korean ketchup, for good reason. We always have a bottle of it, which you can buy at the East Side diner, in our fridge.

Cook St. Paul: 1124 Payne Ave., St. Paul; 651-756-1787; cookstp.com

DARK HORSE

You have to order these fries separately from this comfortable Lowertown bar’s sandwiches, but the giant bowl of deep, dark golden fries dusted with fresh herbs and served with an herbaceous, paprika-spiked ranch is totally worth it, and very shareable.

Dark Horse Bar and Eatery: 250 E. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-313-7960; darkhorsebarandeatery.com

AUGUSTINE’S

This is one of the few restaurants that serves a house-made ketchup worth eating, and the house-cut, perfectly salted fries are a great vehicle for it. The burger here is tasty, too, and I love that they’ll split it for you so that you can try more of the menu.

Augustine’s Bar and Bakery: 1668 Selby Ave., St. Paul; 651-447-3729; augustinesmn.com

WARD 6

If you’re a fry lover, you probably already know about Ward 6. The tiny gastropub fries hand-cut potatoes until they’re the perfect shade of golden brown, then tosses them with an herby, garlicky gremolata. If you order them on the side, they come with your choice of fun condiments, from tomato jam to beer cheese to harissa.