'WANT FRIES WITH THAT?' THAT'S AL THEY ASK YOU AT BENITA'S FRITES.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

Call it Santa Monica's loss and the San Fernando Valley's gain.

When Benita's Frites, acclaimed loudly and clearly as the producer of the best fries in L.A., lost its lease at its Third Street Promenade location in Santa Monica, little did pommes frites lovers in the Valley realize that Benita's would soon show up in Universal City.

But show up it did, right in the heart of the new CityWalk extension. It has an expanded menu of Belgian street food. In addition to its fab fries, Benita's brings Belgian-style beignets and sugar waffles.

For the uninitiated, remember this is only a stand. So don't expect to sit down at Benita's.

Owner Matt Halliday, who grew up in Belgium, has no pretensions of this being anything more than a food stand. You wait in line and get your paper cone of fries, whatever sauce you want and you carry it away, dipping, munching and muttering mmmmmmmms.

These frites (pronounced ``freet'') are double-cooked. That makes them crispier than most other fries.

You may order them saltless, or with regular salt or with Benita's special seasoned salt blend.

The sauces are important.

There are 14 cold and five hot sauce options. With a small ($2.25) order or a medium ($3.50) order you pick one sauce. With a large ($4.75) order you get two sauces.

I like the garlic mayonnaise cold sauce. It's really garlicky. And the peanut curry satay, Indonesian-style warm sauce. It's thick and really peanutty.

Other options are jalapeno-mayo, raddichio-lemon-garlic-mayo, green peppercorn-mayo, purple basil-mayo, remoulade, Andalouse-style mayo, frita Roma mayo, blue cheese, spicy ketchup, ancho chili mayo, arugula-shiitake-sour cream, barbecue, sambala chili, honey mustard and meat chili.

Sugar waffles ($2.25), known in Belgium as ``gauffre de Liege,'' appear rather dry to me. I prefer the beignets ($2.25, $3.50 and $4.75), served warm. These are sphere-shaped, doughnutlike fritters covered with powdered sugar.

But it's an order of fries that's meaningful here.

Take my word. If there's a heavenly fry, Benita's is the place to find it.

Benita's Frites, Waffles and Beignets.

Where: Universal CityWalk, 1000 Universal Center Drive, Universal City.

When: Open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

Recommended items: Frites (fries) with garlic mayo sauce, beignets.

How much: Frites and beignets range from $2.25 to $4.75 per order, waffles are $2.25 each.

Wine list: No alcohol.

Our rating: Four stars for frites.

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Photo:

Owner Matt Halliday holds cups of beignets, left, and frites at Benita's Frites at Universal CityWalk.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer