A basket of fries allows for maximum malt vinegar distribution without spilling into other foods. That’s not how I eat fries often, but with the right fries and environment it’s the best.
If I’m fingering my fries, I favor a basket or plate. Just much better for fingering fries.
If I’m forking them, it would be bowl overall, but with plate being an acceptable forking surface. See, when you fork in a bowl, you don’t get fries flying everywhere the way it sometimes happens with extra crispy fries on a plate.
A bowl is also superior if you’re going to spurt some juicy stuff on your fries. Also superior for solid toppings, particularly if you vigorously shake it all together and will be forking with enthusiasm.
However, if you’ll be just putting the tip into the juicy stuff, a plate is better for forking or fingering, as you can go as slow or fast as you like without things spraying everywhere.