Showing posts with label breakfast potatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breakfast potatoes. Show all posts

Friday, August 04, 2017

French Fry Diary 747: Borgata Breakfast Potatoes


Here's the first thing you need to know about the Borgata and room service. There are two hotels here in Atlantic City that most folks think are all the Borgata, and they are not the same. The Borgata is not the Water Club, and the Water Club is not the Borgata. Water Club has great breakfast potatoes, and the Borgata has crap. C-R-A-P. Crap.

This review is about the breakfast potatoes we got via room service at the Borgata, and the only reason we ordered them was because how fantastic they were at Water Club, but again, not the same place. We ordered bacon and potatoes, and what we got was two pieces of rawhide, crunchy dog chew toys, that they called 'bacon,' and this square thing they called potatoes.

This brownie-sized monstrosity was a big old square of shredded potatoes, nothing at all like what we got at Water Club. It was well done on the bottom, and on the top, but tasted rather processed and wet in between. Buttery, noodley, more like kugel than breakfast potatoes, and sadly disappointing. What a terrible breakfast. We went to McDonald's later if that tells you anything.

Friday, July 21, 2017

French Fry Diary 743: Wendy's Breakfast


Recently before getting on a plane to back to New Jersey (North Jersey, and those who know know that it matters) for a wedding, The Bride and I had some time, and the hungries for breakfast.  I carted our bags to the gate while The Bride searched for breakfast.  I was quite surprised when she joined me a bit later with a Wendy's bag. 

Honestly I was unaware that Wendy's did breakfast, but after a moment's thought, yeah, of course they did.  It had just never occurred to me to actually go there for breakfast.  And here at the busy Orlando International Airport, I suppose they must do a brisk breakfast business.  Notably breakfast is not listed on many of their websites.  They need to get the word out.

The Bride got an Artisan Egg Sandwich sans egg, essentially a grilled cheese with bacon, which she thought was just okay.  For me she got a biscuit, also just okay, nowhere near Bojangles or even KFC in quality.  The Bride also got breakfast potatoes, which were at the bottom of the bag.  I was both happy and wary. 

I was happy because, duh, I love the favorite fried food, and wary because many fast food breakfast potatoes are notoriously terrible, as is the case at Burger King, Chick-fil-A, and Roy Rogers.  I opened the bag and was pleasantly surprised.

At first glance, Wendy's Seasoned Homestyle Potatoes look similar to Roy's Home Taters.  Flat potato wedges, sometimes halved, and covered with a seasoned light batter, these were so much better that Roy's bland fare.  These were quite tasty and I wanted more when these were finished.  Definitely a thumbs up.  I'm going to have try more Wendy's Breakfast based on this experience. 

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Random Tater Pic of the Day #275



From Cabanas on the first morning of our June 2017 Disney Cruise, those fabulous roasted red breakfast potatoes, that morning with green peppers and onions.

Tuesday, July 04, 2017

Random Tater Pic of the Day #274



After meeting up with friends Anne-Sophie and her family in Norway at the World Showcase in EPCOT, The Bride and I stopped at Sunshine Seasons in The Land to split a quick breakfast. It had to be quick as we were on our way to the Disney Cruise next.

The Adult Breakfast included, obviously, breakfast potatoes with red and green peppers, eggs, overdone bacon (apparently that's the only way it comes at The Land), sausages, and delicious French toast bread pudding with a spicy kick of cinnamon. Yummy!

Thursday, May 04, 2017

Random Tater Pic of the Day #264



From friends Brian and Taryn's recent visit to Florida, this is the Full English Breakfast from Raglan Road, featuring Roasties, their crunchy and thick breakfast potatoes.

Wednesday, November 02, 2016

French Fry Diary 722: Club House Diner


I don't go to the Club House Diner often, unfortunately when I have gone, it's after a funeral, as there's a nearby cemetery. The Bride however frequents it quite often with her gaming friends. When they wanted to throw us a going away party, it was at the Club House Diner in Bensalem PA.

Part of moving from the old place and moving to a new place is purging things that are no longer needed. I had a lot of gaming stuff I was getting rid of. I had previously given a ton of gaming books to this particular group of friends, and this night brought my HeroClix collection to get rid of, um, I mean, give away as party favors. So as the fight for plastic crack began, I ordered.

I had wanted onion rings, and while they were pretty big, they also looked dry and heat lamped so I passed on them. I also passed on the fries, which were heat lamped natural cuts. Instead I ordered some French toast and some breakfast potatoes. On the latter, I should have thought better of it.

I got cold breakfast potatoes, smashed on the griddle and folded like an omelet. They were quite cold by the time I got them, and they did not reheat well at all. Despite the bad food, this was a good time, we will miss our friends, and lots of toys got new homes. Thanks, everyone!

Friday, September 16, 2016

French Fry Diary 719: Hampton Inn, Lakeland FL


One of the great things (or not so great things, depending on your outlook) is the complimentary breakfast providing at some chain hotels. Sometimes it's just some old breakfast cereal and coffee, sometimes an actual working kitchen and kitchen staff, but mostly it's somewhere in between. In between is what we had at the Lakeland Hampton Inn in Lakeland FL while we were house hunting recently.

Oh sure, there was cereal, and a variety of bready things with toasters available, but the real star was the waffle making station, for which there was a long line. Hidden away in a corner of the kitchen area though was a covered hot plate with omelets and breakfast potatoes. I was happy.

The breakfast potatoes were redskin chunks with peppers and onions mixed in. They were quite hot with a spicy and buttery taste, made just right, a little crisp but with a soft but firm center. I got two servings they were so good. I feel like I found the pot of gold under the rainbow. Great breakfast to start a full day of house hunting, hopefully I'll find a house as good as these potatoes.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Midge Ure's Breakfast in America


Friend and French Fry Diary contributor Robin Renee brought this one to my attention.

Midge Ure, formerly lead singer of new wave eighties band Ultravox (among others) posted this pic to his Twitter, saying, "Breakfast in America. Serious health kick when I get home....!"

Thanks, Robin!

And just because, here's "Sister and Brother" by Midge Ure, featuring the amazing Kate Bush. Enjoy.



Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Random Tater Pic of the Day #179



More breakfast potatoes, these are from Cabanas, roasted redskin breakfast potatoes with crispy onions and peppers - from the TCM Classic Cruise on board the Disney Magic. Mmmmm...

Monday, December 22, 2014

French Fry Diary 635: Lumiere's Breakfast - TCM Cruise Day Five


With no distractions today, we were up bright and early for breakfast at Lumiere's for that terrific grilled ham and even better roasted red breakfast potatoes. What greeted us at the doorway to the restaurant was a bit more than the usual happy 'good morning,' smiles, and wet wipes. There was a woman ahead of us who was angry and bitching to whoever would listen to her.

She was mad about the sun in her yes so they reseated her, then she was mad about the water. Not the water in her water glass, mind you, the water she could see through the windows. It was moving. This bugged her.

Really?? You're on the TCM Classic Cruise, on board the frigging Disney Magic, in the middle of the Caribbean. Are you kidding me? You could be in Afghanistan, get some perspective, you old bag. Rant over. I just couldn't believe it.

I, on the other hand, was very happy. The ham was perfect. And the breakfast potatoes were also perfect, more white potatoes than red. I suppose I could have complained about that, but I'm not that old woman. I don't think she could ever be happy. Still no one beats the old man we experienced at dinner that night. I'll tell you about him tomorrow.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

French Fry Diary 634: Lumiere's Breakfast - TCM Cruise Day Four


On this morning the TCM Cruise on board the Disney Cruise docked at Key West. Upon re-entering the United States there was a whole immigration thing that had to be done, so we had to be at a certain place at a certain time with our passports, 8:30AM to be exact. A bit of a hassle and we never had to do it before, but there you go.

To make things even more difficult, I wanted ham for breakfast and The Bride had an excursion at 8:45. Lumiere's, the place for ham, didn't open until 8:00, so we had our "Mission: Impossible" for the morning. We arrived at Luminere's just before they opened, and while waiting, struck up a conversation with a nice couple from southern Florida. So animated was the discussion, the waiters thought we were together and seated us thusly. No problem, new friends were welcome.

With our need for speed, I got right to the point when ordering - a couple pieces of ham and some breakfast potatoes - hoping I got the awesome roasted redskin potatoes and not those hideous McDonald's hash brown planks. The clock started ticking. Our new friends' breakfasts arrived, then The Bride's. I began to think that maybe simple was not the way to go.

Then at 8:24 my breakfast arrived, and wow, was it worth it. Several pieces of ham and a copious serving of breakfast potatoes... only I had just a few minutes to eat it. I happily wolfed down what I could, and what I did have was perfect. I think we will be coming back to Luminere's for breakfast the next day, with more time on our hands.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Wednesday, December 03, 2014

French Fry Diary 632: Cabanas - TCM Cruise Day Three


We had a surprise this morning. Either someone complained, the staff was needed elsewhere, or they decided we didn't have Ebola and we're capable of serving ourselves - but today we were allowed to serve ourselves.

The waitstaff kept trying to hand us wet wipes for after we used spoons and tongs like perpetual motion machines, but still.

The great self-service buffet ban was over!

The potatoes were awesome, and this morning I was able to get some bacon done the way I liked it - and more than two pieces(!). The mood on this morning was considerably better. And not just for me, for everyone at Cabanas.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

French Fry Diary 628: Cabanas - TCM Cruise Day Two


For apparent health reasons (we are in the middle of a worldwide ebola scare, and cruise ships are well known for spreading germs like wildfire, so I do get it, but still…), Disney is attempting to kill the all-you-can-eat buffet concept with guilt. As I mentioned in an earlier post, you may no longer serve yourself. *

If say, a huge percentage of the reason you choose Cabanas is for the breakfast potatoes, you can only get a small serving of them. And if you ask nicely for more please, they will give you a proper non-verbal shaming before finally, after an appropriate pause, giving you another small serving.

Another negative to having a server in front of each station to give you your food at the 'all-you-can-eat' buffet is bacon. A serving of bacon is two small strips, period. Try, just try asking for more. And there is no longer any such thing as crispy bacon and not so crispy bacon. If you wanted one of the other previously, you could just pick them out and put them on your plate. Now, The Bride who likes crispy bacon and I who like it not so crispy, got the same bacon, despite our instructions. You have zero control on what you get to eat at a buffet.

The same goes for the wonderful breakfast potatoes on board. These are great chunked broiled, spiced, and marinated small red potatoes that are a number one reason to go to Cabanas for breakfast. Suppose you want them soft one day and crispy the next, the server will just plop a small spoonful on your plate willy-nilly, crispy or soft. The image you see is three servings by the way.

What I did get was very good, but you should never have to leave an all-you-can-eat buffet hungry, right? I did. And don't even get me started on asking for those tiny paper cartons of milk, especially if you want one for cereal and one or two to drink. Talk about a server stink-face! Perhaps it's not just health reasons, maybe Disney is running out of food…

* The situation did resolve itself, check here.

Thursday, October 02, 2014

Random Tater Pic of the Day #165



Today's Somebody Else's Fries is a bit different. My good friend, musician and writer Robin Renee, sent me her breakfast from a while back - potato tofu scramble w/ fresh garden herbs. Yum!

Monday, April 28, 2014

French Fry Diary 579: Hilton Garden Inn, Bridgewater NJ


The Hilton Garden Inn in Bridgewater NJ is where we stayed for, and where we attended, the NJ DIS Meet Weekend, both this year and last. There are tables and a bar off of the lobby, and apparently a restaurant too, called The Great American Grill according to the Guest Services Directory. They also claimed a breakfast that included potatoes - so that was where I was headed Saturday morning.

For $10.95 you got a hot buffet style breakfast that included French toast, bacon, and potatoes. A chef would also make omelets or waffles at your request. The French toast was pretty good, but the bacon had that cooked earlier and sat for a while vibe. As I was there a couple minutes after the place opened, the bacon was not a good sign.

The potatoes looked good so I had higher hopes for them. They were natural cut chunks, soft, hot and succulent, and mixed with red and green peppers and possibly onions. They were very good, and lightly seasoned. I would have definitely gone back for more if I thought I could. Nice breakfast.

For more on the NJ DIS Meet Weekend, check out the Make Mine Magic Podcast's special episode on the event here.

Thursday, December 05, 2013

Random Tater Pic of the Day #123



Here's this year's Hanukkah attempt to make homemade latkes for The Bride. It didn't hold together, making it basically just breakfast potatoes. Maybe next year...

Monday, October 28, 2013

French Fry Diary 531: Cabanas, Breakfast, Disney Fantasy


I talked about this free form buffet before when I encountered it on board the Disney Dream. This morning we went there for breakfast before seeing an early morning showing of Planes in the Buena Vista Theatre. After an unlucky couple of days food-wise and no luck find breakfast potatoes other than those awful greasy hash brown slabs, I finally hit the jackpot.

Not only did Cabanas have grilled ham in pieces bigger than a half-dollar, but they had the most succulent and delicious breakfast potatoes I have every had. Big chunks of spiced potato, about half the size of a wedge, mixed in with peppers and onions. I had two servings of these awesome potatoes. Sooo good.

I guess that's a lock then, we'll be, or I'll be having breakfast at Cabanas for the rest of the trip. Those roasted breakfast potatoes are the best.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

French Fry Diary 529: Royal Court, Breakfast, Disney Fantasy


I have to say, that in all the time I have been cruising with Disney, this being my eighth, this was the first really disappointing meal I've had. There is, of course, always the option to just ask, and they would do whatever you wanted, but there's also that thing of not wanting to be a jerk. What is the old adage? Don't tick off anyone in a position to touch your food.

As a poor Christian boy married into a Jewish family, ham is something I rarely see, and grilled ham is even more rare. Unless I cook it myself, which I'm just not very good at, I'm just not getting it. In the past however, I have found the grilled ham at breakfast on the Disney Cruise very very good. And it was good this morning… the tiny piece I got. I was kinda stunned. I got three tinier bite-sized pieces from it. Perhaps, with the amount of overcooked bacon I got on my plate, perhaps they had run out of pig.

The hash browns that came with this breakfast were not the great breakfast potatoes that both Disney and their cruises are known for but one of those slabs of potato pieces, more Wawa than McDonald's. Greasy, disappointing, and unsatisfying.

Again, I suppose any of this could have been remedied by saying something to the server, but asking for more ham, medium-cooked bacon, and real breakfast potatoes. I sooo did not want to be that guy.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

French Fry Diary 492: Perkins Restaurant & Bakery


Flashing back to a few months ago when my friend Ken came into town for a few days, here is yet another Ken entry. As I've mentioned before, not many of my friends are non-health-conscious enough to go on FFD excursions with me, so these trips are usually rare or done solo. Ken, while on vacation, is unofficially also off diet, but don't tell his wife that, wink wink.

We had one lazy day where we both slept in and then worked for most of the afternoon, he telecommuting and me writing at my desk. Around three Ken decided he wanted breakfast. Breakfast at three in the afternoon. If that's not a screaming definition of 'on vacation,' I don't know what is. We went off in search of breakfast.

I had an errand to run up in the Moorestown area so we were in the neighborhood and decided on Perkins. Perkins Restaurant & Bakery is IHoP's biggest competitor in the we-do-mostly-breakfast-but-we-really-want-to-be-Fridays-or-Applebees business, and I had never been there before, so it seemed like a worthwhile place to go. I knew they had to have potato products of some kind.

We were served very quickly, mostly because it didn't really appear to be anyone else in the restaurant. It should be noted that the service was also very courteous and friendly, as well as very welcome and refreshing compared to how Ken and I had been treated earlier in his trip.

Everything on the menu looks good, everything. It looks delicious, water watering, and stomach growlingly tasty. But it's like a rearview mirror, some things look a bit different than they really are. The onion rings for instance, are very different from the only onion ring-like item on the menu. What I wanted was the crunchy little Onion Tanglers they put on their burgers. What I got was big old greasy beer battered onion rings, I was not happy.

I did not try the fries, which were regular natural cuts. They also had standard shredded hash browns, but I opted for the breakfast potatoes instead, another decision based on the pictures in the menu. They looked glistening and hot, but what I got was big chunks of potato with a very crunchy outer skin, almost like batter fries. They came in a large portion, most of which I took home. For the record they also have standard shredded hash browns as a breakfast option.

Lesson learned, know the menu, and know the difference between the picture in the menu and what really comes to the table. Also, either bring a big appetite, or a big doggy bag, because the portions are huge. We'll be back again, maybe this time more prepared.