French Fry Diary 740: Swiss Chalet

The Bride and I went up to Toronto this past winter to visit my friend Andy for his birthday party. I didn't get to really try that many fries up there, managed to dodge the dreaded poutine, and remembered the hard way what winter is really all about after several months in Florida. It's damned cold up there, and forget Florida, it makes New Jersey look like a hothouse in the winter.

Anyway, while chatting music and movies, and books and toys, Andy ordered dinner for us from a place native to Canada called ironically enough Swiss Chalet. Knowing what a French fry guy I am, he also got their fries for me.

It's the thought that counts, but I have to say I was not all that impressed with their natural cut fries, and of course that may be because they were delivered, which always cuts down on quality and freshness. I bet they might have been better hot. The chicken however was very good, and they also have ribs and other stuff, including poutine, and any place that has Toblerone for dessert can't be all bad.

Still, as I said, it's the company that counts, and although we were only in Toronto for less than twenty-four hours, we had a great time meeting and hanging out with friends and family, and helping one of my best friends celebrate his birthday. Next time, poutine, and better fries, promise.

French Fry Diary 710: National French Fries Day Aftermath

This past Wednesday was National French Fries Day, and as you might expect it was a pretty big day around here. Such a big day, it took a few days to recover, lol. There were a few things I wanted to talk about though that I missed in the last blog entry.

The big news, if you don't already know, is that I was featured in USA Today in a article by Larry Bleiberg about, you guessed it, French fries. You can read "10 Must-Try French Fries Across the USA" right here. Special thanks to Larry, for putting up with my fry obsession in emails and phone conversations putting this together, it was awesome fun!

In Canada McDonald's celebrated National French Fries Day in a special way with #FryLove. There was a Twitter campaign and even t-shirts that are now sadly sold out. I'm sorry I wasn't hip to it before it happened.

And finally, to celebrate the day, The Bride and I had some fries at b. good, and they were fantastic. I hope your fries were just as good. Happy belated National French Fries Day!

Random Tater Pic of the Day #237

Another treat from north of the border... Poutine Fries from McDonald's... or more accurately, McPoutine.

French Fry Diary 699: Ruffles All Dressed

All Dressed? Seriously, what flavor is this? It appears at first glance to be barbecue, but that couldn't be because I doubt that BBQ Ruffles even exist. I've never seen them, they're a myth.

According to the hype on the package, All Dressed is the #1 flavor in Canada. Honestly when it comes to potato products, I thought that would be poutine, but apparently it's All Dressed. It's been described as vaguely like German potato salad or ketchup, vinegar, and BBQ all mixed together. Hmmm... I don't know... Listed in the ingredients is a mystery substance called 'All Dressed Seasoning,' surely the FDA has some rule about this kind of stuff.

I have to say, when I opened the bag, the aroma wasn't pleasant. They looked just Ruffles in shape at least, but it was the flavor I was hesitant about. I tasted the vinegar right away and a bit of smokiness, and something else I couldn't quite identify. They weren't bad but they weren't barbecue either.

And I still don't know what All Dressed means...

French Fry Diary 622: Smith's Bacon Fries

These are not at all what they sound. The full name of the product is Smith's Bacon Flavour Fries, and it's a 'bacon flavour cereal snack,' which I've been told is a breakfast snack. These come from a stash my big sister Bobbie got for me from the UK by way of friend Kelly from Toronto. Thank you, Bobbie and Kelly!

We've talked about Smith's Potato Crisps here before, but this isn't first opportunity to actually try one of their products. The bags are tiny, about the size you get cookies in at Wawa, holding 24 grams, which is roughly .8 ounces - not a lot. Airlines feed you better. The ingredients indicate bacon flavoring as opposed to bacon, and the packaging advises they be eaten immediately after opening, and that they're 'ideal with all types of drinks.' Well, color me intrigued.

Upon opening, they had a very smokey aroma, not pleasant, but not all that unpleasant either. The thick inch long strips are formed and seasoned to appear like bacon. The Bride (yeah, she played guinea pig again) said they tasted very artificial, but with a good crispy bacon taste. I didn't think they were that bad. I ate more than a few.

I can definitely say I get the crispy (extra crispy) vibe in the aftertaste. And the aftertaste is the problem. They kinda have that same thing going on that a lot of the 'meat chips' have, plus a little bit of the whole processed potato (although notably there's no potato here) taste in there as well. Good in small amounts.

Random Tater Pic of the Day #150

Friend and FFD contributor Cindy went to Taverne Gaspar, a gastropub north of the border in Montreal, and got (what else would you get in Canada?) poutine!

French Fry Diary 532: Amora Moutarde

One of the things The Bride got involved in on this Disney Cruise is something involving a community of fish extender people. I know, sounds weird, but long story short, it's sort of like an onboard secret Santa - passengers give each other small gifts by hanging them on the fish ornaments outside their cabin doors. Sometimes the gifts are food, sometimes toys, and sometimes something from the giver's region of the world.

Today, we got a plastic bottle of mustard from fellow passengers who are either French or French-Canadian. There's not much on the bottle I can read short of the brand name Amora, and moutarde, which I'm relatively sure is mustard. What an interesting and generous gift.

What makes it relevant to French Fry Diary is the note they taped to back of the bottle. Their suggestion read thusly: "The Original French Mustard to eat with your meats, potatoes, hot dogs, burgers… and add a French flavor to your meals…" Now I'm not a mustard guy, but potatoes, really? Who puts mustard on potatoes?

Seriously, if anyone knows of any instances or recipes, hit me up, and maybe I'll feature it here on the blog. This is a new one on me, and I would like to learn more.

The Wolverine Burger at Red Robin

In anticipation of the upcoming The Wolverine movie coming out July 26th, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers have introduced a couple special food items in honor of everyone's favorite Canadian mutant superhero.

There's the Berserker Burger, called 'a flavorful combination of zesty aioli, Sriracha onion straws and spicy pickles topped with Cheddar on a brioche bun,' and the best part, 'served with Bottomless Steak Fries.'

And they are also offering the Red Tavern Double. It's made in new Kuzuri style, Red Robin describes it like this: 'Feed yur inner Wolverine. Samurai slaw, ginger garlic wonton strips and cilantro.' You can mix it up with the ingredients if you want.

They also have a deal where you can get a ticket to The Wolverine with the purchase of special limited edition gift cards - only at participating restaurants.

What ever you do, when it comes to Red Robin, don't forget the Bottomless Steak Fries!

Special thanks to GAR! Podcast partner, Ray Cornwall, for hipping me to this deal!

Random Tater Pic of the Day #104

This one comes to my attention from the Facebook via my friend and great writer Becca Butcher. It was posted by another amazing writer, John Everson, and yeah baby, it is jalapeno poutine. It's French fries, with gravy, cheese curds, and roasted jalapenos.

Who would do that to fries? Those wacky Canadians, of course. The pic comes from the Design District Urban Tavern in Calgary. Wow.

French Fry Diary 471: Lay's Sriracha Potato Chips

We're in the midst of an historic contest from the Frito-Lay folks. They took suggestions, millions of them, for potential new potato chip flavors.

I even tried my hand at it, suggesting Poutine flavored chips to not only cash in on the Canadian market but also appease those folks down here in the US who can't get it of haven't tried it yet. I suppose they either already have that flavor, or they just figured it was too gross. ;-)

The powers that be narrowed the field down to three finalists: Sriracha, Cheesy Garlic Bread, and Chicken & Waffles. Before even tasting, my personal preference would be Cheesy Garlic Bread, that's just a no-brainer. I've even had over twenty folks online tell me they are the better chips.

However, it has been impossible for me to find these things in South Jersey. I'm still looking, and would appreciate any help from my FFD friends out there. Where are the Cheesy Garlic Bread chips?

In the meantime, I did manage to find the other two. First up, Sriracha. For those not in the know, myself included, until I looked it up, Sriracha is a (very) hot sauce made from chili peppers, frequently used with seafood, and named after Si Racha, a city on the coast of Thailand. This soooo doesn't sound like me. I'm afraid of this potato chip.

Upon opening the bag, a spicy not unpleasant aroma hit my nose. Their appearance, other than typical thin regular Lay's potato chips, was that of a simple barbecue chip, perhaps with slightly darker seasoning than usual.

The first chip was good, so was the second, tasting like a spicier than usual BBQ chip... then the afterburn hit. It is a serious heat but it only lasts a few seconds. I was surprised. That was it? Not that I want my mouth burned out, mind you, but I was expecting a bit more fiery punch, you know? These are really not bad at all.

Tomorrow: Chicken & Waffles Potato Chips. And don't forget to vote for Cheesy Garlic Bread Potato Chips, and let me know where you found them!

RIP Stompin' Tom Connors

Here's another one from Stompin' Tom Connors:



Once again, from friend Robin Renee at the French Fry Diary Facebook page.

Tom passed away last night. Hockey fan, potato friend, and one hell of a musician, Rest in Peace, Tom.

French Fry Diary 430: The Disney Food Blog Podcast

Those of you out there who know me know that I've dabbled in podcasts in the past, and currently participate in two on video, the All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast and the Biff Bam Popcast, notably, neither about French fries. I also enjoy listening to the podcasts of others.

One that I have been listening to lately actually does talk about French fries from time to time, that's the Disney Food Blog Podcast. It's hosted by A.J. Wolfe of the Disney Food Blog, which I've mentioned here once or twice, and Brad Johnson of WDW for Grownups, also a very cool site. Regular readers know how often I'm in Disney, so of course I'm digging the Podcast.

In episode 5, something was mentioned that I had never heard of but sounded right up my alley - Figaro Fries at Pinocchio's Village Haus in the WDW Magic Kingdom. My ears perked up until they mentioned they had been discontinued. Sigh, too late. Apparently these were natural cuts covered in lettuce, cheese, ranch dressing and tomatoes. You can check them out at the DFB here.

That was where I went after I heard about them on the Podcast. See what else is there? Isn't that cool? They did a report on the favorite fried food available elsewhere in the parks, including a few I have yet to sample myself.

And if that's not enough, in the next episode, they go into a rather lengthy discussion about poutine and Le Celier in EPCOT's Canada. I love these guys!

Love and Poutine

There's a new phenomenon going on at French Fry shops up in Canada - dating - especially at Poutini's House of Poutine. Read the full story here.

French Fry Diary 406: Irish Potato Nachos

I was hipped to this concept by friends Brian and Taryn, who visited Toronto recently and posted on the Facebook about one place they had seen that served them. The idea is basically nachos, but with some variation of potatoes instead of chips - called in some places Irish Potato Nachos. This restaurant, in Toronto, has sadly apparently since closed.

But never fear, most Irish pubs serve some version of this dish. Pictured is the style of Irish Potato Nachos served at The Druid Irish Pub in Edmonton. Hmmm... Edmonton, Toronto, maybe this is a Canadian thing?

The French Canadian

After the blog was removed from My Yahoo! mysteriously, it took a while to find This Is Why You're Fat again, but here it is, back again.

Here's an entry called The French Canadian, it's a poutine sandwich filled with those awful gravy fries the Canadians like so much, using two pieces of French toast as the bread and topped with maple syrup.

Yep, it's very patriotic if you're from the Great White North, but it is definitely why you are fat...

Fries with That

This YTV teen sitcom from Canada ran for fifty-two episodes in 2004, and revolved around a fast food place called Bulky’s run by teenagers. From all indications it was pretty bad, but at least it had fries in the title. Mmmm... fries...

Twenty-Five Years of New York Fries

A great article by Thomas Hagey, check it out here.

Poutine

Poutine is one of the worst tortures one can do to the poor French fry.

It comes from the French, or more accurately the French Canadien folk. It should be noted, despite the name, the French are the ones who lay claim to creating the favorite fried food, but we all know it was really the Belgians. I think that, right there, should tell us how much we should trust the concept of the poutine.

Poutine, roughly pronounced poo-teen, as in poop and teeneger, which is also very telling, is the process of drenching poor French fries in cheese and gravy. Just to make sure it's even more inedible, it's usually cheese curds and hot brown gravy. Come on, really, what did French fries ever do to you?

You can find a powerfully pictorial recipe for poutine here. The fries sure look good before getting tortured, don't they?

Despite my dislike for this variation on the favorite fried food, I have been assured it is quite tasty, and is actually quite popular in the great white north. All across Canada, chains like McDonalds, Burger King and KFC all have choices of poutine on their menus. If you're into it, enjoy!


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