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.

French Fry Diary 107: Oh Yoko!

Being a catastrophically picky eater, I’m not one to stray from the standard American cuisine, but I like some Japanese cooking, especially when they do it on a grill. I was checking out Oh Yoko! for their grilling and also because of the cool name and then I saw what hooked me – they had fries!

Yoko Wasabi Fries – crispy seasoned potatoes with a Wasabi base sauce $7.95

I was sold and we were off. Oh Yoko! is a very nice place squeezed into the same shopping center as Andreotti’s and Big Cheez, and it’s a great little place. They need better signage so folks don’t miss out on what could be a great eating experience.

The atmosphere is terrific, and just as might be expected, the décor is a mix of traditional Oriental alternated with photos of the Beatles, John Lennon and Yoko Ono – what a clever theme. The music on the overhead speakers even reflects the Lennon concept. We had not even been served yet and I love this restaurant.

The waiter was extremely friendly and helpful, especially to this theoretical novice to Japanese food. He explained all the dishes, and that the sauces were all homemade, and when he saw me struggling with the chopsticks he even gave me a Fun Chop chopstick helper attachment to make it easier.

When the fries arrived I learned very quickly that wasabi is hot, very hot. I don’t know if I can describe how hot, but wow, and that’s a good wow. It burns at first taste but is very pleasant afterward. So good that I kept eating after the first burn – so let me clarify – it’s a good hot and a good burn. I was a wasabi virgin before today but The Bride assures me that this was sensational wasabi sauce.

The fries themselves are very thin potato sticks, quite similar to those at the Continental. They’re crispy, but not too crispy, just right. It was a large portion, with the wasabi hitting all of them, which was good. It was hard to find any fries that did not have sauce on them, good distribution. When I did find one or two without sauce, they were just as good.

For my actual meal, I had the yakitori chicken with teriyaki sauce, which was great, and dessert was vanilla ice cream with tempura fried banana... mmm... This was a terrific meal and experience. We will definitely be back, highly recommended, and not just for the fries.

French Fry Diary 19: The Continental, Atlantic City

Mother’s Day this year the Bride and I took her parents to a surprise dinner in Atlantic City. The restaurant we chose was The Continental at the Pier Shops in Caesars Casino, built in the building that once held the Ocean One mall, with a sort of Rat Pack Vegas style motif, and a view overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. I love the retro décor, it’s a really nice atmosphere despite it being in an upscale food court for all intents and purposes.

The food is served family style with more than generous portions. Some of the hits this evening were the cheesesteak eggrolls, French onion soup dumplings, arugula salad, the Kobe sliders and the grilled Thai chicken skewers. The real treats however, and the reason this is in French Fry Diary, were the Szechuan shoestring fries.

These are similar to the shredded potatoes that are sometimes used for breakfast potatoes but not quite. These are potatoes cut in the fashion of Szechuan noodles. Not sure how they pull this off but these babies are super-thin and super-long, and probably just flash-fried and served. Damn tasty, impossible to eat with a fork or even in a polite manner. Just grab a handful and stuff them in your mouth.

The serving size at the Continental is more than generous; it’s enormous. We are talking one plate could easily serve four, five or six people and still have fries left over. They are served with a spicy Chinese mustard that can be drizzled over them or served on the side. None for me please, I’m a purist, but I’m told it’s quite good. I’m also told these crispy tater critters are also an excellent salad topping. All A’s for this unique variation on the favorite fried food.


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