Gordon Ramsay's Fish Fingers and Chip Butty

From "Gordon's Ultimate Home Cooking" on YouTube, here Chef Gordon Ramsay gives us a quick lesson in a British classic - Homemade Fish Fingers with a Chip Butty. Fish fingers, obviously are what we might call fishsticks, although much bigger and seasoned here a little differently, more like tenders, or fingers, because of their size. The chip butty is actually a bit of a French fry sandwich, and it just doesn't get much better than that, does it?

French Fry Diary 748: Cabanas, Disney Dream, June 2017

On the last day of our June 2017 Disney Cruise on the Dream I hit Cabanas for lunch. While it's not always my first choice, we were close and both The Bride and I were hungry. Cabanas, as you can see from this search of the blog, is primarily the best place for breakfast, and not necessarily for lunch… but I was in for a shocking surprise.

Expecting of the favorite fried food the usual fare of Disney natural cuts, as by the last day they are usually out of steak fries, I came upon a glorious oasis in the buffet line… perfect British chips, or perfect French fries, depending on your perception. These were ¾ inch thickness square, and three to four inches long. They had been under a heat lamp for a bit, but still hot and soft like baked potato inside, and crispy on the outside.

These French fries were perfect. I loved them. So if you're on the Disney Cruise, and on the top deck buffet, keep your eyes open, they were fantastic.

French Fry Diary 646: Tyrrells Hand Cooked English Chips

When you start using words like 'hand cooked' and 'English' around a French fry and potato chip connoisseur like me, and you have my attention. So when I saw this bag of Tyrrells Hand Cooked English Chips at the store recently, I was all in and took them home.

I selected the Lightly Sea Salted variation, but they also come in several other gourmet flavors and even veggie chips. Hand cooked in small batches at Tyrrells Court Farms, these chips made from local English Herefordshire potatoes, are healthful, gluten free, and all natural, with no MSG or other chemicals.

The chips themselves are smaller chips, skin on, with a bit of a kettle vibe to them. Lighter and not as crunchy as kettle chips, these tasty chips are addictive and good for dipping despite their size. I just wish they had a barbecue flavor. I liked these potato chips quite a bit, two thumbs up.

French Fry Diary 522: The British Chip Shop 2013

For our birthdays, and especially our anniversary, The Bride and I planned a Disney vacation - a week long Disney cruise on board the Fantasy, bookended with shorter stays in the area and at the parks. Therefore we weren't really going to do anything big for our anniversary this year, which was the night before we left for vacation.

After getting an email saying they were open again (we were unaware they had been closed) we joked about an anniversary dinner at A Battered Tartan. It had started as a joke because when we had gone before, the thing that had struck us most was how small it was. But the more we thought about it, the more we actually did want to go. We wanted to go so much in fact, we went earlier than our anniversary, on the weekend before.

We should have called, as they actually do suggest on their website. Of course the reason suggested for calling first is to make sure they haven't run out of food, not because they were power washing their kitchen. Yep, that was what the sign that greeted us at their door said when we drove all the way out to Moorestown. We really wanted something edible from that realm, we were off to the British Chip Shop in Haddonfield.

They were open, no problems there, and they were happy to have us. As an appetizer, The Bride got Curry Cheese Chips. These were the near perfect chips (that's French fries for us Americans) that BCS always has, but slathered in curry and cheese. The cheese was Irish cheddar as is only right, and the curry was more in a BBQ sauce vibe, and overpowered the cheese, and the chips were awesome. I'm not one for putting stuff over fries, but this was delicious.

For my entrée, I got my British Chip Shop usual, Chicken and Chips. They were golden brown to perfection. As I said on The GAR! Podcast recently, when I used to be asked who has the best fries ever, I would always say Cookes of Dublin in Downtown Disney, but the quality has gone down the last few times we've had it. Now if you ask, it's the British Chip Shop hands down.

These chips are near perfect, if not perfect. Golden brown crispy shell on the outside and soft and hot, almost mashed potato-ey on the inside. Not too greasy, if at all, always hot, these thicker than usual regular cut natural cuts are the gold standard for fries as far as I'm concerned. The chicken was also terrific: battered, crispy, and succulent. To wash it down, not only has BCS added Coca-Cola products, but also RC Cola, which is what I ordered.

I really have to remember to come to the British Chip Shop more often, it's the best.

French Fry Diary 516: Cookes of Dublin Onion Rings

At one time if you had asked me where the best fries are, I would have said Cookes of Dublin in a heartbeat. Even though on the last few visits the quality has gone down, every time I've gone, I have been more than a little fry-centric and never tried their onion rings.

Friends Dom and Cindy recently visited Walt Disney World, and other than proving that Friar's Nook does in fact open, they also went over to Cookes of Dublin. This time they tried the onion rings. Cindy says, "The fries are great, but the onion rings are to die for! Very crisp, and they don't do that thing where you take one bite and the entire piece of onion slides out leaving you holding only batter."

Hmmm... I guess I'll have to try their onion rings on my upcoming trip down there. Thanks to Dom and Cindy!

French Fry Diary 410: Village Whiskey, Revel Casino, Atlantic City

I have gotten so many French fries recommendations for the Village Whiskey in Philadelphia, but had never gotten over there. They have duck fat fries, duck fat being the gold standard in fries, going to Village Whiskey was like going to find the Holy Grail.

The mom-in-law had gone to the new Revel Casino in Atlantic City a few times and raved about the fries at the Village Whiskey they had opened there. That was unusual, the mother-in-law raving about fries. So we planned a road trip. Fries so good that mom raved? Indeed, these were fries that needed to be tried.

Upon arrival at the Village Whiskey in Atlantic City, it was quite a sight. Inside the huge modern confines of the casino, they had built a quaint little Philadelphia pub, nice contrast. Inside it was very dark, lit by a single candle. Old sixties psychedelic music played overhead much too loud, but it certainly did a lot to bring a dingy Philly nightclub/bar to life inside the Atlantic City casino.

We did have some trouble with seating for my father-in-law as all the seating was non-conducive to the handicapped, and the staff wasn't very helpful, standing by and watching. The place is all high tables and booths, very hard to seat from a wheelchair. The attitude, not just at Revel but all AC casinos, seems to be that they only need to outfit one restaurant of their many to be handicapped friendly. Village Whiskey was just not one of them, so just cross it off your list if you're handicapped. Seriously, Disney should get into the casino business and show these folks how things should be done.

Once we were all seated, which took maybe twenty minutes, again, with no help from the staff, other than to get the wheelchair out of other customers' way, we looked at the menu. It was full of several burgers mostly, a few pub offerings and a lot of alcohol, all very classy. Despite all the effort to make the place seem like a Philly bar, and the anti-handicapped seating difficulties, its Garces Group pedigree shines through. I got my usual.

The fries were very thick (British chip sized, yay!) natural cuts. Crunchy on the outside, soft and hot inside, these were near perfect fries. Served in a metal cup with a cup of ketchup and ramekin of cheese, it was classy. I was not sure what to make of the duck fat. While one or two fries were greasy, they didn't taste greasy. That may be the result of the duck fat, but I didn't taste a distinct difference. They were seasoned with sea salt and cracked black pepper, and maybe a bit of rosemary or parsley. Very good fries.

The tiny tin cups of fries however were seven dollars an order, and were said by the waitress to serve two or three diners. Two or three what, I don't know, maybe two or three baby birds, perhaps? I know I didn't get enough. The fry crumbs in the bottom of the cup weren't cool and kinda disturbing. The Duck Fat Fries also come with sly fox cheddar cheese for nine dollars, and with shortrib and cheddar for a whopping fourteen dollars. Whoa, these are expensive fries.

The burger was huge, like a filet mignon of chopped beef on a big old baked roll, and very tasty. It was hard to finish, but I did. It was that good as were the Duck Fat Fries. The fries get a solid thumbs up. I might not be back to this location because of the seating, but the fries were definitely worth it, even if a bit expensive. Recommended.

Traditional Fish and Chips

Recipe courtesy Grant MacNaughton, Mac's Fish and Chip Shop

Show: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives Episode: Global Traditions

Prep Time:30 min
Inactive Prep Time:8 hr 0 min
Cook Time:40 min
Level:Easy
Serves:6 servings.

Authentic British fish and chips consist of a high-quality flaky white fish deep-fried in a thin, crispy batter served on a bed of large, twice-cooked chips (think fat fries). The key to avoiding an overly greasy product is to use a fry pot large enough that the addition of the fish doesn't reduce the oil temperature too much. Realistically, in a home environment, this will mean cooking each fish individually, but the results will be well worth the staggered serving required. Remember, never leave oil unattended and never fill any cooking vessel more than halfway with oil. Use any oil with a high smoke point and relatively neutral flavor such as canola, vegetable or soybean.

Ingredients

Twice-Cooked Chips:
12 large russet potatoes
Enough canola oil to half fill your largest cooking pot or deep-fat fryer

Dry Dredge:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Beer Batter:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons kosher salt
One 12-ounce bottle lager beer (the lighter and fizzier, the better)

Fish:
3 pounds skinless, boneless large-flake white fish (we use wild Alaskan cod because of its quality and sustainability)
Enough canola oil to half fill your largest cooking pot or deep-fat fryer
Kosher salt
Good-quality malt vinegar, for serving

Directions

For the chips: Peel the potatoes and cut them into approximately 5/8-inch-thick chips (i.e. 5/8-by-5/8-inch-by-potato length). Store them in water.

Heat the oil to 275 degrees F. Thoroughly drain the chips and add them to the oil. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry the chips until they are soft to squeeze but not yet browned, about 10 minutes.

Once all the chips have been blanched, spread them on a sheet tray and store them in the fridge overnight.

For service, heat the oil to 375 degrees F and fry the blanched chips, in batches if necessary, until golden brown and crispy on the outside whilst still fluffy on the inside, about 5 minutes.

For the dry dredge: Mix the flour, salt and black pepper in a large bowl and set aside.

For the beer batter: Thoroughly mix the flour, paprika and salt in a large bowl. Whilst constantly whisking, add enough beer to stiffen up the mix. Whilst still continuing to whisk, add cold water until the batter resembles heavy cream consistency and contains no lumps.

For the fish: Heat the oil to 375 degrees F. Fillet the fish into six 8-ounce portions, removing any bones, skin or blood lines that are present.

Dip the fish into the seasoned flour, tapping off any excess. Dip the fish into the batter, briefly allow the batter to drain off, and then gently place the fish into the oil, allowing the fish to float away from you. Cook in batches if necessary. The fish is ready once golden brown and trying to float, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove the fish from the oil with a spatula and allow to drain on a cooling rack before serving on a bed of chips with lashings of kosher salt and malt vinegar.

This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional and may have been scaled down from a bulk recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

French Fry Diary #321: The Boxing Day Expedition

The night of Boxing Day, the day after Christmas here in the States, The Bride, her folks, and I decided to go out to dinner. No one could make up their minds as to where to go, except for me, who had an ulterior motive, so it was left up to me to decide.

I wanted to try a fairly new restaurant in Moorestown that had been recommended to me called A Battered Tartan, a good old-fashioned fish and chips shop. I wanted, you guessed it, fries - or in this case, real British chips. We figured it would be like the last time we went blindly into Moorestown with a GPS, if we couldn't find it, we could always go to Elevation Burger.

I tried calling first, but got an answering machine. We had made up a secondary plan to go to Maxx's, but it seemed that their website was down and phone disconnected, shame, I really liked that place.

We did find A Battered Tartan, but they were closed. We'll be back, as the menu has me excited. As somewhat planned, we ended up at the Moorestown Mall Elevation Burger, having their terrific (this time) natural cut shoestring fries. All in all, a good Boxing Day.

French Fry Diary 272: Cookes of Dublin 2011

This was a special occasion, the 2011 trip to Cookes of Dublin. This trip wasn't just the traditional pilgrimage The Bride and I (well, I go, she just tags along cuz she, ya know, loves me and stuff) make to Cookes of Dublin every time we visit Walt Disney World. This became a group outing, and then a Real Life Tweet-Up.

From the Disney Cruise, friends Dom and Cindy were already traveling with us, and even though we weren't staying at the same hotel once back on the mainland, the promise of the best fries the 'fry guy' had ever had intrigued them. We had also made tentative plans to meet up with Terry, who lives in Florida. Y'all know Terry, he's done a few guest blog entries here and over at Welcome to Hell. We've known each other for years online, but have never met in person. There were even tentative plans to meet up with another friend from Twitter and a writer local to me, but that didn't work out.

In the end there were six of us on this French Fry Diary multi-state road trip, so we met up at Cookes of Dublin on the far end of what was once Pleasure Island in Downtown Disney. It was great to meet Terry in person for the first time, but it's weird, we already knew each other pretty well. It's another way the Internet is bringing the world closer together.

I got my usual, the chicken and chips, hot and wonderful. The chips/fries were crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside, still the best fries I know of. The consensus at the table was pretty unanimous and led to a discussion on fry making. The Bride and Dom's son Anthony tried the battered deep-fried burger, and their reaction was "Awesome." Now I love me some deep-frying but I'm not sure I could go for that.

Speaking of deep-frying, the meal was topped off by a couple Doh-Bars - deep-fried Mars candy bars... Mmmm... Battered heaven on a stick... Good friends, good food, good times. I look forward to doing this again, soon!

French Fry Diary 261: Enchanted Garden, Disney Dream

Day one of our vacation on the Disney Dream brought us to the Enchanted Garden for dinner. The Enchanted Garden is one of the new restaurants on the Disney Cruise, on both the Dream, and the new Fantasy. Its theme is that of a garden that changes from sundown to nighttime - the decor changes color and mood, and like the old Animator's Palate, it's a slow subtle visual treat. Most visually exciting is the sun going down at the rear of the room.

We also got to meet our waitstaff - Fitz (who we had had before and gave us wonderful service and care), Goncalo from Portugal, and Charlie from Liverpool. Excellent service is always one of the amazing features on any Disney Cruise, and they were no exception. The best part is that they will be there for us for every dining experience on board.

Charlie absolutely rocks just because he was trying so hard to be American and say 'fries' instead of 'chips,' but that was cool with me. And we also bonded as he's a big comic book fan too.

The potato selections at dinner were very good. The Bride had a twice-baked potato, which looked very good and she said it was okay. I had both the wonderful hot baked potato that came with my excellent steak, and the French fries (chips to Charlie) I special ordered.

Great baked potato, and steak fries - hotter than at Cabanas earlier in the day, and baked. Aces for the fries, as was the bananas foster for dessert. The bananas foster was another stepping stone first for this catastrophically picky eater, loved it.

Random Tater Pic of the Day #9

My attempt at homemade English chips. Not bad, very tasty, the texture and size were good, but I'll try again. And just for the record, they are not that salty, for some reason my camera flash just lights up the salt like beacons.

French Fry Diary 217: Kelsey's Irish Pub, Ellicott City MD

We took a weekend away and met friends for a late dinner. When I heard that the place we were going was an Irish Pub, I got my notebook and cameraphone ready for a French Fry Diary review, as Irish Pubs notoriously have the bestest chips this side of Ireland, or at least this side of Cookes of Dublin or the British Chip Shop.

We were there on a busy late Saturday night and sat in the restaurant area. The bar area was hopping with live entertainment but where we were seated was fairly quiet - next to a beautiful fireplace with ESPN on a widescreen over it. The place had lots of Irish flavor, lots of wood, lots of green, Irish music playing overhead, a wide variety of beers - all in all, Kelsey's Irish Pub, in appearance and atmosphere, is very Irish Pub.

The first thing I noticed when perusing the menu was a notable lack of chips. French fries were listed and even at times called frites, but no chips. I was determined however, and ordered the fries. There was something called the Saint Joe Fry Tower on the menu that came with cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, old bay seasoning and gravy - but none of us were brave enough to get it.

When the favorite fried food did arrive, I have to admit disappointment. These were thin-sliced natural cut steak fries, similar to the new sea salt fries at Wendy's actually, but with a disturbing batter covering, yep, you guessed it - Invisicoat. They were also deep fried, and they tasted like they were as well. If they had salt, pepper or any other type of seasoning, it was deep fried out of them. To bottom it all out, they had a warmed-under-a-heat-lamp vibe as well, and that's not a good thing.

The fries looked good, despite not being chips, but they were epic fail on so many levels. Still, it was a nice night out with friends, good times, if not good food.

French Fry Diary 166: Animator's Palate, Disney Wonder 2010

Just when I thought that after a dozen or so visits to this fun but gimmicky Disney Cruise Line restaurant, I have been surprised. Animator's Palate has black and white images and animations all over the walls that slowly as the meal progresses begin to gain color until the entire restaurant is alive with vibrant full color and music. It's a great trick the first time, and fun a few times after that but after a while it becomes old hat. This time however, was as good as the first time, and the best meal of our Disney trip so far.

Much of this goes to our serving team Stafford and Myriam who were fabulous taking care of us. And with the Disney Cruise, your serving team stays with you throughout your cruise, following you from restaurant to restaurant, so I foresee a wonderful carefree few days ahead of me. I require very little usually on these cruises. Don't give me a look when I ask for French fries, and keep my Coke filled. I got aces from these two, and their end of trip tip will show that.

The side order of fries that came with my beef tenderloins were without peer, and easily the best I've had on this entire trip so far. These were thick steak fries both in width and girth and shape, very similar to the British chips I would have gotten at Cookes of Dublin or Yorkshire County Fish and Chips, had I gotten there this trip. These fries were seriously damn good, baked and not deep-fried, golden brown, crisp outside and soft and hot on the inside. Near perfection, baby.

French Fry Diary 150: The British Chip Shop, Haddonfield NJ

My mom-in-law hipped me to this place after an afternoon of shopping in Haddonfield with the girls. Haddonfield is a fairly upscale historical and pleasant town nearby that caters to walking traffic and a small town atmosphere. And the girls had lunch at what the mom-in-law called an authentic fish and chip shop.

My ears immediately perked up. A what where? I hit the interwebs and discovered that yes, it was true. The British Chip Shop had opened in July with an official grand opening on October 1st. Perusing the online menu .pdf, I found a place that resembled Cookes of Dublin, and it was right here in New Jersey.

Besides the obvious, fish and chips, they also had a variety of other distinctly Brit fare like bangers and mash, Welsh rarebit, tea sandwiches, fried Mars bars, scones, black pudding, beans on toast, curries and crumpets. Yes, all that, but disturbingly, no Coca-Cola. I guess they can be forgiven for that omission, as long as the chips are good. So we planned to return that evening for dinner.

The British Chip Shop is a beautiful place, very authentic and nicely decorated. There's rugby playing on the big screen TV, distinctly British pop music overhead, HP sauce and Sarson's malt vinegar on the tables and union jacks everywhere. I loved the pub atmosphere, and especially the "Mind the Gap" sign. We hadn't even ordered and I was psyched.

For an appetizer we got the homemade crisps (potato chips) with horse radish sauce. They were scalloped potatoes thickly sliced, but not too crispy and hot in a good way, and served in a small paper bag, traditional style. I loved these, but could have gone for a bit more crisp and seasoning. Could have been hotter, but they were still very tasty, and heads above anyone else out there making these babies. Almost as good as those at the Hot Potato Café, and that's a serious compliment.

Our other appetizer was the deep fried green beans, which like the crisps are not on the menu, so make sure you ask for these terrific treats. These non-potato fries were very tasty, more battered and fried than those at T.G.I. Friday's. Both appetizers are recommended, so make sure you get them.

The beverages were all Brit authentic. I got the Barritts Bermuda Stone Ginger Beer, the in-laws got a Scottish soda called Irn Bru, and The Bride, an Anglophile from way back, got something she's been itching for since her last trip overseas, Ribena. The Ginger Beer wasn't Coke, but it was quite good, sort of like ginger ale, but with an extra kick.

Finally the food came, and while it was a wait, no one minded as it was all cooked to order. I had gotten the chicken and chips. The chicken was quite good and very hot and crispy, and sort of reminded me of what I had at Monk's Café in the city. But now on to the main event, the favorite fried food…

The chips are the extra thick steak fry cuts that characterize real English chips, hot and soft in the center and crispy outside. They are almost perfect, and begging for vinegar like a good English chip should. These chips are really fabulous. When I am asked what the best fries I've had are, I usually answer unwaveringly Cookes of Dublin in Orlando - but The British Chip Shop right here in New Jersey gives them serious competition. I might be changing my ranking. These are damn good fries. I am impressed.

Also, much like Cookes of Dublin, they offer the deep-fried candy bar as a dessert. I was amazed I still had room after this wonderful filling meal, some of which I took home, but the four of us split a deep-fried Mars bar anyway. Yummm… it was luscious, heaven in a mouthful.

All told, this was a terrific meal experience at a very reasonable price. The British Chip Shop is highly recommended by French Fry Diary, and I can't wait to back again. Please check them out tomorrow for their official grand opening and ribbon cutting. This place rocks!

150 Years of Fish and Chips

Good Friday seems as appropriate day as any to post about this one.

The year 2010 is the 150th anniversary of the wonderfulness that is fish and chips. This website, click here, sent to me by friend Terry, contains an amazing 150 fun facts about the UK treat, including:

1 The UK has an estimated 10,500 fish and chip shops.

2 On any Friday, one in five takeaways are from the chippy.

3 They have a third fewer calories than other popular takeaways.

4 A portion contains 30 per cent of a female's recommended daily calorie intake and 23 per cent for a man.

5 Lancastrians claim the first chip shop – John Lees in Mossley, near Oldham in 1863.

6 Cockneys beg to differ, pointing to Joseph Malin's shop set up in Cleveland Street in London's East End in 1860.

7 In 1838 Charles Dickens wrote about fried fish warehouses in Oliver Twist. The warehouses were forerunners to the fish and chip shop.

For the other one hundred and forty-odd facts, check out the article here. Happy anniversary, and happy holidays!

Belgian Fries Conquer Abu Dhabi

From The National, by Si Hawkins

United Arab Emirates, December 28, 2009

The Frites of the Matter

It is hard to believe that the humble chip has become so contentious across the globe. A potent symbol of American business success but also a virtual pariah in the United States, it’s been patronised by presidents, played a prominent role in several wars and had its origins called into question. The size, shape, taste, nutritional qualities and even the name are issues that have occupied some of history’s most influential figures. It’s a hot potato.

In the UK, the very concept of the fast-food French fry is anathema to those brought up with slow-moving fish and chip shops. For Brits of a certain age, the sights, sounds and smells of the traditional chippy are to be savoured. But ever since the big US eateries moved into UK high streets several decades ago, the chunky old chip has been struggling manfully against those stiff little fingers from the States. It’s one skirmish that continues to simmer.

As patrons of the Abu Dhabi Intercontinental Hotel’s new Belgian cafe are discovering, however, the battle to be top chip isn’t quite as cut and dried – or cut and fried – as the Anglo-American axis might assume. The finest fries may, in fact, derive from a different European source, where, indeed, they were invented. And it isn’t France.

For the full article, click here.

French Fry Diary 51: Yorkshire County Fish and Chips, World Showcase

This is a small fish and chips stand right next to the Rose and the Crown, the English pub/restaurant in the United Kingdom section of World Showcase at Epcot in Walt Disney World.

If you think that’s a mouthful, finding out the name of this place is even worse. It’s a bit of a word puzzle in itself. Officially, it’s the Yorkshire Fish Shop featuring Harry Ramsden’s. The sign over the shop says almost that, the sign over the window says Famous Fish & Chips. The building is attached to the Rose and the Crown. The wax paper says Harry Ramsden’s and the tray the chips lie in says Walt Disney World. The receipt says U.K. Fish & Chips Kiosk. Your guess is as good as mine.

The chips themselves are definitely British chips, almost but not quite as good as those at Cookes of Dublin. The chips are extra thick regular cuts, served quickly, hot and fresh. They’re not perfect, but damned good, a bit crisp, not a bit greasy, hot inside and out. The service is great, with an English accent, of course.

As I said, this place is right next to the Rose and the Crown. Sixteen years ago on my first trip to Disney World we had dinner there. I remember those chips being quite good, but they came with something resembling boiled steak. We came to the conclusion the food was UK authentic, as all UK food is supposedly bland. I checked the menu for the place while I was there – no boiled steak. Maybe we’ll try the place again, next time.

French Fry Diary 50: Cookes of Dublin 2009

When we were planning our latest trip to Disney World, we had to make a stop at Cookes of Dublin in Downtown Disney to get a serving of (so far) the world’s best French fries. I had been there more than a few times before, reviewing it once from my 2005 trip. This return journey was two-fold – getting some more of those fries/chips, and trying those fabulous doh-bars for dessert.

The fries/chips were as good as ever. I’m a traditionalist, so I got the chicken and chips, again – fourth time in a row, although the chicken was not on a stick this time. The Bride was brave and got something different, and dangerous – a battered and deep-fried burger which she pronounced as very good. As I said, she’s braver than me. This time we also tried the ‘doh-bars’ – deep-fried Snickers bars on sticks. OMG. Food of the gods.

Cookes of Dublin remains a must stop destination on any Disney trip, and it’s still the champion of fries/chips.

French Fry Diary 34: Cookes of Dublin

One question I have been asked time and time again since I started this blog is “What are the best / your favorite French fries?” This is the entry that answers that question – at least so far.

Cooke’s of Dublin at Walt Disney World, or to be more precise, it’s that Disney West Side / Disney Marketplace / Downtown Disney / Pleasure Island (or what’s left of it) multi-mega-plex shopping center. This is the fast food side of the Irish Pub operation called Raglan Road.

You can get fish and chips, chicken skewers and chips, or a ‘lurry-load of chips.’ A truckload I suppose, but I always thought trucks over there were called lorries rather than lurries. It should be noted that the Irish-accented staff had no idea either. Oh those Irish, they can’t even speak the Queen’s English. ;-)

The chips, as fries are called on the emerald isle, were long and thick, without skins, sometimes surprisingly long. They were also cooked to order, no waiting under heat lamps, fresh from the fryer. While they were deep-fried, the chips have a very cool (and I don’t mean temperature) baked French fry texture, not greasy at all. On the inside they have a wonderful baked potato taste, obviously brought on by the thickness of these chips. They were sooo good, we made two trips to Cookes on this visit.

There is also a lot to be said for the authentic Irish atmosphere. The music, the accents, the food and everything else combine to make you forget you’re in the middle of the Disney sphere of influence. Even the condiments add to the atmosphere as vinegar is provided for the chip traditionalists.

Other bonuses include ‘doh-bars’ for dessert... the insidious deep-fried candy bars we in the north have heard so much about. I like my danger foods but even I didn’t dare this one. Maybe next time. And of course, being in the south, you get to sample Mr. Pibbs instead of Dr. Pepper. Viva la difference.

And there you have it, the best French fries in the world (so far, and I’m still searching) are the distinctly Irish chips from Cookes of Dublin. Give ‘em a try when you visit Orlando, Florida or Disney World.

*reviewed from my 2005 trip to Walt Disney World.