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 474: Honey BBQ Smart Fries

I've had these Smart Fries before, and while an actually fairly healthy snack, they were pretty bland. That was the Classic Sea Salt variety I tried, and I theorized that the Honey BBQ or the Vinegar Splash might be better because they'd actually have flavor.

Now granted, there's not much discernible flavor to the Honey BBQ, but they do have a bit of a kick, and enough taste to make this truly a potato chip-like you-can't-eat-just-one situation. These are great snacks, and recently started being carried by Wawa. They also come in Vintage Cheddar, Honey Mustard & Onion, and Jalapeño Trio.

French Fry Diary 385: Ruffles Ultimate Sweet & Smokin' BBQ

I love Ruffles, they make a great dipping chip. But then I saw this. Ruffles. Ultimate. Really? When I first saw those words on the shelf at my local Wawa, I was entranced. I had to know what Ruffles Ultimate was. And even better - Ruffles Ultimate with sweet and smokin' barbecue flavor, what a bonus.

So of course I snagged a bag. The packaging held some clue. Apparently Ultimate Ruffles are all about 'hardcore flavors' to crush a 'hardcore hunger.' Apparently the Ultimate style chips come in the regular Original and there's also a Kickin' Jalapeño Ranch flavor. I don't think I'll be trying those. These, however, promised on the bag that my hunger was about to get blown up by a spicy, sweet and smoky taste bomb. Boom. Well, then.

I have to say, once opening the bag and trying them, these are indeed no ordinary potato chips. Heck, these are no ordinary Ruffles. The ridges are huge, bigger than any I've seen on any other ridged potato chip. They are more like Herr's pink foil Ripples but much bigger, and cut much differently than regular Ruffles. These chips would be and are amazing as dipping chips, especially with my favorite, ice cream as the cold contrasts with the heat of the chip.

Yes, be warned, these are very hot chips. No playing around here, these are hot, but it's a good heat. Have something cold and refreshing nearby to wash these babies down with. The seasoning is very heavy, almost making the chips a bright solid orange, and they are indeed both sweet and smoky.

These Ruffles are very close to ultimate. Bravo. Much like Herr's with their Lattice Cut Potato Chips, Ruffles has found a way to make a better dipping chip. Thumbs up.

French Fry Diary 158: Chili's

It's been years since I had gone into a Chili's but The Bride and I were lured in recently by their two-entrees-plus-an-appetizer-for-twenty-dollars promotion. The ad was playing, and still is, non-stop on television, and the food just looked too good. Never say that these kinds of promotions don't work, because now Chili's is a regular dinner destination.

For our appetizers, on the recent visits we have gotten both the Texas Cheese Fries with Chili, and the Crispy Onion String & Jalapeno Stack. The former is an order of Chili's standard Homestyle Fries but topped with cheese, chili, jalapenos, onions and best of all, bacon. Not my style, but not bad, and bacon always makes things better. The latter are some terrific onion straws with a small handful of batter-fried jalapenos thrown in. The few jalapenos are easily identifiable for those (like myself) who aren't fans and the onion straws truly rock. Recommended.

For my entrée I have always gotten some form of the Chili's Chicken Crispers. These are larger than usual chicken tenders with just enough crunch and just enough tender (for me anyhow) and served with a killer smooth barbeque sauce. For my sides I usually get the juiciest sweet corn on the cob I've had in a while, and of course, the fries.

Chili's Homestyle Fries are very crispy natural cuts sprinkled with salt and pepper. Crispy on the outside but they are still hot and soft inside. These are fantastic fries in their subtlety. You won't stop eating them, and the barbeque sauce goes even better with the fries than with the chicken crispers. And best of all, because the portions were so big, I took them home, and all reheated well when baked in the oven.

To top off the meal, Chili's has these one dollar wonders called Sweet Shots. These are shot glasses filled with all the goodies to make any of the following flavors - key lime pie, red velvet cake, warm cinnamon bun, and warm double chocolate fudge brownie. Wow, ultimate dessert.

French Fry Diary 117: Alexia Oven Crinkles – Salt & Pepper

These frozen fries from Alexia are Salt & Pepper crinkle cuts, with 0g trans fat, and certified organic by the USDA. In other words, they are Health Nazi safe. And bonus, they’re made from Pacific Northwest Russets, the good ones, and seasoned with sea salt and pepper.

On closer inspection, these standard crinkle cuts are actually quite long which is yet another bonus. Checking the ingredients, the pepper is not just pepper, but it’s also got bits of onion, garlic and jalapeño (!). This is muy strong pepper.

The French fries brown nicely and other than the freezer burn taste that all organic fries have, these aren’t bad. Have cold liquid nearby as that hot pepper taste stays around for a while, like the guest that wouldn’t leave. That doesn’t mean it isn’t good, just that it lingers quite a bit.