French Fry Diary 736: The Garden Grill, EPCOT

Every time I've gone to The Land in EPCOT in Walt Disney World, I have always heard the same thing, that the food served in the restaurants at The Land is where possible grow and prepared right there at The Land. For those not in the know, The Land has an amazing horticultural, agricultural, aquacultural community. They grow everything there onsite.  And since I see potatoes on the Living with the Land omni-mover boat tour, one might assume, ya know? 

First things first, the Garden Grill is a revolving restaurant, set on a dais that turns ever so slowly as you eat over top the aforementioned Living with the Land.  The restaurant, like many in Walt Disney World, also features character meals, or more appropriately, a character breakfast.  Those in question here included Chip and Dale, Pluto, and Farmer Mickey.  For the uninitiated, a tip, Chip has a black nose and Dale has a brown one. 

What initially attracted me to the restaurant for breakfast, besides the promised "Hash Brown-style Potato Barrels" which I wrongly assumed to be fresh from the garden potatoes of The Land, was probably the ham, the bacon, the Mickey waffles, and cinnamon buns.  When we received our family style skillet full of breakfast, we were surprised, and not for the better.

Don't hit him, Jenn, it's probably not his fault...

The ham steaks had mysteriously vanished from the menu, and our skillet.  And while the warm and gooey cinnamon buns were to die for, not much else was.  The mini-Mickey waffles had done their time under a heat lamp and bacon was much too burnt and crispy for my taste, but that's okay as that's how The Bride likes it.  None for me though. 

And the hash brown-style potato barrels?  They were tater tots.  Frozen Ore-Ida or Ore-Ida knock off tater tots.  Disney had tricked me.  Not only were they really crappy heat lamp tater tots, they certainly were not grown in The Land.  At least Mickey, Pluto, and Chip and Dale were fun, but I don't think I'll be coming back. 

Happy National Tater Tots Day

I know, I missed National Tater Tots Day yesterday, but really is there ever a time not for tater tots?  Everyday is tater tots day...

French Fry Diary 712: North Bowl

Last month after the Writers Coffeehouse sponsored by the Philadelphia Liars Club (and if you're a writer in the area, and haven't been to this monthly event, shame on you) friend and fellow writer Amy Holiday invited The Bride and me, and the other writers from the SJWG who attended, out to dinner. Because of my predilection for potato-ey things, she picked a place known for its tater tots - North Bowl.

Yes, it's a bowling alley, but it's a cool retro bowling alley, and they have house made gourmet tater tots. It doesn't get better than that. Located in the gentrified Northern Liberties/Fishtown section of Philadelphia, it might be a little difficult to find, and parking is at a premium, but it was worth the trip. The décor is cool retro, you might not realize at first you're in a bowling alley, and of course, there's the tater tots.

To cover our bases for the review, we all ordered different types of these housemade gourmet tater tots. I kicked it old school with the original; while others got the garlic tots with garlic, herbs, and shaved Parmesan; and the crabby tots with old bay and cheese sauce. The tots appeared to be just standard tots, frozen and possibly deep fried, but they didn't taste that way - they were pretty good.

The Bride, and The Dark Crystal in from San Francisco (we miss you, girl!), went off the tater trail and got the cheeseburger mac and cheese, declaring it quite tasty as well. We were all too full to try the funnel cake fries for dessert, maybe next time. If nothing else, it's yet another reason to come back to the area.

The afternoon was a good time with friends, fried foods, and good conversation. I am really going to miss these folks.

French Fry Diary 676: Cool Dog Cafe 2015

Friends came in for lunch from out of town, and looking for a great local place to eat, we of course thought of the Cool Dog Café, a favorite of friends and family. We hadn't been there in a while, but checking their website, I saw that one of the specials was the Cheese Fries Burger, I had to try it. I was happy to see they were doing a brisk business. Ira and the folks there are always nice, and customer service is the best.

The Bride got the Stuffed Tater Dog, with tater tots, bacon, sour cream, and scallions, which she really enjoyed, and why not, it had tater tots! Believe it or not, the dog had a real stuffed baked potato vibe. And we of course split an order of Cool Dog's famous fresh cut fries.

I got the burger of the week, which was the aforementioned Cheese Fries Burger. I have always loved Cool Dog's hand-formed Angus beef burgers, so this one with shoestring fries, bacon, and cheese sauce sounded good. I wasn't really in the mood for cheese so I got it sans cheese. Special orders are never a problem.

The burger had a nice thick roll, and the burger was great as always. The art of sandwiching is one I've talked about here before, and these guys do it right, and how can you go wrong with adding bacon?

The shoestrings were nice but I think I would have rather had yummy regular Cool Dog fries, and as a matter of fact, on my next visit to Cool Dog I did just that, sandwiched with those, awesome. Try it, you'll love it. As always, a great time at the Cool Dog Café, thumbs up.

French Fry Diary 683: The Tot Cart

While I'm very close to the city of Philadelphia, I don't get into the city all that much, so there's a whole world of food - specifically the favorite fried food - that I don't get to talk about all that often. I'm talking about food trucks and carts. Unfortunately for the most part they are a city thing, but every once in a while, one will amble over t this side of the bridge.

National Night Out is one of those times. As part of the event, the powers-that-be tried to get everyone to go to what's left of the Echelon Mall, or as they like to call it, Voorhees Town Center. Face-painting, an outside viewing of Cars, and a variety of food carts and trucks were part of the bait. The food cart in question was The Tot Cart. Their motto is "Gourmet Tots, Straight to You" Come on, how could I resist?

In what is already a flustercluck in parking at the best of times, the powers-that-be made parking into a nightmare by blocking off most of what is usually an empty lot. Is it any wonder the Echelon Mall no longer exists? Malls aren't passé, but inept mall management is. Enough about what used to be a viable mall, we're here for the favorite fried food, in this case, tater tots.

I was joined by friend, fellow South Jersey Writer, and sometimes FFD contributor, Sarah Hawkins-Miduski. She had visited The Tot Cart before at another location, and had been impressed. Sadly that was not the case this night.

The signboard in front of the truck offered such goodies as Boardwalk Tots, Drunk Tots, New Bay Tots, Half-Loaded Tots, and Cowgirl Tots, all under the banner of Gourmet Tater Tots. Lots of promise here, most including The Tot Cart's famous Drunk Cheese. I ordered the Just Tots with the Drunk Cheese on the side, while Sarah got an order of the Half-Loaded Tots. We were prepared for the best, but should have done the opposite.

I had asked if the tater tots were made from scratch, and although the woman in the cart seemed pretty well versed in the making of tots from scratch, she admitted that these were frozen Ore-Ida Tater Tots. I was shocked, and sadly, they tasted like the worst deep-fried frozen tater tots you could imagine. Add in that I suspected they had been cooked quite some time before our arrival, these were pretty bad tots, a solid disappointment.

I did like the Drunk Cheese however, a secret beer cheese, or so they say. The cheese had a thick deep flavor, very tasty and would have gone well with fresh tots, had they been available. This added frustration made me less happy. Sarah was not as unhappy but admitted her previous experience was much better, and she wished she'd had those tots. She also thought the bacon, which was a bit too salty, didn't add much to her tots. It wasn't all bad, we talked about upcoming Disney trips as Sarah is a regular listener of The Make Mine Magic Podcast

I was very excited about this outing, and wished the tots had been better. I hope to sample them again at another time, when circumstances might be different, but as for now, I really can't recommend The Tot Cart, sorry.

Totwaffles

Some time ago I told you folks what I had discovered about tater tots and waffle makers.

Yesterday author and blogger Kait Nolan shared not only her same secret shame, but also a recipe for what she has named Totwaffles.

Check it out here, and don't forget to check out the rest of Kait's website as well, and buy/read her books.

French Fry Diary 637: Hanukkah Latkes 2014

For several years now this well meaning Episcopal husband has tried to make potato latkes for his Jewish wife once a year for Hanukkah. Past attempts have not gone well. Sometimes I get it right, and sometimes it's an epic fail.

This time I tried a new tact. Armed with my new waffle maker purchased earlier in the year that has become my favorite way to make tater tots, I tried to use it for potato latkes.

Taking a mixture of grated potatoes, chopped onions, an egg or two, and a variety of spices, I dropped it on the waffle maker and went to town. Not too shabby, The Bride gave them and me a letter grade of B+. Happy Hanukkah.

Random Tater Pic of the Day #168

Today's Somebody Else's Fries are actually tater tots from fellow writer and blogger Sarah Hawkins-Miduski. You can read all about it here.

French Fry Diary 608: The Competing Dogs at Cool Dog Café

While of course I'm rooting for The Bride's entry, Larry's South Philly Retro Dog to win Cool Dog Café's 3rd Annual Create-A-Dog Contest, it should be noted that there are some entries that may be of interest to readers of this blog.

Being voted on through this weekend are the Frenzy Fries Dog, which features crinkle cut French fries, hot sauce, cheese sauce, blue cheese dressing, and celery salt - and it's up against the Breakfast Dog which has pepper jelly, scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns.

Later in the month, the Snack Attack Dog with cheese sauce, crushed Cheetos, pretzels, and potato chips, faces off with the Stuffed Tater Dog with tater tots, sour cream, chives, and bacon. Wow, some interesting combinations there.

I'm still biased for Larry's South Philly Retro Dog, don't forget to come in and vote when it's time at the end of August!

Random Tater Pic of the Day #148

Oh yes I did. Tater tots on a waffle maker!

Special thanks to dear friend and sometimes FFD contributor Andrea for infecting my brain with this wonderfully delicious idea.

Random Tater Pic of the Day #145

Awesome potato-ey bar food from Korea.

French Fry Diary 527: Hamburger Mary's

When I first asked for recommendations for the Orlando area regarding this year's vacation, I got several for a place called Hamburger Mary's. I went to the website, and from all indications, it seemed to be a drag/cabaret/karaoke theme franchise restaurant/bar, almost as if the Dumpsta Players opened a place to eat. We made long term plans to go, and asked several folks to join us, however, the best laid plans of mice and fry lovers being what they are, most people had to drop out. Alas, we were competing with Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

So The Bride and I, after braving what is known as the I-4 parking lot, met up with Florida friend Terry, who has accompanied a few FFD road trips and even written an entry or two. Hamburger Mary's is in a mini-South Street-like section of Orlando trying to make a comeback called Church Street Station. The Bride and I were stunned at the low price of parking, but that others apologized for it being high because of a nearby event. Wow, I would trade Philly parking rates in a second for Orlando.

The first thing that struck me about Hamburger Mary's was how empty and quiet it was. For what sounded like such a partying kind of place was sooo not hopping for a Friday night. I was disappointed. And we were seated right in front of the stage. This could have been so much more. At least we had good company and conversation.

As an appetizer we got the infamous Mary's TA-TAs, and we got 'em loaded. These are assumedly store bought tater tots with real chunks of bacon and cheddar cheese. They could have been deep fried, but they weren't greasy, and really had the texture and taste of baked, very soft and tender, with chewy melty cheese. These were a real treat. And can you see the hidden Mickey?

I got my usual weapon of choice, a plain burger with fries; Terry got the wasabi burger, which he said he liked; and The Bride got a taco salad that she similarly enjoyed. My burger was great, a big chargrilled half-pounder on an equally big soft sesame seed bun (hard to find these days). It was near perfect, I loved it.

The French fries were regular cuts, battered and crispy on the outside, and deep fried. The taste and texture (though not the shape) kinda reminded me of Ore-Ida Crispers. They were okay, but not great. Although they did get better as time went by. You know that thing where dinner is over but you're still absentmindedly munching? Yeah, they're great for that.

I suspect this place is more about atmosphere than food, sadly we didn't really have much atmosphere. If we ever return, we will make sure to come on a night when something is going on other than just the food. I wanted more Dumpstas and less restaurant, I guess.

The best part of the meal came with the check, and that in itself was a promise of a better time next time when we do come during an event. The check came in a red studded high heel, which was totally awesome. Much like a bad movie with a great ending, the heel made the meal. Good time hanging out with The Bride and Terry.

Random Tater Pic of the Day #103

This one comes from my friend Terry. These are Chili Cheese Tots from Frank & Stein's Eatery & Pub in Orlando, Florida.

Random Tater Pic of the Day #97

Here's an image from the internet of those legendary tater tots from Tattooed Mom on South Street in Philadelphia.

Man, I gotta get over there soon.

French Fry Diary 481: Burger King Loaded Tater Tots

My good friend and she-who-watches-for-fry-and-chip-stuff, Marni, hipped me to these just yesterday. Burger King's Loaded Tater Tots - after they changed their fries, I haven't really been back to BK all that much. But, knowing how much The Bride likes cheese, bacon, and tater tots, I figured dinner at Burger King might be both a nice change of pace, and a FFD field trip.

They were stuffed with bacon and cheese, and from all indications and advertisement images, some other stuff. They don't look like tater tots really. They're a little bigger and with a outside texture that is more similar to chicken tenders than anything else. They look

and taste very deep fried. The taste... well, they don't taste bad but I'm really not sure what they taste like. If you close your eyes and concentrate, you might taste cheese, bacon, and potato. It's anyone's guess what the green bits are.

The Bride definitely thought they were better than BK's old tots, which, I know, for shame, I never tried. That they were better than the old ones, which I haven't heard anything good - that's not saying a lot. Thanks, Marni!

Pizza Tot Cassarole

Pizza Tot Casserole Recipe

Prep: 10 min. Bake: 30 min., Yield: 6-8 Servings

Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef, 1 medium green pepper, chopped, 1 medium onion, chopped, 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted, 1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, 1 package (32 ounces) frozen Tater Tots

Directions: In a large skillet, cook the beef, pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the soup, mushrooms and Italian seasoning. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with cheese and potatoes. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 6-8 servings.

This recipe and photo courtesy of Taste of Home.

French Fry Diary 354: The Sonic Justice League of Tater Tots

I had wanted to write about this ever since I found out about this, but as was mentioned earlier, most of the Sonic Drive-Ins in the South Jersey area have suddenly closed up. Why, I don't know, but there went my opportunity to collect some of my favorite super-heroes in the shape of some of my favorite fried food.

Luckily my friend Marni managed to pick me up a Wonder Woman Tater Tot. Sonic has been including in the kids meals, officially called Wacky Pack kids meals, plush tater tots dressed like DC Comics characters. What is most interesting about these 'super-tots' is the selection of characters included. Here's the rundown: Clark Kent (!), Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter (!), The Flash, Hawkgirl, Aquaman, Supergirl, Bizarro (!), Plastic Man (!), and Superman.

Of course this doesn't make Sonic Tater Tots taste any better, or reopen closed Sonics in the area, but it sure is pretty cool. More kids meal toys need to be this cool.

What Are Your Favorite Kind of French Fries? Poll Results

First off, thank you to all the folks who voted in this poll, and put forth their 121 votes for their favorite fries. It means a lot, I mean, I know there are not many folks who are as passionate and enthusiastic about the favorite fried food as I am.

Here are the results, from least favorite kind of fries to most favorite:

The favorites with 39 votes are Steak Fries, followed by the 27 vote tie of Shoestrings and Waffle Fries.

Regular Cuts came in with 24 votes, followed by Curly Fries with 22 votes. Then we have a three-way tie for fifth place with Crinkle Cuts, Tater Tots, and Fries with the Skins on with 16 votes each.

11 votes went to Potato Wedges, while there were 7 votes for the mysterious Other, and no one sent me any emails to let me know what their other choice was. Perhaps they were matchstick fries or shaped fries or non-potato fries or pixie crinkles - we'll never know.

Maybe we'll have another poll in a few days. Any thoughts on the topic, drop me a line here.

Marni's Tater Tots

Good friend Marni sent this picture along as an entry for Somebody Else's Fries. These are Sloppy Joes with Tater Tots that she made for dinner recently. Enjoy. And for the record, there is no sexual innuendo whatsoever in today's blog entry title, even if you know Marni.

More Twitter Fries

LucindaLunacy We have the back door open because it's so nice out. There's a distinct smell of french fry now wafting in from Genos/Pats. Pffft

Jentipede At New York New York... At the bar. The lights look like french fries. I'm hungry. http://twitpic.com/2ile20

JoanneJupiterx Can't sleep, kinda hungry, making french fries, and watching spongebob ^^

keananagtalon It’s much easier not to know things sometimes. And to have french fries with your mom be enough.

miirachaan french fries always taste best when stolen from the person next to you. :)))

marisanunbhakdi Craving for french fries with aioli dip, with a glass of red wine..uhmmmm ;)

niccolus Philly Cheesesteak French Fries? I just stepped into heaven.

likelylikely Because of masterchef, I just learned why I could never deep fry really good french fries. You have to boil them before deep frying...

lelandjs Today I learned that Tater Tots can be turned into mediocre IHOP-style "home fries".

Nekkobus My attempt at making a breakfast hash has basically ended up as bacon fries topped with a fried egg. Fine by me! http://yfrog.com/5mc2zqj