French Fry Diary 325: Chickie's & Pete's 2012

It's that time of year again, yeah, that's right, it's Philadelphia Wings lacrosse season. Now lately, this is a bittersweet thing. I have been, along with The Bride, members of her family, and various friends over the years, a season ticket holder for the Wings since roughly 1990. I like lacrosse a lot, it's pretty much the only professional sport I follow with any real passion. They used to be world champions, and always in the finals, and always a rough team to beat. Not so much lately. Lately, they get beat a lot, and badly.

I think this might be the last season we get tickets. That's how bad it's been. Regardless, the highlight of any opening night for the Wings home season -besides the game of course- is getting a giant cup of those Crab Fries from Chickie's & Pete's. Now this year, The Bride couldn't make it so I brought my friend Jeff, busting not only his lacrosse cherry but also his Chickie's & Pete's as well.

I don't think he was intending on eating many fries if at all when I offered. He'd already downed a Campo's cheesesteak before I got back to the table before the game. As always the fries were addictive, and like The Bride, Jeff also really dug the mystery cheese they give you as a side. I've never been a fan myself, just gimme my fries, ya know?

The addictiveness kicks in when you're still eating those cold fries from that huge bucket an hour and a half later as the game closes. Yeah, they're even good cold. The Wings lost that first game by the way, horribly, like 12-22, but there were seven fistfights (including the rare goalie on goalie fight) in the last thirty seconds of play. That is something. Maybe we will hold on to those tickets...

French Fry Diary 203: Fries of the Philadelphia Wings

It's Philadelphia Wings Lacrosse season again, and that means semi-weekly trips to the sports complex in Philly named, for the moment, the Wells Fargo Center. This is the former First Union Center and the Wachovia Center and who knows what else. By the time I post this review, it may have changed its name yet again. And that's the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, to differentiate it from the other dozen WFCs across the country. Whatever happened to real names for stadiums?

There are two major choices for the favorite fried food at the stadium, at least in the poor seats, and they are Boardwalk Fries and Chickie's & Pete's.

Now Boardwalk Fries isn't so much an actual location as the fry of choice at many of the food stands at the stadium. This first visit I got mine at Grille Works. It was six dollars for a cup of these natural cuts. Sure, it was a fair serving portion but still, the price was enough to make me want to go to a movie theater. These were not happy fries, limp and greasy, and sitting under a heat lamp for who knows how long. The cheese is also different from last year and not as good.

The second game this season, also a loss, sigh, I went to Chickie's & Pete's, with two locations within the Wells Fargo Center. I've reviewed Chickie's & Pete's before, also in the context of within the stadium. Someday I'm going to get to one of their actual restaurants for a review, can't wait.

The price of these have gone up since my last review to $8.50 and you only get one tub of the white creamy cheese sauce any more. Perhaps they found out the extra cup was being used for soft pretzels and hot dogs. Now they charge two dollars for extra, but it's still worth it.

These Crabfries are some of the best around, pixie crinkles smothered in old bay seasoning that makes them hot, and you'll need something cold to wash them down. The cup is huge but you will eat them all, they're that good. And if you don't, they reheat well at home for a snack after the game. These babies are addictive, thumbs up.

That's two games and two losses for the Wings. Hopefully they will start playing better so I can watch the game instead of reviewing fries. And maybe then they can start doing something about the price of parking around here. Man, Wells Fargo must need money bad for what they charge for parking...

French Fry Diary 12: Chickie’s & Pete’s

It’s Philadelphia Wings lacrosse season, and that means one thing… well, several things, but only one thing that is relevant to this blog, and that’s Crab Fries!

Now let’s be clear. I have never ever been to any of Chickie’s & Pete’s five area locations in the Delaware Valley, but they do serve their world famous Crab Fries at the Wachovia Center where the Wings play their home games.

The famous Crab Fries are really simplicity itself despite being an addictive taste sensation. They are just pixie crinkle-cuts smothered in old bay seasoning. But then again, if you’ve ever tried to duplicate this miracle at home, you know it’s just not that simple. Perhaps it’s old bay and crack cocaine – they are that damned addictive.

They are best served hot, and taste-wise very hot, and somehow are much better while watching a sporting event. They come in big honking Big Gulp-sized cup, but still once they’re gone you still want more. While I myself am a French fry purist, one of the winning features of the Crab Fries is the two mini-tubs of white cheese that accompany them. This special cheese is reputedly so good that sometimes it’s hijacked for other park foods like hot dogs and pretzels.

Should you not be able to finish your Crab Fries in the course of a four quarter lacrosse game (or any sporting event really), the good news is they heat up real well at home whether you bake ‘em or nuke ‘em, tasty tasty.

Like I said, the best part of any Wachovia trip and a Philadelphia tradition. When you’re talking Philly sports and French fries, you’re talking Chickie’s & Pete’s.




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