Random Tater Pic of the Day #274

After meeting up with friends Anne-Sophie and her family in Norway at the World Showcase in EPCOT, The Bride and I stopped at Sunshine Seasons in The Land to split a quick breakfast. It had to be quick as we were on our way to the Disney Cruise next.

The Adult Breakfast included, obviously, breakfast potatoes with red and green peppers, eggs, overdone bacon (apparently that's the only way it comes at The Land), sausages, and delicious French toast bread pudding with a spicy kick of cinnamon. Yummy!

French Fry Diary 671: Yorkshire County Fish Shop 2015

Ever since I visited this place a few years back I have wanted to return. Considered a quick service on the Disney Dining Plan, this tiny little counter tucked away in the United Kingdom section of EPCOT's World Showcase is indeed a little treasure. And their outside dining area is the perfect place to see Illuminations, or just chill and listen the Brit Invasion bands across the way.

So I got my chips and sat down, as seating was at a premium I sat at a table with a couple from Wales. They immediately wanted to know why I was taking pictures of my chips with my phone. I explained about the blog, and we had a nice conversation about accents, and chips, and fries. The gentleman called up French Fry Diary on his phone and was reading some of the entries. It's true, he had notes for me.

These chips at Yorkshire, or Cookes of Dublin or Raglan Road for that matter, aren't authentic. They are just what Americans think British chips are. I'm the victim of a tourism conspiracy. Real chips come from chip trucks or holes in the walls. And as far as fish for fish and chips, real fish is cod or haddock. As I was getting schooled, an older Scottish couple joined us at the table. This is what is so great about Walt Disney World - you can make friends quickly.

The conversation turned to accents and language again, and the two couples teased me by speaking real Welsh and Scottish, proving that neither is anything like what Americans would call English. The new couple agreed about the chips, not authentic at all - quite good, mind you, but inauthentic. Next we talked about American food - what is American food anyway? It's all stolen from other countries. We have good bacon, of that everyone was in agreement, but let's face it, bacon is Canadian.

I had a wonderful afternoon eating chips and chatting with new friends. This was great. So if you want to talk authentic chips, the Yorkshire County Fish Shop is the place to be.

French Fry Diary 216: Pop Century Breakfast 2011

The Bride is a very sweet and a very sneaky lady. This installment of Somebody Else's Fries is one that I have featured before on at least two occasions, here and here. These are the breakfast potatoes from Pop Century in Walt Disney World, but this entry is not so much about the fries this time, as it is about how she got to the fries.

My mother-in-law, one of the coolest and sweetest ladies I know outside of The Bride, has her seventieth birthday this year, today in fact, and my wife wanted to make it something special. She spent months planning an elaborate surprise birthday party with family and friends, the theme of which was the dreams my mother-in-law has always had - one of those dreams was to travel the world.

The Bride thought up the scheme of sneaking down to Disney World, going to the World Showcase in EPCOT and getting a special passport stamped and signed in every country for her mom - so that she could say she had 'seen the world.' Mom loved it, and as an added bonus, The Bride also got some breakfast potatoes from Everything Pop.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

P.S. It should be added that the surprise party itself was held at French Fry Diary favorite the Pop Shop, and included those amazing Pop Fries. Special thanks to the folks at the Pop Shop for making the day extra special.

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 48: Restaurant Marrakesh, World Showcase

Up front, they have fries, but I didn’t have ‘em – but it's my blog, so I make the rules. The Restaurant Marrakesh is the fancy food place at Morocco in the World Showcase at Epcot at Walt Disney World. On my most recent trip The Bride and I made reservations for dinner there.

As with any of the restaurants of the World Showcase, atmosphere is the prime directive and Marrakesh has it in spades. Over the course of our meal we enjoyed the talents of two sitar players and a belly dancer. We sampled new and interesting foods – yeah, that’s right, me, the catastrophically picky eater, I tried cous cous and something called a beef brewat roll. Interesting. Marrakesh also had the best beverage service I have ever seen. My Coke wasn’t even half empty before another was placed next to it. Niiice.

On the fries front, the party next to us had a little girl who ordered from the kids menu, which did have – you guessed it – French fries. They appeared to be regular natural cuts, like a lot of the generic counter places in Disney World have. And they must have been better than whatever that party’s adults had ordered, because they were all taking the little girl’s fries.

The Restaurant Marrakesh in Morocco in WDW, recommended, and they do have fries.