French Fry Diary 337: Flippers

We have a special treat for folks this week. While I'm busy running the Virtual Book Tour for THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES by my friend author Fran Metzman, another good friend of mine, Terry Willitts will be guest blogging here at French Fry Diary this week.

Today, Terry checks out Flippers...

FLIPPERS WINGS & BURGERS - DeLand, FL

Flippers Wings & Burgers opened in the second half of 2011, and though I'd been meaning to check it out (several volunteers at the humane society I work at had been there several times, singing their praises) I didn't make it until New Year's Eve evening. I'd called in an order for take out - Bacon BBQ Burger, fries and side of macaroni salad.

The burger was most excellent – very thick (easily over 1/2″ thick) and the bun was definitely not your low-end burger bun. The burger was cooked well, but still was juicy enough to appeal to everyone. The fries, while certainly frozen, were cooked to perfection and salted just right (not too much, not too little), and the macaroni was a bit of a surprise – I’m used to the creamy/mayo based mac salads, this was more of a pasta salad – oil based with bits of ham in it as well – quite good, once I got past the initial surprise.

This obviously was the complete opposite experience from Burgers in Paradise and I will most assuredly be returning - I hear their ribs are very good, and I look forward to trying them out. Also, being a wings fan, I'll have to try them as well. The food came to less than nine dollars, easily worth it.

Thanks, Terry! If you'd like more of Terry online, check out his regular blog here, his daily year long journey through "Doctor Who" from the very beginning here, and his eBay page here.

French Fry Diary 336: Publix

We have a special treat for folks this week. While I'm busy running the Virtual Book Tour for THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES by my friend author Fran Metzman, another good friend of mine, Terry Willitts will be guest blogging here at French Fry Diary this week.

Today, it's Publix, a place I've actually gotten recommendations for, but alas there are none nearby, but Terry's got it covered...

PUBLIX CHICKEN AND ONION RINGS

Publix is a supermarket chain in the Southeast US, and they are noteworthy for their deli and bakery departments. (They also have great produce, decent prices, and great sales, especially their BOGO promotions.) Their deli makes some of the best subs - if you have one, you'll laugh at the idea of going to a Subway.

Recently, I had stopped in for some fried chicken (I prefer theirs to Popeyes or KFC) and saw they had fresh onion rings; I don't know if this is a new item, a seasonal one, or been there a while and I just haven't noticed (not entirely impossible.) I got a half pound of them with my chicken.

They were HUGE. I don't know about you, but I believe size does matter, especially when it comes to onion rings. The batter was light and crispy - not too crunchy but not soft or chewy. The onion was warm and taut and flavourful. These are the best onion rings I've had in years and highly recommend them, especially with an order of chicken, or perhaps a Publix sub. And stop by the bakery for a cake, pastry or other dessert.

Thanks, Terry! If you'd like more of Terry online, check out his regular blog here, his daily year long journey through "Doctor Who" from the very beginning here, and his eBay page here.

French Fry Diary 335: Burgers in Paradise

We have a special treat for folks this week. While I'm busy running the Virtual Book Tour for THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES by my friend author Fran Metzman, another good friend of mine, Terry Willitts will be guest blogging here at French Fry Diary this week.

First up, Burgers in Paradise...

BURGERS IN PARADISE - SEMINOLE TOWNE CENTER MALL, SANFORD, FL

Burgers in Paradise is a relatively new addition to the Food Court in the Seminole Towne Center Mall in Sanford, FL. On a whim, I thought I'd pop in and try it out - I had not heard anything about it, so this was a completely blind date. It was December 12, mid afternoon, so the mall was packed with people doing their Christmas shopping, but I was just there to grab something to eat. I had planned to walk the mall, but one of my sandals blew out, and I still had a grocery run to make, so I stayed in the Food Court instead.

From the menu, it seemed they were a basic burger joint, with a little more variety than a Five Guys, but not the convoluted menu of a fast food restaurant. There was a line, but the wait wasn't that long, and the order taker (her name was Terri, which I only remember as my name is Terry) was very polite and in the Christmas spirit. The drink menu included fountain drinks (Coke products, iced tea) and bottled/canned drinks (water, flavoured water, Pepsi products), giving a decent variety. I ordered a Bacon Burger with cheese (strangely the Bacon Cheeseburger wasn't on the menu, had to get a Bacon Burger and pay for cheese to be added.) The food was cooked quickly enough (but fresh to the order, so it took a few minutes) on a black top. My burger, an order of fries and a large soda came to over nine dollars - pretty much what you can expect to pay for a combo for a good burger.

Sadly, this was not a good burger. It wasn't bad, by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn't good. When I sat down and got my burger out, I could hear the little old lady from the Wendy's commercial demanding to know where the beef was. The patty was VERY thin, I'm sure it was a frozen burger (not that I have any particular problem with that, but for $9+ for a burger and combo, it'd better be a thick frozen patty), and the bun was obviously something they bought at the local grocery store - just a run of the mill burger bun, not toasted, not buttered and heated on the black top, nothing.

But you're here for the fries, so maybe that was the saving grace of this blind date? No. Sadly, the fries were cheap frozen crinkle fries that weren't particularly noteworthy at all. Plus, I have to say that a good third of the order were the tiny crunchy, over-cooked ones that hardly have any potato inside. There is no way I should have paid more than $5 for the entire meal.

Sadly, this was not remotely a good experience and I won't ever return there.

Thanks, Terry! If you'd like more of Terry online, check out his regular blog here, his daily year long journey through "Doctor Who" from the very beginning here, and his eBay page here.

Whoops

It happens sometimes. Whoops.

Apologies for yesterday's entry. Sometimes a video on YouTube will be available for a while, and then, mysteriously become unavailable. That's what happened yesterday. I also learned a lesson to double check myself here. I guess I'll just commiserate with some fries.

By the way, the link to Los Angeles' Fresh Fries is still good, check it out here. They are still one of my number one stops if I get out to the left coast. And their dessert fries are still a thing to behold, and be eating...

French Fries for Dessert

We've seen dessert fries before here at French Fry Diary, but these sweet potato fries are just a little bit different. Hmmm... Elvis might like these...

This segment comes from "United Tastes of America," which airs on Food Network and Cooking Channel. Here host and food fanatic Jeffrey Saad checks out Peanut Buttercup Fries from the Fresh Fries food truck of Los Angeles.



Mmmm... enjoy!

Random Tater Pic of the Day #34

Here's a t-shirt I got from Woot quite a while ago.

Snazzy, huh?

French Fry Diary 334: Laurel Hill Barbeque Potato Chips

I was a bit bothered by the words on the bag the first time I tried Laurel Hill Barbeque Potato Chips. These kettle-cooked chips apparently have "40% reduced fat compared to regular potato chips." Really? Regular potato chips? Way to go, Health Nazis, insult the very snack you're trying to sell. They might as well say, "Potato chips suck, but hey, try ours."

Beyond that, these are all natural with no transfats, so that's something at least. The back of the bag further proclaims that they are also kosher, gluten-free, and that they have no artificial colors or flavors. Apparently, they are also "downright delicious."

Folks who frequent this French Fry Diary know that I love me some Whole Foods, and when I saw these at the check-out counter there, it was a no-brainer purchase. Now while they are a bag of chips, I don't know if they are 'all that.' They do have a bit of a zing, and an aftertaste. I'm not sure what does that. The ingredients list some intriguing items like apple cider vinegar and honey powder - but those should be good things.

These chips are okay for a change of pace, but I wouldn't want them every day. There are many other better types out there, but these are still worth a try. Who knows, you might love 'em.

Burger King - Delivery

They do this in Europe and Asia, but then again they also put seaweed on their burgers and fries too, so it doesn't make it right. But this does sound like a good idea.

At ten locations in the Maryland and Virginia area, Burger King is testing out home delivery. That's right, place your order online, and shortly, your Burger King meal comes right to your door.

The full article from the Washington Post can be found right here. Special thanks to my friend Dom for hipping me to this service. And don't forget the fries!

French Fry Diary 333: York Steak House

I have another flashback for you all today. The York Steak House was a chain restaurant back in the 1970s and 80s, primarily in mall locations, and that eventually closed its doors in 1989.

The York Steak House that I remember most was the one in the Echelon Mall. It stood out among other mall restaurants in that pre-food court age in that it was open past regular mall hours. So if you wanted a late dinner after 9:30 PM or just regular dinner on a Sunday after five, and didn't (or couldn't) leave the mall, York was your choice.

York was a cut above fast food, and a sit-down restaurant, so for a high schooler with a mall job, a dinner there was a 'dress nice' date. It ran cafeteria style, similar to the Rustler Steak House of the time, or the later Ponderosa. You picked your meal and paid at the cash register at the end of the line, and a waitress brought out your hot food.

For potato offerings, you could get a baked potato, for which York would charge you extra for butter or sour cream, or you could get steak fries. Both had the vibe of being under heat lamps a bit too long. The steaks as I recall weren't bad.

Does anyone else out there remember the York Steak House?

French Fry Diary 332: Burger King's New Onion Rings

Much like the hype Burger King had going on for their new French fries, they are doing the same for their 'new' onion rings this Super Bowl weekend. All weekend BK is giving away their new onion rings. Properly enticed, I decided to treat The Bride and her parents to lunch today.

I ran over to the Marlton Burger King with my order for lunch. The place was packed, more so than I've ever seen it. The lady at the counter informed me that the free rings were one per customer, but seeing how I was obviously ordering for at least four people, she let me slide. That said, when I got home, we were missing a Jr. Whopper. This was kinda frustrating, and a two for two for this BK, as the last time we got from there they similarly messed up the order.

Now on to the main event, the 'new' onion rings. I didn't see much of a difference in appearance, or in taste really, so I wonder if I was even served the new ones. They were crispier, just slightly. My mom-in-law also thought they were crispier, and thought they lacked the usual aftertaste. Of course, that could be because of using a different oil. They are cooked in the same oil as the new French fries after all.

As far as 'new' onion rings I'm not impressed. But that said, the old ones are good, but if they are passing them off as new - not so great. Of course, the weekend is still young, you can get over to your local BK and give them a try yourself, a value size order of the new onion rings will be free, one per customer, for the rest of the weekend. Also, props to Marni, for always being on top of fry news for me.