French Fry Diary 554: Donkey's Onion Rings

Folks who read my first review of Donkey's Place knows I loved it. On my second visit, I got their huge unique cheesesteak with Whiz, plus an order of their onion rings so I could write about them here.

Wow. Like the sandwiches and the order of fries we got last time, they were huge. Big deep fried thick beer battered onion rings in an equally gigantic cup. The cup was roughly the size of a Super Big Gulp at 7-Eleven. Wow.

The sandwich was just as fantastic as the first time, and better with the Whiz, and the rings were among the best beer batter I've had in quite a while. Another terrific meal, I can't wait to go back!

French Fry Diary 553: Victory Beer Hall, Xfinity Live

I have been a Philadelphia Wings season ticket holder for nearly a quarter of a century. When I first started going to games, we had a fierce team that constantly won and took us to the championship several times. The last decade or so however has been lean, and I'm being kind.

The Bride renewed our season tickets this year automatically. Had it been up to me, I wouldn't have, or at the very least there would have been some discussion. With the lean years for the team, management has been less giving to the fans, and especially the faithful season ticket holders. For example, they threw us a party, where we had to pay outrageous stadium prices for the food. As if sixteen dollars per game to park wasn't enough. It goes up every year, soon it will be more to park than it is to buy a ticket.

Nevertheless, that's not what I'm here to talk about. The party, where we also got to meet the new players, and the remaining old players, as well as mascot Mad Dog, was at the Victory Beer Hall, inside the Xfinity Live sports bar complex at the center of the three stadiums in Philadelphia. Nice place for the most part, tables and benches, a stage, many big screen TVs, no complaints really.

The Bride ordered loaded fries with cheese, bacon, and scallions. These natural cuts came in a big portion and I thought they were pretty good. She said she thought they would have been better if they used Cheez Whiz instead of whipped cheddar. She is originally a Philly girl, so she does know her Whiz. I don't know though, I kinda liked them.

I got a burger with a side of homemade BBQ potato chips. The burger wasn't bad, but then again, I got it plain, so it wasn't as piled high as some we saw. It was good, but it wasn't ten dollars good, which is what they charged. The chips had a good big crunch, got cold quick and were a bit overseasoned, but

they had a good kick when I put them on the burger. That was great.

The portions were huge. Folks around us also ordered massive (4"x8") stuffed baked potatoes and a giant soft pretzel that filled a 12" plate. That was seriously big, and it fed a family of three, and they were so full they thought they would be sick.

The party had a good turn out despite my (and a lot of fans) being disenchanted with the team the past few years. The team was enthusiastic, and while they did not win their first home game last week, they gave a hell of an exciting game. Let's hope for the best for the rest of the season. Go Wings!

French Fry Diary 544: Donkey's Place, Medford

Rob from The Treehouse in Audubon NJ, where the South Jersey Writers' Group hold their Blogfests, open mikes, and other events, recommended this place to me, and it has become my favorite new place. I'm talking about Donkey's Place in Medford.

The original Donkey's is on Haddon Avenue in Camden, in unfortunately not the best of areas. Started by former Olympic boxer Leon Lucas, whose punches were said to have the force of a donkey's kick, thus the nickname. Second and third generations of the family have since opened a suburban Donkey's in Medford where we visited. Joe, the owner, treated The Bride and I like royalty, and he gave her a rose because that's what they do on Sundays. Notably, we did not get special treatment, everyone got the very best customer service while we were there.

Donkey's II is a cozy little place, in one of the major crossroads in the woods of Medford. Sunday football was on flat screen in the corner, our table had a console Donkey Kong machine next to it, and we loved the simple menu with only a handful of items. Joe noted that the Camden location had an even simpler menu. There was a fridge with Mexican Coke, Sprite, and Fanta.

Regular readers know I have a weakness for Mexican Coke which has sugar instead of fructose, and is like tasting the 1970s. Mexican Sprite is incredible. Drinking it for the first time since I discovered the imported sugar Coke, was like having a Sprite for the first time in decades. I don't know what that crap I've been drinking called Sprite is, but it ain't real Sprite. They also had Slush Puppies, sort of a Slurpee, that The Bride was excited about, a piece of her childhood from the old Cherry Hill skating rink.

The cheesesteaks themselves are incredible, and unlike any other cheesesteak I, or probably you, have ever had. Served on a large poppy seed Kaiser roll, real pieces and chunks of steak, onions and provolone, this is a fantastic and different steak sandwich. I loved it. Rather than chopped beef, this is sliced, and there are so many onions, and also a wonderful au jus that makes the sandwich perfect. Be sure to specify cheez whiz if you want it. I loved the provolone, but like The Bride, I'm a whiz guy. I really loved this sandwich, and as I couldn't finish it there, I took it home, and it nuked perfectly.

Now the part you're reading this for, the French fries. These are standard regular cut frozen fries, deep fried, with a crisp seasoned coating. That would be the 'secret' Donkey Seasoning, also available at the table as well, good stuff, I taste some Old Bay, maybe paprika, maybe other seasoned salts, but very tasty. Crisp outside and soft and hot inside - everything a good fry should have, very good.

I gotta give Rob at The Treehouse thanks for hipping me to this place, and Joe at Donkey's in Medford. I have found my new favorite cheesesteak place. Awesome, and recommended. Get over to Donkey's and try the cheesesteaks, terrific food, and terrific customer service.

French Fry Diary 470: Mike's Steaks, Comcast Center

Recently The Bride forgot her phone when she went to work, so being the thoughtful and loving husband I am, I took the trek into the city to give it to her. I couldn't let her go for a whole day without Words with Friends, Draw Something or Pharoah Slots, could I? The Bride works near the Comcast Center, the building that looks like a giant flashdrive in the middle of Philadelphia, so as thanks, she took me to lunch at its food court below the lobby.

I have been on a cheesesteak kick recently so I knew what I wanted, and made a beeline for Mike's Steaks. Despite being smack dab in the middle of a food court, this is a real authentic Philly cheesesteak place. The tons of red neon I could have done without but they had a friendly staff, quick service, good system of ordering and pick-up - and of course great cheesesteaks.

I'm an idiot however. After years and years of ordering my hot sandwiches plain, I got flummoxed ordering. I asked for a plain steak, with onions, and Cheez Whiz. The guy just stared at me, waited a moment, leaned in, and smiled, "That's a cheesesteak, champ." Love it. Every station - order, pay, rolls, steaks, fries - all worked like an efficient machine.

The cheesesteak, as I said, was great. But hey, you know I got fries too, right? The French fries at Mike's were deep-fried crinkle cuts, crisp tasty, and not at all greasy. What a treat, and terrific with the sandwich. I had a great lunch experience, and also got to spend some time with The Bride during the day. If you're ever at Comcast Center in Philly, check out Mike's Steaks.

French Fry Diary 377: Outta Philly

I had been aware of this place for quite some time, but finally, with the family, this past Memorial Day weekend, I got a chance to go to Outta Philly, on White Horse Road in Voorhees, NJ. There's no reason to sugarcoat it, folks, but I was blown away. This is where you should be eating, and not just for the fries.

We were greeted at the counter by one of the owners, Dean, who runs the place with Rob. Dean is a very entertaining host and he immediately and playfully got on my mother-in-law's case for being from Philadelphia but not knowing how to properly order a cheesesteak. For the uninformed, and those who have never been to South Philly's Pat's or Geno's, there is even signage at Outta Philly to help you along.

I loved Dean's attitude and banter from the moment we walked in. We were made to feel relaxed and at home, not just customers, but neighbors, friends, family. This is all a part of the atmosphere of the restaurant. The walls were decorated with various examples of Phillyspeak, with meanings and pronunciations. Besides a TV with the Phillies game on, there were also large logos of the Philadelphia sports teams, announcing proper allegiance to the Phillies, the 'Iggles,' the 76ers, the Flyers, even the Union. We confronted Dean on why no Wings logo, and found he's actually a big lacrosse fan, so I'm guessing he's working on that one.

They had a fair selection of fountain drinks, and add it yourself ice chest, a personal retro touch I liked. There was also a full selection of Herr's potato chips, keeping in the Philly vein, for folks who didn't want fries or rings as a side. Our food was brought out to us, after we watched it made. Fries and rings were not dropped until we ordered, and we were informed they were made from scratch. We watched them cut the meat in front of us. When I say from scratch, and made in front of us, I mean it.

I got a Wiz Wit (refer to the sign). For folks outside the Philadelphia area, that's a cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz - the good orange stuff - and onions. It's Phillyspeak, and how you order if you were at Pat's or Geno's. Now let me be clear here, and it might be blasphemy. I haven't been to either of those places in about two decades, I know, a trip is long overdue, but this Wiz Wit was the best cheesesteak I have had in years, maybe decades, maybe ever. It even beats Jim's on South Street, and local Cherry Hill fave Big John's. Yeah, it was that good. I loved it. The cheese was very hot, and the onions were very big, the shaved rib-eye steak, and roll were perfect. Regular readers know how hard I am to please, so take this as the truth.

The French fries are natural cuts, and as I said, not dropped until they were ordered. They were hot, crisp, just right, and easily rival those of Five Guys and Cool Dog locally. They are also available with old bay seasoning and white cheddar cheese (Outta Fries), with jalapeño and onions (South Street Fries), with homemade chili with cheese (Chili Fries) and with Whiz, bacon and sour cream (Loaded Fries). Great stuff!

Taking to co-owner Dean afterward, I know that he knows his fries. He has it down, and rattled off the secrets to making the perfect fresh cut fries like he knew it like the back of his hand, and he does. Dean has a background that includes many other restaurants, including Ruth's Chris Steak House, put simply, the man knows what he's doing.

The onion rings were big thick rings, possibly Vidalia, but I'm not sure. The coating was perfect, and not greasy at all. Much like the cheesesteak, these were the best juiciest onion rings I have had in quite some time. The mom-in-law loved the remoulade sauce that came with them.

The entire visit was an absolute treat. I loved Outta Philly and will definitely go back. They also have hoagies, sandwiches, salads, lots of other great stuff I didn't get to sample on this visit. They are a little off the beaten track but sooo worth the trip. Definitely check out Outta Philly! Fully and highly recommended.

Random Tater Pic of the Day #36

These Somebody Else's Fries come from The Bride, taken while seeing OutLoud at Laurel Lanes and Brewster's Pub in Maple Shade. She described them as "Thinner than standard ones, real Cheez Whiz, I think, but they have invisicoat." That's my honey.

French Fry Diary 313: Riviera Pizza, Medford NJ

The Bride travels to Medford quite a bit, not for work, but for rehearsals with the Pineland Players. Recently she found a new place to eat, right across from the Zinc Café. Now while I have to question the logic of going anywhere else when you're so close to the Zinc Cafe, when she brought dinner home from Riviera Pizza recently, I was game.

The Bride was first hooked on their buffalo chicken pizza, and on this trip she tried the buffalo chicken cheesesteak. For me, she picked up a plain steak sandwich and, of course, French fries. She even got Whiz on the side so we could share the fries.

While I have never actually been there, Riviera Pizza has quite a selection on their menu, including a wide variety of pasta, seafood and soups. Online reviews seem to echo The Bride's feelings on the buffalo chicken pizza as a favorite, but let's get to the nitty gritty, it's the fries you want to know about.

The food stayed relatively hot after the twenty to thirty minute trip from Medford to Marlton which is pretty good considering that things like Burger King's new fries don't stay hot in the less than three minute trip from Marlton to Marlton. It's also pretty good considering the steaks were in styrofoam and the fries in just cardboard paper.

Now while my steak sandwich was delicious when I got it, and even later reheated - the fries not so much. They were heavily batter fried regular cuts, pretty okay while hot, but nearly inedible cold or reheated. So like many places that have pizza and steak sandwiches, that's a no on the fries at Riviera Pizza.

Can anyone out there recommend a pizza and steak place that does fries well?

French Fry Diary 310: Boardwalk Grill & Pizzeria, Cherry Hill NJ

Boardwalk Grill & Pizzeria is a place that opened earlier this summer locally in Cherry Hill. A recent lazy Sunday evening led The Bride and I to look for a nearby place that delivered, we chose Boardwalk, mostly because their menu made a pretty big deal of the favorite fried food.

First off, any place that calls itself 'Boardwalk' and has French fries, had better have good ones. It's just the facts, ya know? The menu calls them "Fryz" just to be different, I guess. They claim that "all Boardwalk Fryz are Hand Cut from Russett Potatoes Daily," madcap capitalization theirs. They offer malt vinegar for dipping, but for a charge. They come in regular, Old Bay, Cheese, Pizza, and Loaded.

Deciding on a pizza roll and some BBQ honey boneless chicken wings, along with fries, sorry, Fryz, both Boardwalk and Loaded, we called in our order. Surprisingly for a new place the delivery was rather quick. Score one for customer service. The chicken was pretty good, and the BBQ honey sauce more barbeque than honey, but excellent on the fries and for dipping.

The Loaded Fryz came in quite a generous portion, and was too much for my wife. Besides being very filling, these natural cuts were under an avalanche of Cheez Wiz, mozzarella, bacon and scallions. This came in a big tin foil pie plate, I mention this because it was a huge portion. These guys give you a lotta fries for your buck.

The large order of the regular Boardwalk Fryz were the same natural cut Boardwalk style fries you can find at Pat's or the more traditional Boardwalk Fries and Seaside Spuds. Again, bonuses for portion size, because the large fry-decorated cup they came in had about the same amount as The Bride's serving.

Sadly, I don't think they were cooked to order. While the hot ones were very good, I had a lot of stubs and ends - no big long fries at all, and some were very crunchy as if they'd been cooked more than once and not in a good way. Maybe it was the end of a batch. They did however reheat well when baked in the oven.

I would be more than willing to give them a second chance, as these could be really good fries, maybe just not this time. I would love to try them at the actual restaurant next time rather than their excellent delivery service.

French Fry Diary 27: Starburst Café, King of Prussia Plaza

I should have taken pictures. Not only are there no graphics or photos on the net of this place, based on the service I suspect it may be gone by the time I post this review. Regardless, to the left is a photo of one of the food courts in the gigantic King of Prussia shopping megacomplex near Philadelphia. The Starburst Café is that speck of blue neon mid-center left in the accompanying photo.

Though upscale mall in design and architecture, it was basically just like any of the sandwich shops or delis we have over in South Jersey. But there were problems. And I’m not just talking about the fact that the gigantic pictures over the mounted menu looked nothing like what any of us received as our meals.

The lady at the counter and the cook both spoke broken English. This is neither unique nor a bad thing, but when I am asked if I want onions on my cheesesteak and I say no – when I pick it up I shouldn’t get dirty looks from both of them when I mention it has onions on it. It was one of those times when I knew, I just knew, if I didn’t say to forget about it – the second cheesesteak would have a little something extra in it for me if you know what I mean. I just don’t think there was much communication going on between employees or with customers.

The cheesesteak was terrible by the way. The onions were cold, as were the two slices of slimy whitish-yellow cheese. Maybe I’ve been spoiled living so close to Philly but I was expecting Cheez Whiz or some similar substance, not the plastic slabs I got. I ate around the cheese and onions. Just that morning The Bride had admonished me, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all,” so when she asked how my meal was I told her the roll was really good and the Orange Crush was ice cold.

As for the favorite fried food, they were natural regular cuts, obviously frozen, then deep-fried, maybe more than once and then had been sitting without benefit of a heat lamp for some time. Not good, not good at all. My advice – unless you’re thirsty and can’t find anywhere close that has Orange Crush – avoid the Starburst Café like the Black Plague.


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