French Fry Diary 150: The British Chip Shop, Haddonfield NJ

My mom-in-law hipped me to this place after an afternoon of shopping in Haddonfield with the girls. Haddonfield is a fairly upscale historical and pleasant town nearby that caters to walking traffic and a small town atmosphere. And the girls had lunch at what the mom-in-law called an authentic fish and chip shop.

My ears immediately perked up. A what where? I hit the interwebs and discovered that yes, it was true. The British Chip Shop had opened in July with an official grand opening on October 1st. Perusing the online menu .pdf, I found a place that resembled Cookes of Dublin, and it was right here in New Jersey.

Besides the obvious, fish and chips, they also had a variety of other distinctly Brit fare like bangers and mash, Welsh rarebit, tea sandwiches, fried Mars bars, scones, black pudding, beans on toast, curries and crumpets. Yes, all that, but disturbingly, no Coca-Cola. I guess they can be forgiven for that omission, as long as the chips are good. So we planned to return that evening for dinner.

The British Chip Shop is a beautiful place, very authentic and nicely decorated. There's rugby playing on the big screen TV, distinctly British pop music overhead, HP sauce and Sarson's malt vinegar on the tables and union jacks everywhere. I loved the pub atmosphere, and especially the "Mind the Gap" sign. We hadn't even ordered and I was psyched.

For an appetizer we got the homemade crisps (potato chips) with horse radish sauce. They were scalloped potatoes thickly sliced, but not too crispy and hot in a good way, and served in a small paper bag, traditional style. I loved these, but could have gone for a bit more crisp and seasoning. Could have been hotter, but they were still very tasty, and heads above anyone else out there making these babies. Almost as good as those at the Hot Potato Café, and that's a serious compliment.

Our other appetizer was the deep fried green beans, which like the crisps are not on the menu, so make sure you ask for these terrific treats. These non-potato fries were very tasty, more battered and fried than those at T.G.I. Friday's. Both appetizers are recommended, so make sure you get them.

The beverages were all Brit authentic. I got the Barritts Bermuda Stone Ginger Beer, the in-laws got a Scottish soda called Irn Bru, and The Bride, an Anglophile from way back, got something she's been itching for since her last trip overseas, Ribena. The Ginger Beer wasn't Coke, but it was quite good, sort of like ginger ale, but with an extra kick.

Finally the food came, and while it was a wait, no one minded as it was all cooked to order. I had gotten the chicken and chips. The chicken was quite good and very hot and crispy, and sort of reminded me of what I had at Monk's Café in the city. But now on to the main event, the favorite fried food…

The chips are the extra thick steak fry cuts that characterize real English chips, hot and soft in the center and crispy outside. They are almost perfect, and begging for vinegar like a good English chip should. These chips are really fabulous. When I am asked what the best fries I've had are, I usually answer unwaveringly Cookes of Dublin in Orlando - but The British Chip Shop right here in New Jersey gives them serious competition. I might be changing my ranking. These are damn good fries. I am impressed.

Also, much like Cookes of Dublin, they offer the deep-fried candy bar as a dessert. I was amazed I still had room after this wonderful filling meal, some of which I took home, but the four of us split a deep-fried Mars bar anyway. Yummm… it was luscious, heaven in a mouthful.

All told, this was a terrific meal experience at a very reasonable price. The British Chip Shop is highly recommended by French Fry Diary, and I can't wait to back again. Please check them out tomorrow for their official grand opening and ribbon cutting. This place rocks!

French Fry Diary 100: Hot Potato Café

I found out about the Hot Potato Café in perhaps one of the more notorious and uncool ways to find out about a restaurant – on Chef Gordon Ransey’s "Kitchen Nightmares" TV series on Fox. The show frequently uncovers at most horrifying and at least disturbing conditions in restaurants before Ramsey helps to turn the place around in his own unique way. Luckily, the Hot Potato Café was only suffering from business woes, and not anything sanitary.

The episode itself wasn’t that bad as Gordon dealt with the three sisters who are owners and the chef niece. It was a decidedly popular episode, having taken place some months before and covered widely in the local press. It was so popular that for days after it aired, the restaurant’s website was unavailable. It’s notable to mention that many folks will hit a restaurant’s website the night it appears on "Kitchen Nightmares" to see if it’s still open. Trust me, the Hot Potato Café is.

Another plus about the Café is that it’s local to the Philadelphia area. That and the name itself, made it a prime destination for French Fry Diary. As a matter of fact, on the episode they appeared in, Ramsey even employed a ‘potato expert,’ Richard Marsh, head chef of Cherry Hill’s Andreotti’s Viennese Café, to help them with their potatoes. Hmmm, something tells me I’ll be going there soon as well.

We decided to make our visit to the Hot Potato Café something special so The Bride and I made reservations for Valentine’s Day night and braved the scary snow-piled streets of Philly to get there. We were between blizzards so this was not as easy as you might think. Still, all in all I think it was well worth it.

Once seated, we were greeted with complimentary Parmesan fries in a metal cup. These were natural cuts with flakes of Parmesan just sprinkled lightly – quite hot and quite tasty. The fries that are packed inside the cup under the top layer are extra special as they are even hotter and the cheese is melted just right. Complimentary fries? Wow, what a wonderful phrase. That is certainly a winning start to any meal as far as I’m concerned.

The drinks came in Mason jar jugs. Nice touch, and you can see mine, full of Coke, next to the complimentary fries. Refills on the drinks were quick and friendly. Our waitress, Erin, was very nice, cooperative and informed - and she made our evening a joy. The décor was interesting and fun. One nice bit was that the restrooms were marked ‘Spuds’ and ‘Sweet Potatoes.’

Our appetizers were the Hot Potato Chips. These were some of the best homemade (or restaurant-made for that matter) that I have ever had. They were the perfect thickness between a scalloped potato slice and an actual potato chip. The cheese however – a tasty Parmesan cheddar sauce – has a sogging effect on the chips, so not cool (that it made them soggy, not the sauce - that was great). These were also topped with scallions and bacon, but nowhere near enough bacon.

While enjoying the appetizers and the complimentaries, we had time to look around a bit more. While some of the décor that Gordon Ramsey had put in was still there, the menu was different – different from his menu, but also different from their original menu. No worries though, the current menu was just great. I ordered a burger, a choice not available on Ramsey’s revamp, and I’m glad it’s here. The placemats were fun, filled with various potato facts and oddities. I knew about a third of them already, vast storehouse of useless knowledge that I am – especially when it comes to the favorite fried food. Yeah, I know, I’m pitiful.

The Fishtown Fries came as both a side order with my burger and in a basket as well. I couldn’t taste the promised Old Bay seasoning at first, but they were very good – once again natural cuts, kinda reminiscent of the Pop Shop. They came with sides of ketchup and cheese. The burger was handformed and also very good. The basket, also much like the Pop Shop, was a large portion – so large we took them home afterward. That was where we found the Old Bay seasoning – not evenly distributed but hot and yummy, and it was a good hot.

Our Valentines night at the Hot Potato Café was a wonderful experience, and we would definitely go back. Again and again. One hundred percent recommended.