French Fry Diary 743: Wendy's Breakfast

Recently before getting on a plane to back to New Jersey (North Jersey, and those who know know that it matters) for a wedding, The Bride and I had some time, and the hungries for breakfast.  I carted our bags to the gate while The Bride searched for breakfast.  I was quite surprised when she joined me a bit later with a Wendy's bag. 

Honestly I was unaware that Wendy's did breakfast, but after a moment's thought, yeah, of course they did.  It had just never occurred to me to actually go there for breakfast.  And here at the busy Orlando International Airport, I suppose they must do a brisk breakfast business.  Notably breakfast is not listed on many of their websites.  They need to get the word out.

The Bride got an Artisan Egg Sandwich sans egg, essentially a grilled cheese with bacon, which she thought was just okay.  For me she got a biscuit, also just okay, nowhere near Bojangles or even KFC in quality.  The Bride also got breakfast potatoes, which were at the bottom of the bag.  I was both happy and wary. 

I was happy because, duh, I love the favorite fried food, and wary because many fast food breakfast potatoes are notoriously terrible, as is the case at Burger King, Chick-fil-A, and Roy Rogers.  I opened the bag and was pleasantly surprised.

At first glance, Wendy's Seasoned Homestyle Potatoes look similar to Roy's Home Taters.  Flat potato wedges, sometimes halved, and covered with a seasoned light batter, these were so much better that Roy's bland fare.  These were quite tasty and I wanted more when these were finished.  Definitely a thumbs up.  I'm going to have try more Wendy's Breakfast based on this experience. 

French Fry Diary 689: Red Robin Birthday

This weekend I turned (choke, gasp) fifty-one years old, and The Bride put together a birthday celebration for me, a dinner at the legendary original home of the bottomless steak fries, Red Robin.

I have to admit being a bit gun shy of having a gathering, especially a large gathering, at a restaurant after putting together an event at a restaurant for the South Jersey Writers a couple weeks ago that resulted in several tables not together and one single check, and let me assure you, writers are not good at math. In contrast, the management and wait staff at the Cherry Hill Red Robin were extremely helpful, and got everything right - huge props!

So many friends, fellow writers, and even some family showed up. Apparently I'm more loved than I think, but more likely I suspect folks were there for the fries. Kidding. The meal started with, as it always does at Red Robin, with the tower of onion rings. Much like the Bloomin' Onion at Outback, how can you not get it?

I ordered my usual, a plain burger, which was fantastic, and a side of the bottomless steak fries. My big sister loved the fact that she could customize her meal online before arriving at the restaurant, so she was ready. The Bride got the garlic herbed fries which were also awesome, and a friend got a poutine fries concoction, seen below.

At one point, I had finished my fries, and was left with a lonely metal ring…

…but that was quickly remedied, Red Robin is after all the home of bottomless steak fries.

I had a terrific birthday, made extra special by friends and family, and the staff of Red Robin. Thanks to all!

Random Tater Pic of the Day #213

French fries from our most recent visit to Donkey's Place in Medford NJ.

French Fry Diary 678: KC Steak Fries

When I write I usually have to have something on in the background. I used to have one of the 24/7 news channels going. My rage at them (all of them) being more opinion than actual news stopped that. Then I tried CourtTV, but once the Jodi Arias trial started, that too proved a distraction.

And then there was QVC, which worked for a while with its innocuous programming. While the recent Isaac Mizrahi moon-is-a-planet kerfuffle is typical of the channel, the foodie in me was soon seduced by their cooking shows. The Kansas City Steak Company sells their wares on QVC often, including their juicy Steakburgers and huge hot dogs, both tempting, but I never broke down and ordered anything until they sweetened the deal with... wait for it... French fries.

The package arrived just a few days later, a big styrofoam box with dry ice in it, along with three smaller black boxes marked Kansas City Steak Company. One box had the burgers, another had unusually large hot dogs, and the third - two big white label-less one pound bags of French fries. I couldn't wait to try them, and by them, I meant the fries.

From what I saw on television, KC Steak Fries (TM) are seasoned steak fries, long planks of natural cut potato, with a golden brown sprinkling of spices. They could be deep fried, but everyone knows that frozen fries are best baked. The reality of the situation was a bit different.

But first, a word about the other stuff in the package. The hot dogs are made from 100% beef, and are huge, approximately an inch longer and twice as thick. They will make most rolls seem puny. These dogs take a little longer to cook, but wow. The burgers, excuse me, Steakburgers, are also huge, and pretty good too, a five ounce patty of corn fed ground beef from western Kansas. Thumbs up.

At first sight, out of the blank white bag, they were natural cut steak fries, some coated in Kansas City's special 'old bay' seasoning, and some not, very uneven. I have to be honest, as excited as I was when I first saw them on QVC, I was a little disappointed when I opened the bag. We'll see how they cook. After all, the dogs and burgers were great, why wouldn't the fries be as well?

The directions were not quite right, so keep an eye on your fries, and cook appropriately. I had to keep cooking them for an additional five minutes. The crispier and crunchier these fries were, the better they were. The fries are certainly seasoned, but I have to say I wasn't getting an Old Bay vibe. They were good, but not that good. I would definitely get the dogs or burgers again, but maybe not the fries.

French Fry Diary 673: Ichiban Buffet

Recently some old friends and The Bride and I got together at a new buffet where the old Old Country Buffet in Cherry Hill used to be - the Ichiban Buffet. In Japanese, 'ichiban' means 'number one' or 'first,' but I think in this case, I think they're just being hopeful, as this was less than satisfying.

I'm not a big fan of buffets to begin with. I dislike the idea of not knowing who has been touching my food, maybe multiple times, for who knows how long, perhaps getting it on their plate, then changing their mind and putting it back. It's just not sanitary, no matter how many employees and cooks are watching to make sure that kind of shenanigans doesn't happen.

This buffet was $16.00 per person, and they seemed to have a good variety, as well as (boo) Pepsi products. One big highlight was the 'donuts,' or more accurately the little chunks of fried and sugared dough, but I was disappointed at there being no soft ice cream, usually a buffet staple. I was a bit irritated by this seemingly professional place in all other effects having the ingredients of the trays written on signs below in Magic Marker. Tacky.

But of course, I wasn't there for the signage, or the donuts, or even the ice cream, I was there for, among other things, the French fries. They were only warm, probably baked frozen seasoned fries, seasoned to the point of being as dark golden brown as the sweet and sour chicken, whose sauce was great on the fries. The mashed potatoes only okay, and I didn't see any onion rings.

There was one puzzle I couldn't figure out. Why won't they trust us with knives? We can cut our own meat at the serving station, dish our own hard ice cream, but they won't trust us with knives at our seats unless we flag someone down and ask for one? Weird. I probably won't be coming back, the company was excellent though.

McDonald's Seasonings

Although it's business as usual in the rest of the world, McDonald's is bringing seasonings to some of their fries in the United States. The good news (or bad?) is that they will be pushing more traditional flavors here in the States, like Garlic Parmesan, Zesty Ranch and Spicy Buffalo. These will be done shaker style, as in you do it yourself.

So if you're looking for seaweed, curry, or something more exotic, you'll have to go to a McDonald's on the Asian continent or somewhere in the Pacific. In the meantime, check your local Mickey D's to see if they have them yet, or if they are participating, as it's only in certain areas.

French Fry Diary 546: Red Robin Seasoned Steak Fries

I have a soft spot in my heart for Red Robin. It is, after all, the home of the Bottomless Steak Fries. So when I saw that they had frozen fries available to make at home, I quickly snagged a bag of these frozen fries. The bad news, of course, is that they are not bottomless.

With Arby's, Checkers, and Burger King all competing in the frozen fry game, why not Red Robin? They do make good fries. Their natural cut seasoned steak fries are awesome, and in the restaurant, always good for at least one refill, if not two. The package itself promises Red Robin's signature blend of seasoning salt, as well as quickie recipes for two different dipping sauces.

They are only directions for baking, so that's how I did them. I have to admit being a bit surprised at the high temp (425 degrees) and longer than usual time (30 minutes), but I always gotta follow the instructions for a first time cooking. And I also had a little concern over the amount of seasoning on the fries, it seemed like a lot. As they cooked, the whole kitchen was filled with the aroma.

To be sure, next time I will make adjustments to the time and temp. There were more than a few crispy critters, still edible, and mostly small pieces, but still more crispy than I like - and I like crispy. They were overcooked, but steak fries being thick and 'meaty,' it's hard to ruin them that way.

All that said, these were pretty good steak fries, but very spicy, spicier than I remember them being at the Red Robin restaurant. I would definitely get these again, adjust the directions, have a cold refreshing drink nearby, and enjoy... until I hit bottom, of course.

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 528: Steak 'n Shake

I was more than curious about Steak 'n Shake. Over the years, I had gotten a few recommendations to try them. And when I asked you folks where I should try in the Orlando area, even more recs flooded in, twenty total. So many recommendations, but all of a certain type - you have to go, you have to try these fries, they will be great to write about. Eerily no one said they were good. No one until someone The Bride was doing charity work with on the day of our adventure, who said they were good. That's one out of twenty. Hmmm…

As we planned our vacation, and set our schedule, it was getting harder and harder to get to S'nS before we went to Port Canaveral, we might have to postpone that FFD road trip in definitely. The Bride however noticed that not only was there a Steak 'n Shake near our hotel, but they were open 24/7, maybe we could do it after all. So we snuck out in the middle of the night for a late night snack. Yep, an adventure.

I was very surprised that this was a sit down place, although they also have take out. What I expected was more in line with a Sonic Drive-In type place, but got something quite different. I was reminded of Johnny Rockets in atmosphere, very bright, but without the singing and dancing. We were greeted as we entered and had to wait to be seated - like I said, not what I expected at all. The clientele at two in the morning was a young, happy, and lively late night crowd.

I came for the fries, but they also had new seasoned fries - Parmesan cheese 'n herbs, salt 'n vinegar, and sea salt 'n cracked pepper. Yeah, S'nS is really enamored of the apostrophe and letter N thing. We went purist and just got the fries, and onion rings. As we had just had Hamburger Mary's just a few hours before, we decided on trying one of the famous steakburgers 'next time.' On the table was Steak 'n Shake's Fry 'n Steakburger Seasoning, a mixture of salt, onion, garlic, paprika, and sugar. A good peppery paprika kick when we put then on the fries.

The fries were smaller shoestrings, not quite matchstick fries, and a little overdone, so maybe a bit too crunchy. They were still pretty good. And they were even better with the above-mentioned seasoning. They were a bit addictive after that. I just wish they weren't overcooked. And the seasoning was so good we bought some to go home. Can't wait to try it at home, and not just on fries. I think it could really jazz up chicken.

When we had discussed S'nS earlier with friend Terry at Hamburger Mary's, he expressed a preference toward steak fries and their thicker cousins, which I tend to agree with. He wasn't fond of S'nS, they just weren't 'his thing.' However, I think if these fries were cooked better they could be pretty good too, thick or not. I would like to give them a second chance.

The onion rings were okay deep fried beer batter ones, that The Bride liked, but I wasn't thrilled by. To wash it all down she got a Salted Caramel Pretzel shake and I got a chocolate one. The shakes were awwwesome. They alone would worth the trip back down to Florida. Steak 'n Shake was not what I expected at all, but it was a pleasant surprise. I'd come back. Thank you all, for the unique recommendations.

French Fry Diary 471: Lay's Sriracha Potato Chips

We're in the midst of an historic contest from the Frito-Lay folks. They took suggestions, millions of them, for potential new potato chip flavors.

I even tried my hand at it, suggesting Poutine flavored chips to not only cash in on the Canadian market but also appease those folks down here in the US who can't get it of haven't tried it yet. I suppose they either already have that flavor, or they just figured it was too gross. ;-)

The powers that be narrowed the field down to three finalists: Sriracha, Cheesy Garlic Bread, and Chicken & Waffles. Before even tasting, my personal preference would be Cheesy Garlic Bread, that's just a no-brainer. I've even had over twenty folks online tell me they are the better chips.

However, it has been impossible for me to find these things in South Jersey. I'm still looking, and would appreciate any help from my FFD friends out there. Where are the Cheesy Garlic Bread chips?

In the meantime, I did manage to find the other two. First up, Sriracha. For those not in the know, myself included, until I looked it up, Sriracha is a (very) hot sauce made from chili peppers, frequently used with seafood, and named after Si Racha, a city on the coast of Thailand. This soooo doesn't sound like me. I'm afraid of this potato chip.

Upon opening the bag, a spicy not unpleasant aroma hit my nose. Their appearance, other than typical thin regular Lay's potato chips, was that of a simple barbecue chip, perhaps with slightly darker seasoning than usual.

The first chip was good, so was the second, tasting like a spicier than usual BBQ chip... then the afterburn hit. It is a serious heat but it only lasts a few seconds. I was surprised. That was it? Not that I want my mouth burned out, mind you, but I was expecting a bit more fiery punch, you know? These are really not bad at all.

Tomorrow: Chicken & Waffles Potato Chips. And don't forget to vote for Cheesy Garlic Bread Potato Chips, and let me know where you found them!

French Fry Diary 460: Two Amish Farm Markets

My friend Marni is always on the lookout for interesting subjects for the French Fry Diary. Recently she procured two items, from two different Amish Farmers Markets in South Jersey. First, from Bridgeton, she got homemade BBQ potato chips, then from Vineland, onion ring snacks.

The BBQ potato chips, which looked to be more crushed pieces than actual chips, were from Esh's Bulk Food & Candy at The Greater Bridgeton Amish Farm Market, and cost roughly $3.50 a pound. That's much less expensive than regular chips, but of course, in smaller pieces.

Before even trying these chips, I have to admit, one of the ingredients kinda turned me off a bit. The label listed "Selected potatoes, shortening (lard) and salt." Oookay. Lard is never appetizing, but I had to wonder - where was the BBQ seasoning? Or was it just salt?

There is some sort of seasoning, but it was definitely a weak sister to most BBQ seasonings, and not listed on the ingredients. That of course, sadly, wasn't the taste that bugged me about these rather bland chips. I couldn't seem to place it but I didn't really want to eat many if these. They made me a little queasy. If I'm being completely honest, I didn't like these at all. Sorry, Marni.

The onion rings were more accurately onion flavored snacks and came from CK Nut & Candy LLC at the Landis Marketplace in Vineland. Their ingredient list seemed a bit more familiar and straight forward. That was a relief.

For onion snacks they were a bit more orange than most I've seen. That color was misleading as they weren't as spicy as I suspected. But it should be mentioned they also weren't as oniony either. They were quite good, if a bit bland. I liked these, complete opposite of the chips, clear keepers.

Thanks again, Marni!

Baked Seasoned Steak Fries

This recipe comes from Six Sisters' Stuff via the Just-Potatoes Yahoo! Group. Enjoy.

Baked Seasoned Steak Fries

Serves 4-6

Ingredients: 4 large, russet potatoes peeled and cut into thin *wedges, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder and onion powder. Add potato wedges to olive oil mixture and toss until evenly coated. Cover a baking sheet in foil and spread coated potato wedges onto it. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

* Note from Richard Lee Holbert of Just-Potatoes: I detest thin fries so I cut mine thicker.

French Fry Diary 445: Coney Island

On a recent road trip with The Bride, we stopped at Coney Island in Pottsville, PA. It was just one of those places that just call to you from the road. You know when you cruise through an unfamiliar small town, that this is the place you must stop and have lunch. Yeah, it's like that.

There was a giant sign both by the road and on the building itself proclaiming Coney Island outside but inside it was just all cozy little hometown diner. Just a few tables, a counter, and a TV up in the corner, and on the other side some more tables - maybe they were expanding. We sat in the cozy side. They also sold lots of local beers, and lottery tickets at another counter just a few feet away from us. Wow, I loved it.

We ordered at the counter and sat down, our food came out almost immediately. I got a great but simple hot dog, good snap and flavor. The Bride also got a dog and some deep-fried cheesy veggie things. The latter was the most expensive thing we got, and I don't think it cost more than two bucks.

You know I also got French fries, right? The fries were big thick natural regular cuts, battered in seasoning, and deep-fried. They were a little greasy, but with a good crunch to them. No complaints, an almost perfect fry - crisp shell, hot and soft and potato-ey inside. We both cleaned our plates like champs. Yeah, that good.

The best part? We got a pretty full meal, good portions, and it was crazy inexpensive. This place was an all ways winner. If you ever get out to Pottsville in the Poconos, definitely stop at The Coney Island. Recommended.

Diablo Potato Chips

Ingredients: 2 large russet potatoes, 6 cups vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon Cajun-style seasoned salt, divided

Thinly slice potatoes; place in a large bowl of ice water. *

When ready to cook: Heat oil in a deep fryer to 360 degrees F, or until a bread cube browns in 1 minute.

Drain potatoes on paper towels. Sprinkle with some seasoned salt. Lower potatoes into deep fryer with a slotted spoon. Fry in batches until chips are golden, about 3 minutes.

Remove chips from deep fryer with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.

Sprinkle with remaining seasoned salt. Place chips in a serving bowl.

* The potatoes can be sliced and kept in water in an airtight container for up to 2 hours before frying.

Servings: 4

Recipe courtesy of the Just-Potatoes Yahoo! Group.

French Fry Diary 427: Alexia Multi Grain Onion Rings

This kinda goes against the grain, doesn't it? But I'm open-minded. When I saw these Multi Grain Onion Rings from Alexia, whose other products, especially their onion rings, are great... I picked them right up. I can do healthy, and bonus, no transfats.

The package promises crispy golden onions with hearty grain breading. The first thing I noticed when I opened the bag was that they looked different from the regular Alexia o-rings, darker color breading with specks, almost weirdly polka-dotted. Still, I was down and popped them in the oven. There were no deep fryer directions, and honestly I'm pretty sure if they were deep fried, I think that breading would burn. So baking it was.

Now I have to say they are good, well, maybe just okay. The onions are very good, they are those great Spanish onions that Alexia always uses. But the breading is very bland, and despite the baking directions, they did overlook a bit. If you like your rings very crunchy, these might be for you.

I dipped them in BBQ sauce, and the second batch I did a shake and bake deal with what was left in the bag and some BBQ seasoning. They were a little better. They definitely need something extra, and watch your cook time, but definitely worth a try.

French Fry Diary 425: Wildfire BBQ Co. Breakfast

On our previous two visits to the Wildfire BBQ Co. in Stratford NJ, one of which I've written about here, we had heard lots of good things about their breakfast, both from folks who worked there, and were eating there. So the next time friends came in to visit, we went to breakfast.

We were really the only folks there the Saturday morning we visited, a party ahead of us were picking up. There was quite a wait, and in their favor, there was only a waitress and a cook in attendance. The Bride and our two friends were impatient and not happy with their meal if I'm being honest, but it should be noted in the defense of the folks at Wildfire, everyone at the table cleaned their plates completely. Of the four of us, and yes, I'm in the minority, I liked it. It wasn't perfect, far from it, but I liked it. Any problems with the food could have been remedied by just asking for the food differently (i.e. more well done, less well done, over easy, etc.).

I went simple. Hash browns and bacon. The hash browns were standard shredded potatoes, possibly from the freezer, but also possibly fresh - I didn't ask. They could have been a bit crisper, but then again, I could have ordered them that way. Same thing with the overdone bacon. It wasn't burnt, just cooked more than I usually would have liked. The potatoes also could have used some more seasoning - but there again, I could add that at the table. I enjoyed my meal. The rest of my party expressed disappointment. I would go back, I will go back. I liked it, and recommend the Wildfire breakfast. Check it out.

Postscript: Since writing this blog entry a couple months ago, the Wildfire BBQ Co. has sadly closed. The rumor is that they will still be doing catering. You can check out the website here.

French Fry Diary 416: Herr's Potato Chips with Old Bay Seasoning

Frequently in potato chips circles, the various Herr's products are identified by color. The regular chips are blue foil, barbecue are gold foil, ripples are pink foil, and so on. Today, we're talking about the rare silver foil, Herr's Potato Chips with Old Bay Seasoning.

Old Bay is a frequent seasoning for the favorite fried food and sometimes for chips as well. What many folks don't know is that it's a brand name, and marketed by McCormick & Company. It's a blend of various herbs and spices mostly used for cooking seafood and specifically crabs. That's possibly where the crab taste comes from. It's good stuff. Sometimes I put it on my fries at home.

Here we have it on potato chips. It's a bit stronger than I would like but it does keep you from eating one right after another, just like, well, just like potato chips. That's not a complaint by the way, it's an advantage. A bag of chips lasts longer that way.

These chips are good for sandwiching as well, more fun on a burger than just putting Old Bay seasoning itself on it. I like these a lot for a change of chip pace. Rock on, silver foils with the red crabs on the bag. Thanks for bringing the taste of Maryland to the Philadelphia area.

French Fry Diary 409: Arby's Frozen Fries

A recent phenomenon in the fast (and comfort) food industry has been making restaurant foods available in your local grocer's freezer. Here on French Fry Diary, we've looked at this type of thing from Burger King and from Checkers. Now it's Arby's turn as their Seasoned Curly Fries are now out.

The cooking directions are pretty standard for baking, although I noticed that many fries were done when I stopped halfway through to turn them. The bigger curls still needed a bit more cooking. At the end of baking, the small pieces not connected to big curls, coils or twists were pretty burnt. All of the curls, coils and twists however were nicely crisp in a way you can't get at Arby's, or anywhere else for that matter.

These Arby's frozen fries were quite good. I haven't had grocer's freezer curly fries like this before. Recommended.

Introducing the Fry Lover's Burger

Whether you call it sandwiching or planking, putting French fries on your burger has now hit the big time. At Checkers and Rally's they will now do it for you with the Fry Lover's Burger.

"What do you get when you take a perfectly seasoned Checkers & Rally’s burger and top it with our famously seasoned fries? You get flavor awesomeness ... that’s what! Introducing the Fry Lover’s Burger. This bold burger starts with a 100% beef, hand-seasoned hamburger patty, then we top it off with Checkers & Rally’s fries, a slice of American cheese, pickles, ketchup, mayo and mustard. After that we toss it on a toasted sesame seed bun and serve it up to you hot and fresh. Getting hungry? Swing by your favorite Checkers & Rally’s and order one from our money-saving, flavor-craving Cha-Ching menu today!"

French Fry Diary 386: Ian's Onion Rings

I saw these at the Whole Foods recently. Ian's Onion Rings? I had never heard of them before, so into the basket they went. Sure, why not?

As it turns out that Ian's Natural Foods in Massachusetts also makes gluten-free chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and something more in line with our obsession here, potatoey Alphatots. I'll have to track that last one down for a future blog entry.

The bag made a lot of promises. No wheat or gluten, no milk or casein (whatever casein was), no eggs, no nuts, and no soy. These "Gluten-Free Crispy Golden Battered Onion Rings" had a lot to live up to, and I hadn't even gotten them home yet.

Soon as I got home I couldn't wait to try them. First they are sliced thinner than standard onion rings, which is good, I like that. Second, their coating is neither wonderful Panko nor yucky beer batter, but corn flakes. That rocks. That makes for an extra crunch, always a good thing.

The coating that I love so much will become a problem if you choose to deep fry these babies however. They will crisp very quickly. Burn is more like it, giving you delicious onion, once you bite through that rock hard shell of course. What doesn't burn will fall off and fill your deep fryer with debris that will be a pain in the butt to scoop out. Deep frying - not recommended.

For the record, there are no microwave instructions, despite it saying 'microwave' under the cooking directions. On closer inspection, what it says is microwaving is inadvisable. In mad scientist mode I tried it anyway, so you won't have to. It was a disaster with soggy way too chewy onions. Baked is the way to go 100%.

Very quickly, test it out to get the right time as it's variable to the oven and thickness of the rings, you will have very tasty and crispy onion rings. Unlike most freezer rings, these might need a bit more seasoning however, I dipped mine in barbecue sauce. You can add what or dip with whatever you like. These are really terrific. Recommended. Can't wait to try Ian's fries.