tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85820695119270963622024-03-12T17:56:31.286-07:00French Fry LadyFry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-5660188109616184562016-01-15T10:38:00.000-08:002016-01-15T10:39:25.426-08:00Bareburger, Financial District, NY<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://155-williams-st.bareburger.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Bareburger</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> is a semi-national chain, mostly throughout NY. They offer great options for those with allergies/aversions such as gluten-free buns and vegan cheese. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dreaded BOX.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I ordered the regular French Fries as a Side, although they also offer Sweet Fries. They arrived hot, but in a closed box. The box itself looked compostable, but since NYC doesn't compost, I had no idea if it really was. The unfortunate thing about the box is that it steamed the fries and made them limp and mushy on the inside, soft with no bite on the outside. <b>One word:</b> <i>Moist</i>. And that is just an unfortunate word, especially in terms of French Fries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You could tell at one point they were pretty yummy, but then they were placed in the box....They were not moist to the point of being disgusting–the flavor was really good, but the texture threw me off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A couple things I should point out. At <b>$2.80</b> a side they are damn cheap. Also, Bareburger wins alls kinds of <b>Cutest Food Packaging Awards</b> (I wish I had taken a photo of their burger wrapping paper). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So if you're looking for a bargain with cuteness added in, not a bad place to stop in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One sad side note: They do reveal upfront on the menu that a Side of Fries is <b>480 calories</b> :{ Waaaahhhhhhhh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">+++</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Price: As a Side $2.80.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's also an option to buy as a "Snack," which I assume means a much larger portion, which comes with Special Sauce (AND? Hard to tell from the menu–I don't know if the Curry Ketchup IS the Special Sauce) Curry Ginger Ketchup for $4.85.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Portion Size: Large</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Texture: Lots of soft mushiness :( Which is unfortunate, because I bet they were amazing when they got out of the fryer, but the closed box resulted in floppy softness (apologies for that gross description, but it's true).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (standard grease level)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Seasoning: Salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fried In: 100 Percent Non-GMO Canola Oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Condiments: Salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overall Quality of Regular French Fries: 6.0 out of 10. Grade could easily be upped if they ditched the darn box!</span></div>
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Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-54685424886287905992016-01-15T10:09:00.001-08:002016-01-15T10:09:42.492-08:00Las Halles, Financial District, NY<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been wanting to go to <a href="http://leshalles.net/" target="_blank">Brasserie Les Halles</a> ever since reading Anthony Bourdain's <i>Kitchen Confidential. </i>The fries here, called appropriately "<b>Award-Winning French Fries</b>" on the menu, are indeed delectable. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, please.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The potatoes are hand cut or perhaps cut from a press, but definitely not frozen. The fries arrived screaming hot (as all fries should be!) along with my Billi-Bi Moules–Mussels cooked in Saffron, Cream, and Vermouth. Some fries were crispier or softer than others. You would think such a variety would be disconcerting, but in fact this was akin to a delicious grab-bag. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overall, the fries were deliciously crunchy on the outside, nice and cushy on the inside. High marks for awesomeness. I did need to salt them quite a bit though, but damn, that brought out their marvelousness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tip: Under the <b>FRITES </b>Menu, there's also <i>Truffle Fries</i> and <i>Beef Cheek Poutine</i>. Next time, Truffle Fries...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And: Someone posted Anthony Bourdain's recipe for these amazing fries here:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/les-halles-fries"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/les-halles-fries</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">+++</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Price: Award-winning French Fries 7.00 as a side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">$21 with Mussels.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Portion Size: Large</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Texture: Some crispier on outside than others. Some were soft, and yet still scrumptious. I don't know how.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (standard grease level)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Seasoning: Salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fried In: Peanut Oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Condiments: Salt, pepper, ketchup. I actually felt they needed salt, but my companion didn't seem to think so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overall Quality of Regular French Fries: 9.5 out of 10. I just think they could of used some salt.</span></div>
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Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-85110427465861400842015-06-18T10:06:00.000-07:002015-06-18T10:06:51.535-07:00Tribune Tavern, Oakland, CA<div style="text-align: center;">
Seeing as it's been over a year since I've updated this blog, I figured that I should finally write a review. To be completely honest, many-a-fry has been consumed since then, and there are tons of fry photos on my phone that I simply can't place. Ah, well.</div>
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So, today's review is for the <a href="http://tribunetavern.com/" target="_blank">Tribune Tavern</a> in Oakland, CA. I think yesterday was an off-night for the kitchen since I've had fries here several times in the past year and they've been great. Last night, however, the french fries weren't so stellar.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span id="goog_1946164463"></span><span id="goog_1946164464"></span>(Please excuse terrible phone photo due to dim interior lighting.)</span></div>
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I usually order: Tavern Fries with Garlic Aioli for $6.00. </div>
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However, Fry Partner and I ordered the "Fish & Chips: beer battered local Rock Cod, fries, house tartar."</div>
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Fish, undercooked (some of it was a weird orangey/salmon color on the inside. I consumed it anyway. I was hungry). Fries, strange taste that is unexplainable, I don't know if they were cooked in too-old oil or what, but even Fry Partner agreed there was something strange about them. </div>
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Half of the fries were also a bit hard on the inside, others too mealy. They were under-seasoned. Slightest crisp on the outside, but definitely not enough. </div>
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Did I mention that the tartar sauce was watery?</div>
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And yet I continued to eat.</div>
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And then I felt REALLY SICK AFTERWARDS. Like wanting to vomit sick. </div>
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I swear this is the first time the food has tasted so nasty. I'm willing to give the fries another chance since they've been relatively yummy in the past. Last night's experience, however, was yukky.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span>+++</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Price: $6.00 as a side. As part of the gross Fish & Chips, $17 (not worth it).</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Portion Size: Medium as an </span>accompaniment to the fish<span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;">. If I remember correctly, the side is actually quite a large portion.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Texture: Could definitely use more crispiness on the outside. Either mealy or hard on the inside. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (standard grease level)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Seasoning: None</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Fried In: I believe some sort of vegetable oil</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Condiments: salt, pepper, homemade ketchup that's slightly spicy, mustard, the watery tarter sauce that comes with the Fish & Chips. Usually comes with Garlic Aioli, which I did not have access to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Overall Quality of French Fries: 6 out of 10. I am being generous, because at least they </span></span>weren't as<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> disgusting as those ridged fries that are mealy throughout that you get at a hot dog stand. Plus, I've had much better fry experiences here, and I'm pretty sure my latest experience is not representative of their usual Fry-Making...Even though I suspect these fries are frozen and then thrown in the fryer, they are usually much tastier. </span></span></div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-62868519329815984242014-06-09T17:29:00.004-07:002014-06-09T17:30:20.823-07:00Victory Burger, Oakland, CA<div style="text-align: center;">
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This <a href="http://victoryburger.com/" target="_blank">restaurant</a> proclaims,"the sweet taste of VICTORY!" VICTORY of what?, you may ask. Victory of fries, I say. I've come here twice, both times getting my sandwich arepa-style (arepa is a gluten-free and vegan friendly Colombian/Venezuelan flatbread, which I'd never heard of before coming here), which proves extremely messy: the sandwich literally falls apart in your hands. But while the mess is annoying, the fries make up for it. For two-fiddy, you can acquire a nice medium-largish portion of delicious fries, super hot, slightly crisp, and soft and lovely inside. They are perhaps a bit softer than I would prefer, but for two bucks I'm not gonna complain. The ketchup is housemade, and though not going to make your pants fall off, it's not bad either. The fries are also slightly underseasoned, which is why salt on the table is always a plus.</div>
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Bonus: Outdoor seating, and a functioning restroom (I think I need to include the restroom bit in my reviews more often). And right next door to it's sister shop Actual Cafe if you want a coffee before and/or after, OR if you want to actually eat your food from Victory Burger inside the coffee shop! (You can place your order while at Actual.)</div>
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++++</div>
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Fries:</div>
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Price: $2.50 for a side, $5.00 for a basket</div>
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Portion Size: Medium-Largish for the side; I imagine that the basket must then be ginormous.</div>
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Texture: A bit crispy on the outside, soft texture on the inside. Perhaps could have used a tad more of a crispy exterior, but not complaining due to the economical price.</div>
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Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (standard grease level)</div>
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Seasoning: None</div>
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Fried In: I believe some sort of vegetable oil</div>
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Condiments: salt, pepper, homemade ketchup, mustard, homemade hot sauce. Not well-seasoned but a sprinkle of salt helped out.</div>
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Overall Quality of Regular French Fries: 6.75 out of 10.</div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-67091181731556012362014-05-11T21:15:00.002-07:002014-05-11T21:27:07.141-07:00Five Faces Ice Cream Shop, Chicago, Illinois, yo<div style="text-align: center;">
(Confession: I'm not gonna lie. I've seen
the interiors of more than a handful of french fry purveyors since my
last review. But the combo of being both busy and lazy kinda killed the
fire under me to keep up with this blog. Here's hoping this marks a new
start.)</div>
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+++</div>
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I've
heard this area of Chicago referred to as Near North Side, Gold Coast,
and other confusing multiple-name whosie-whatsits. But what does it matter when it's very early in the
wee hours of the morning, and you're looking for an amazing fish
sandwich and fries, and like a miracle, the sign for this place twinkles in the moonlight and you realize, yes, your perfect day will actually roll over into a <i><b>very perfect morning</b><b>? </b></i>Let me make a very bold statement, ladies and gentlemen, and say that <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/five-faces-ice-cream-shop-chicago" target="_blank">Five Faces Rules</a>.
As for the "Ice Cream" part of their name, they do have soft serve and
shakes, but I didn't see any actual "ice cream" lying around. What they
do have is <b>EVERYTHING ELSE</b>. Italian sausage, cheeseburgers, chili hot
dogs, chicken tacos, gyros, pizza puffs, and everything else in-between.
Besides a crazy assortment of, well, <i>like I said, everything</i>, it's the perfect place to observe the hussies who just crawled out of the
several bars or clubs on the block wolfing down greasy food in drunken bliss (if watching stuff like that is your sort of thing).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l82O0PLXLWA/U3BKeyWlV8I/AAAAAAAAANY/4BwSkChHjH4/s1600/fivefaces-FRIESsm.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l82O0PLXLWA/U3BKeyWlV8I/AAAAAAAAANY/4BwSkChHjH4/s1600/fivefaces-FRIESsm.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adorable fry sack. Sound filthy? It ain't.</td></tr>
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Fries: In an adorable bag that says "<span style="color: red;">FRENCH FRIES</span>" on it (and the very same bag that's on my <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>Items I Love</i></span>
list on Etsy). And yummy. Slightly crispy on the outside, nice and soft
of the inside. Not seasoned enough, but with salt you can change the
course of your fry-meal. In spite of this, the fries were delectable even without
the salt.<br />
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And did I mention that the fish sammich was kick-ass? Five Faces, I love you.<br />
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++++<br />
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<b>Fries</b><br />
Price: French Fries $2.13 (for goodness sake, a deal, I tell you!)<br />
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Portion Size: Medium<br />
Texture: Slightly crispy on the outside, nice "give" on the inside. <br />
Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (standard grease level)<br />
Seasoning: None<br />
Fried In: I believe some sort of vegetable oil<br />
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Condiments: salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard. Not well-seasoned, but salt changed EVERYTHING.<br />
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Overall Quality of Regular French Fries: 6.5 out of 10 with salt added.</div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-40438466476874730552014-01-04T17:55:00.003-08:002014-05-11T21:31:33.427-07:00Cafeteria, NYCAhh, NY, the city where for four straight years I survived on French Fries, Vente Frappucinos, Snickers Bars and the occasional burrito and bagel alone (sometimes supplemented with chocolate chip pancakes from Bliss in Williamsburg and often supplemented with Brioche with Sugar and Croissants from the Hungarian). Now that my nutritional menu has expanded (it now includes fresh produce), trying new restaurants is something I quite enjoy.<br />
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My friend recommended <a href="http://www.cafeteriagroup.com/" target="_blank">Cafeteria</a> in Chelsea. First of all, this place is open TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN. 50,000 bonus points right there. Second of all, their food is AWESOME. And the waitstaff is super friendly (and also beautiful--it's funny how you can't help thinking every NYC waiter is also an actor). And they have co-ed bathrooms (just a kind reminder: please wipe the seat if you are of the standing persuasion).<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5HsSqMaoXs/Usi7DkZPOCI/AAAAAAAAANE/vKy4quRqENk/s1600/fry.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5HsSqMaoXs/Usi7DkZPOCI/AAAAAAAAANE/vKy4quRqENk/s320/fry.jpg" height="320" width="250" /></a><br />
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Obviously, I'm going to concentrate on the fries. First, the Truffle Parmesan Fries. Yes, for $6 dollars and a medium portion, maybe not the cheapest fries on earth. But HOLY HELL these fries are good. They are lightly crisp on the outside, with soft and delicate innards. First you bite into the crunchy, cheesy Parmesan topping, then your teeth hit the pillow of the fry, and all of a sudden a heavenly blast of truffle oil coats your tongue. The seasoning overall is perfect with a good salt factor. It's served with ketchup, which these fries honestly don't need, although it's nice to have as an option. I'm giving it a 9.5, only because I almost think the Parmesan gives the fries a slight unfair advantage (maybe that's lame to say, but this is the first time I'm reviewing fries with any kind of cheese on top, and to be perfectly honest, I don't know how to fairly compare these to all the other fries I've tasted).<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p3PDD466JNA/Usi7Dl5u-7I/AAAAAAAAANA/VX1ttbCNbVE/s1600/sweet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p3PDD466JNA/Usi7Dl5u-7I/AAAAAAAAANA/VX1ttbCNbVE/s320/sweet.jpg" height="320" width="250" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Bad phone pic, although I'm thankful for it. Tx Nic!)</span></div>
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Now onto the Sweet Potato Fries. A side of these is 5 bucks served with Garlic Aioli if ordered as a Side, but they came with my friend's burger and so didn't come with the Aioli. Regardless of this, these yummy guys were simply INCREDIBLE. Like the Truffle Fries, they have a nice gentle crisp on the outside and a soft center. But here's the crazy thing. These fries are seasoned with what I could only discern as salt. So you bite into the fry, and you taste the saltiness. And you're thinking, "Aren't these supposed to be sweet?" And then you wait a second and out of nowhere…Pow. The sweetness bops you in the head. I'm not quite sure how the hell they prepare these fries, but whatever Cafeteria is doing, it's moronically good. I still don't understand how they make them so that the sweetness hits your tongue later than you think it will. It's simply magical! It's like freaking up there with unicorns and pots of gold.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">+++</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Truffle Parmesan Fries<br />Price:$6.00<br />Portion Size: Medium<br />Texture: Slight crisp on outside, good delicate softness on inside<br />Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (slightly greasy). Let's be honest here. Who was paying attention to this when the fries were so good?<br />Seasoning: Well seasoned with salt, parmesans, and truffle oil.<br />Fried in: Some sort of vegetable oil<br /><br />Condiments: Ketchup. Choose your own: ketchup, mustard, pepper, salt<br /><br />Overall Quality of French Fries: 9.5 out of 10<br /><br />+++</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Sweet Potato Fries<br />Price:$5.00<br />Portion Size: Medium<br />Texture: Slight crisp on outside, good delicate softness on inside<br /><br />Greasiness Level: Let's be honest here. Who was paying attention to this when the fries were so good?<br />Seasoning: Well seasoned with salt. And Magic.<br />Fried in: Some sort of vegetable oil<br /><br />Condiments: Ketchup. Usually comes with Garlic Aioli, but I didn't get a chance to try the Aioli. Choose your own: ketchup, mustard, pepper, salt<br /><br />Overall Quality of French Fries: 9.5 out of 10</span>Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-65556678920387348802013-08-10T14:28:00.003-07:002013-08-10T14:28:39.841-07:00The Chapel, San Francisco, CA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dIyEkKea9Po/Ugav__R_ZKI/AAAAAAAAAMo/5Ac-IXiJObI/s1600/sparksfry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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(Note: This review is WAYYY OVERDUE.) <a href="http://www.thechapelsf.com/" target="_blank">The Chapel in the Mission</a>. Perhaps you've been here to see shows. But have you ever been here to taste the FRIES? Fellow fry companion and I went here to see Sparks, which, in and of itself, is awesome anyway. But while waiting, said fellow fry companion decided to get an order of fries, which to both of our surprises (or however you phrase that) were simply some of the most incredible french fries I have ever tasted in my life. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xze3SIeJac0/Ugav-R3jFyI/AAAAAAAAAMg/V801KoYOGKI/s1600/sparks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xze3SIeJac0/Ugav-R3jFyI/AAAAAAAAAMg/V801KoYOGKI/s320/sparks.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">I swear to god that's Ron!</span></div>
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<br />For 5 dollars you get an enormous heaping plate of fries tossed with garlic and parsley, enough to serve 5 people (no, we didn't finish them all. Although I wanted to put some in my pocket for later).</div>
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<br /> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dIyEkKea9Po/Ugav__R_ZKI/AAAAAAAAAMo/5Ac-IXiJObI/s1600/sparksfry.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dIyEkKea9Po/Ugav__R_ZKI/AAAAAAAAAMo/5Ac-IXiJObI/s320/sparksfry.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">What fries look like in a dark club.</span></div>
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Hot and toasty, thinly cut, gently crisped on the outside, tender on the inside, these fries are my new favorite. They are extremely well seasoned and don't need a thing (although ketchup would have been nice to break it up a bit. After all, there were only 2 of us eating a gallon-plate of fries).<br /><br />The Chapel needs to advertise their fries a bit more prominently. Because they've been hiding from me way too long.<br /><br />+++<br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><b>Fries</b><br />Price: $5.00<br />Portion Size: Enough to feed 5 adults, or 4 if you're really hungry. Would probably feed 1 cat, 1 dog, and a parrot, or 2 hungry children.<br /><br />Texture: Slightly crispy on outside, hot and tender (!) on the inside. Perfect.<br /><br />Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (standard grease level)<br />Seasoning: Excellent, with garlic and parsley<br />Fried In: Some sort of vegetable oil<br /><br /><br />Condiments: Didn't come with any, but I'm sure you could ask the busy bartender<br /><br />Overall Quality of French Fries: 10 out of 10</span></div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-82751849533254113492013-08-10T14:22:00.001-07:002013-08-10T14:28:50.510-07:00Juhu Beach Club, Oakland, CA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NowVMm4CvqM/UgauSPKrCRI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/Q-9dSuopdRE/s1600/juhu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<br />
I really enjoyed my first trip <a href="http://juhubeachclub.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. Maybe you recognize the chef from Top Chef. Who cares? The food's good!<br />
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My partner in crime and I got some Pavs (slider sandwiches), Chickpea Curry (not bad, but not earth shattering either), and Masala Fries with Tamarind Ketchup.<br />
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Oh, yeah, we also got Sev Puri, which came with apple relish and chutneys. We were firkin' hungry!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NowVMm4CvqM/UgauSPKrCRI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/Q-9dSuopdRE/s1600/juhu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NowVMm4CvqM/UgauSPKrCRI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/Q-9dSuopdRE/s320/juhu.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Anyway, the fries were served very hot, and were pretty darn tasty. Thinly sliced and nicely coated with flavor, I have to say that with all the spice (the things were damn spicy! but in a good way), they were sort of messing with my ability to rate them fairly since they're so different than the average fry. I have read a Yelp reviewer complain that these fries tasted very blah, so I guess I came on a VERY SPICY DAY.<br />
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I personally thought the fries were delicious, and the chili flavor left a lingering flavor in my mouth throughout the night (and unfortunately, the next morning as well). The Masala Ketchup was yummy as well, although I'm going to be honest here and say that the burning (again, in a good way!) sensation in my mouth made me care very little for the actual taste of the ketchup. I am going to give them a solid 6.5 since they are sort of incomparable to any other fry I've tasted before.<br />
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Note: This place is full of trickery! Just when you think you're eating on a paper plate! It's not. Just when you think you're drinking from a plastic cup! It's not.</div>
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+++</div>
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<b>Fries</b><br />
Price: $5.00<br />
Portion Size: A big larger than a Medium<br />
Texture: Crispy coating on outside, tender inside.<br />
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Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (standard grease level)<br />
Seasoning: None<br />
Fried In: Canola Oil<br />
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<br />
Condiments: salt, pepper, masala ketchup<br />
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Overall Quality of French Fries: 6.5 out of 10</div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-66850820863620072202013-05-19T19:34:00.004-07:002014-05-11T21:32:54.824-07:00Park Burger, Oakland, CA<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.parkburgeroakland.com/" target="_blank">Park Burger</a>, in the neighborhood called "Lower Hills," (which is what I like to think of as a euphemism for "Lesser Ghetto," depending on what part of the "Lower Hills" you're in) is a nice small operation, where you go up to the counter and pay, and then a waiter comes and serves you your food.<br />
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I like this place. It's cozy and you can tell a lot of the customers live in the area. As for the food, my black bean burger with slaw was pretty good as far as veggie burgers go. However, the fries were a total disappointment.<br />
As described on their menu: "FRENCH FRIES $2.5 Thinly cut on a daily basis; served with sea<br />
salt."<br />
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Sweet Potato Fries as a side are $3.50. I saw someone else order them and they came in a drinking glass and did not look very plentiful.<br />
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I opted for the Sampler–French Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Onion Rings for $5 (not bad!)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oG_8udcvUaA/UZmLrmwqnKI/AAAAAAAAAL4/VjwO2L_ukIY/s1600/ParkBurger.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oG_8udcvUaA/UZmLrmwqnKI/AAAAAAAAAL4/VjwO2L_ukIY/s320/ParkBurger.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, all of the fried sides were bland. The Onion Rings (I haven't had onion rings since I was probably 8 years old, so maybe I'm a bad judge of them), were extremely crispy, to the point where it seemed like the batter was made up of some dried, hard nut, and lacked seasoning. The Sweet Potato Fries were covered in some some of crispy batter, which I despise (as I feel coatings are somehow covering up for lack of flavor and destroy the integrity of the fry) and also poorly seasoned–they simply tasted like sweet potatoes dipped in oil. <br />
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As for the Regular French Fries–they were okay. They were all sorts of crazy different sizes, a lot of them being only about half an inch long. I don't know if this means they are handcut, but I thought it was weird that there were so many baby-sized ones thrown into the mix. Anyway, these were pale and very bland, but a crapload of salt made them sort of resemble what I remember McDonald's fries tasting like (which isn't a bad thing).<br />
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Portion size for the Sampler was great, but eh, probably not going to revisit these fries anytime soon. The black bean burger wasn't bad, however.<br />
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++++<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Price: French Fries $2.50, Sweet Potato Fries $3.50. I got the sampler, $5 for both fry types plus onion rings.<br /><br />Portion Size: Large (for the Sampler, anyway)<br />Texture: Regular Fries–not bad. Slightly crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Sweet Potato Fries–gross outside batter coating which was crispy, soft on the outside. Not a fan of those Sweet Potato Fries.<br /><br />Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (standard grease level)<br />Seasoning: None<br />Fried In: I believe some sort of vegetable oil<br /><br /><br />Condiments: salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard (including Grey Poupon, yo), mayo. Add salt to everything and watch your meal transform.<br /><br />Overall Quality of Regular French Fries: 5 out of 10 with salt added. 4.5 without.<br />Overall Quality of Sweet Potato Fries: 4.5 out of 10. Edible, but did not make me happy.</span><br />
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Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-84336189684709361082013-04-01T10:21:00.000-07:002014-01-04T18:01:18.754-08:00Mission Bowling Club, San Francisco, CA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z55Vu2joxi4/UVm_jTEaTXI/AAAAAAAAALg/XeEnnZap08E/s1600/friesmb.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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Maybe you've already heard of Mission Chinese. You know, that spot that everyone from Lidia Bastianich to...well, everyone else gushes over (personally, I think they're food is migraine inducing over-the-top %#@^$ SALTY!!! And I'm a salt fiend!!).</div>
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Well, Anthony Myint, the chef guy from Mission Chinese, now also runs the restaurant inside <a href="http://missionbowlingclub.com/" target="_blank">Mission Bowling</a>, a large, hip bowling spot on 17th between South Van Ness and Shotwell. I'm not sure how the bowling is, but I do know a bit about the food.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice miniscule "burger" to the left. People trying to maintain a normal 2000-a day calorie diet need not apply.</td></tr>
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How would you like a 3 x 1.5" rectangular vegan burger for $10.00? Well, that's exactly how I felt. Granted it was served with a small salad, which I promptly substituted with fries, a decision for which I was fined an additional dollar.</div>
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The side of fries was a smallish medium in terms of portion size (for some reason, the photo above makes the portion size look larger than it actually was), and there were a few mealy ones in the bunch. However, most of them were cooked well and had great texture and flavor. Although extremely underseasoned, a good hit of salt and ketchup helped remedy that. A decent side of fries, if a bit on the expensive side.</div>
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I've heard some great things about their cocktails, so I'd be willing to go back if a friend really wanted to. Just not sure I would order the My Little Pony-sized vegan "burger" again. I felt pretty ripped off (ie, I did not think it was a great burger. I would have been fine with a frozen Boca Burger).</div>
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+++<br />
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Price: $11 (includes $1 penalty) when ordered with a doll-size vegan "burger"<br />
$6 if ordered alone as a side (this version comes with a "dipping sauce." I have no idea what that means).<br />
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Portion Size: Smallish-Medium (although if you don't have my appetite, you'd prolly think it was more on the Medium side)<br />
Texture: A few mealy ones, but overall good texture, chew, and crispiness of outside<br />
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Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (standard grease level)<br />
Seasoning: None (really needed it)<br />
Fried In: I believe some sort of vegetable oil<br />
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Condiments: salt, pepper, ketchup<br />
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Overall Quality of French Fries: 5.75 out of 10</div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-10842349029745137662013-02-12T11:17:00.003-08:002013-02-12T11:25:53.915-08:00L'as Du Fallafel, Paris, France<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">I took about 10 cell phone photos</span></b> (on my crappy phone) of the facade of<a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/france/paris/60382/las-du-fallafel/restaurant-detail.html" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8582069511927096362" target="_blank">this place</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27As_du_Fallafel" target="_blank">here's the Wiki page</a>), because for some reason I found it <span style="color: #3d85c6;">HILARIOUS</span> that underneath their <span style="color: lime;">neon</span> OPEN sign are the words: "As recommended by Lenny Kravitz." There were also photographs of Lenny Kravitz all over the windows. Lenny Kravitz likes falafel!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UsWig_UZLjU/URqT3vJxOAI/AAAAAAAAALI/Tr4wIicchh4/s1600/falf1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UsWig_UZLjU/URqT3vJxOAI/AAAAAAAAALI/Tr4wIicchh4/s400/falf1.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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L'As du Fallafel does indeed serve up a really amazing falafel sandwich, stuffed with nuggets of eggplant and hummus (take note if you ever find yourself in the Jewish Quarter in Paris!) (PS: I actually liked the falafel from a nearby competitor a bit more, but this was still far better than anything I've ever had in the US. Sorry Oren's–which I've reviewed a few posts earlier, declaring it to serve to the best falafel sandwich I've ever had. That winning title for Oren's still stands up in the States, though).<br />
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Unfortunately, for me, but not for Lenny, the french fries did not match up to the falafel sandwich, although they still worked, if you know what I mean (ie, I finished them all). The fries were a bit on the thick side, which is not an issue for me, but they unfortunately suffered from being a bit mealy on the inside (sigh–that seems to be a pretty consistent problem with a lot of fries I've tasted lately); however, despite these shortcomings, they did still manage to eke out some pretty decent flavor. Extra points for being piping hot. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above you are seeing remnants of a once big bowl of fries. </td></tr>
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Price: I can't remember, but I have the receipt somewhere. It's in Euros!<br />
Portion Size: Large<br />
Texture: A bit mealy on the inside, very slight crisp on the outside. Could use more frying/cooking time.<br />
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Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (standard grease level)<br />
Seasoning: None (really needed it)<br />
Fried In: I believe some sort of vegetable oil<br />
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Condiments: salt, pepper, ketchup, hot sauce<br />
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Overall Quality of French Fries: 5.75 out of 10<br />
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Side Note: Lenny Kravitz approves!</div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-16423847701292779342013-02-04T09:31:00.000-08:002013-02-11T23:36:10.855-08:00The Cheesecake Factory, Freehold, NJ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Overall, my dining experience at<a href="http://locations.thecheesecakefactory.com/nj/freehold-132.html" target="_blank"> The Cheesecake Factory</a></b> <span style="font-size: large;">was not satisfactory. People of America, do not be angry with me; I simply did not have a very good experience. I know that waiting 45 minutes to 2 hours with a vibrating beeper hanging around your person should by default guarantee a fine dining adventure, but I cannot lie. (Admittedly, I went here with my cousins who had a coupon, and who can turn that down?) </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My veggie burger with a side of fries arrived, and immediately one of my cousins remarked, eyes widening, " Did they just put a bunch of salt on your burger?" I looked down at my open-face meatless burger and confirmed that yes, indeed, someone must have poured a crapload of salt on my burger–the glistening crystals cut through the dimly lit dining area, piled high like frosting on the mound of mushy, flat, brown "veggie burger" (was that amazing prose, or what? Yes, it's terribl<span style="font-size: large;">e<span style="font-size: large;">. It<span style="font-size: large;"> sort of reads like a romance novel. Without the romance. Just bad fries</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">).</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So, as far as the burger went, in the words of my 5-year old niece, it was undeniably "GROSS." Mushy and flavorless in that weird "veggie-burger-made-with-cardboard" sort of way, the salt could do nothing to save it. But that was the burger. As for the fries, well, not so great either.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EVfgCGBXChk/UQ_vjnuJxOI/AAAAAAAAAKo/_dRWM7ni-NQ/s1600/cheesecake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EVfgCGBXChk/UQ_vjnuJxOI/AAAAAAAAAKo/_dRWM7ni-NQ/s320/cheesecake.jpg" width="250" /></a><br />
<br />
The fries were undercooked, pale, flavorless. I mean, white as an old man's legs. Or something like that. They also had some weird dry texture to them, kind of like mushy peanut butter. <br />
<br />
At least the Big Gulp sized Diet Coke came with free refills. The Cheesecake Factory provided me with a totally weird and bizarre almost Disneyesque (read: 500-page menu, or how ever many pages it is–how is it that The Cheesecake Factory menu on the Big Bang Theory is only a double-sided sheet?!) food experience. *PLEASE NOTE: This is not to say some of their other dishes don't taste "good," so please withhold your angry emails about their delicious cheesecake varieties. </div>
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Price: $3.95 <br />
Portion Size: Medium<br />
Texture: Mushy, peanut-butter texture<br />
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Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (standard grease level)<br />
Seasoning: None<br />
Fried In: Canola Oil<br />
<br />
Condiments: salt, pepper, ketchup<br />
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Overall Quality of French Fries: 3.75 out of 10. Kinda Super Gross.</div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-16060121277153336022012-10-24T12:50:00.001-07:002013-02-11T23:21:06.953-08:00Gott's Roadside, San Francisco, CA<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://gotts.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8582069511927096362" target="_blank">Gott'</a>s</b> (</span>for some reason Blogger won't let me make this a link, but it's: <span style="color: #3d85c6;">www.gotts.com</span> in case you're interested) used to be Taylor's Automatic Refresher in the Ferry Building. At Taylor's I used to be able to get a grilled cheese, but not anymore. Supposedly the Taylor family was not amused at the Gotts' family name-changing decision. More importantly: For the non-burger lover--why get rid of the simple (yet overpriced) grilled cheese? And, hi!, on the day I'm craving fish 'n chips, I discover that Gott's got rid of that too. Like the Taylors, so not amused.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jAboXR0trcI/UIhF_Iz7sSI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/PD3XSSfybOY/s1600/gotts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jAboXR0trcI/UIhF_Iz7sSI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/PD3XSSfybOY/s1600/gotts.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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In any event, the fries were pretty good. I was sort of disappointed sitting up at the counter and watching someone pour out frozen fries from a giant brown bag, but I guess not every fry can be freshly hand-cut. <br />
<br />
The fries themselves were pretty hot, but I don't think they were the freshest. Like everything else, they were sitting on the counter for a long time, and then quickly re-heated in the heat-blaster (which is fine, I mean, I use a microwave. But all that food sitting up there was pretty yukky to watch in person). Pretty good crispiness on the outside, decent chew and softness on the inside. <br />
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And PS: Whoever ordered those salads that sat on the counter for literally 45 minutes or more--when the fry team left, they were still there--I feel sorry for you.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">+++</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Price: $2.89 </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Portion Size: Medium</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Texture: Slightly crispy on outside, soft in the mid-section. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (standard grease level)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Seasoning: Okay</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Fried In: Some sort of 100 percent vegetable oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Condiments: salt, pepper, ketchup</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Overall Quality of French Fries: 6.75 out of 10</span></div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-37498475300553534402012-10-11T06:08:00.003-07:002013-02-11T23:20:50.985-08:00Portal in Oakland, CA, Part Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>As promised,</b></span> I returned to <a href="http://www.portaloakland.com/" target="_blank">Portal</a>. </div>
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This time I tried the Sweet Potato fries. They arrived nice and hot, but my fellow fry taster immediately noted, "They didn't give us very much!" Unfortunately, the Sweet Potato frites suffered the same problems that the Smoked Chili fries did (previous post). They look pretty crispy on the outside, but again they were undercooked on the inside. Fellow fry taster hypothesized that perhaps they are not double-fried like most fries are. This sounds like a very likely possibility, but I can't be sure. </div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7PJjq8dA3BM/UHbBveQvGLI/AAAAAAAAAKA/Kc1v2WIkj8k/s1600/portalfries2.jpg" width="301" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Gross photo taken in dim light. Apologies.)</span></div>
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They were probably not as well seasoned as the Smoked Chili fries, but still the frites were pretty tasty, just undercooked. It's a shame.</div>
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(Side note. On the menu it reads: "<b>Sweet Potato</b>, garlic, ginger aioli," which is a bit confusing.</div>
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The garlic and ginger are actually in the aioli; the garlic is not mixed in with the fries.)</div>
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+++</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Price: $6.00<br />Portion Size: Small!<br />Texture: Slightly crispy on outside, quite undercooked on the inside. Sad face.<br /><br />Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (a bit greasy)<br />Seasoning: Oh man. Perfect.<br />Fried in: Rice Oil<br /><br />Condiments: garlic and ginger aioli, ketchup<br /><br /><br />Overall Quality of French Fries: 6 out of 10.</span></div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-16599492126870797692012-09-28T17:07:00.003-07:002013-02-11T23:37:31.421-08:00Portal in Oakland, CA<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Don't be afraid</b> of <a href="http://www.portaloakland.com/" target="_blank">Portal</a>. </span>It shares its facade with a tattoo parlor, and unfortunately the graffiti on the side of the building gives it a sort of this-restaurant-must-be-gross-and-vile vibe. <br />
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<span id="goog_1271284440"></span><span id="goog_1271284441"></span><br />
However, once inside you will notice how cozy and warm it is, and the best part? The back patio is awesome! Sure, the weird netting from the tennis courts across the street doesn't exactly scream paradise, but it's <i>something</i> (that's all I ask for around here), and you can even see some of Lake Merritt if you're facing in the right direction.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KFWqTnd44Z8/UGY7gS0_xmI/AAAAAAAAAJw/Z1fGfS_zT-w/s1600/menu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KFWqTnd44Z8/UGY7gS0_xmI/AAAAAAAAAJw/Z1fGfS_zT-w/s320/menu.jpg" width="239" /></a><br />
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Anyway, one look at Portal's menu says it all. Smoked Chili fries? Herbed Garlic fries? Sweet Potato? Cereally, this menu will kill a die-hard fry lover. I decided not to go insane on my first visit to Portal, and shared an order of the Smoked Chili fries with my fry partner. As the menu implies, the fries are topped with Himalayan (or so they say! I did not actually fact-check and/or bring my lab equipment to make sure this was true) salt and lime.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ROQPyS24Dw4/UGY7fRP8JyI/AAAAAAAAAJo/BFbrhdB0DOE/s1600/FRIES.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ROQPyS24Dw4/UGY7fRP8JyI/AAAAAAAAAJo/BFbrhdB0DOE/s320/FRIES.gif" width="240" /></a><br />
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Oh, man, these fries were so well seasoned. So it's a shame that they were a bit undercooked--they just weren't soft enough on the inside and were a tad on the hard side. However, I must once again emphasize how darn good the seasoning was, the salt and lime really shined (shone?) through and made them terribly addicting in spite of not frying in the oil quite long enough.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I'll be back to try the other flavors soon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">+++</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Price: $5.00</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Portion Size: Medium</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Texture: Slightly crispy on outside, a bit hard and undercooked on the inside</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (a bit greasy)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Seasoning: Oh man. Perfect.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Fried in: Rice Oil</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Condiments: ketchup
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<span style="font-size: small;">Overall Quality of French Fries: 6.5 out of 10.</span></div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-74933342239193011702012-08-27T17:26:00.002-07:002013-02-11T23:19:57.643-08:00BEST FRENCH FRIES EVER TO APPEAR AT A WEDDING BUFFFET, Portland, OR<div style="text-align: center;">
(PS: I just noticed I spelled "Buffet" with three "T''s" in the title. It's like an onomatopoeia! BuFFFFFet, as in endddddddlesssssss....)<br />
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<b>I will say it again. </b>These french fries are the best french fries ever to appear at a wedding buffet. B & T's wedding at the Portland Art Museum was absolutely lovely, from the ceremony itself, to the table settings to the wedding cake topper created by T herself. And yes, there was a wedding buffet that was full of delights, plus assorted doughnuts in addition to the gorgeous wedding cake. And pizza was even delivered in the wee hours while the dancing was winding down!<br />
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It's sort of unfair to judge fries at a wedding buffet. I mean, how often do you see unlimited potatoes prepared in the french manner offered on a day of matrimonial celebration? Let's just say that I initially got what was on the bottom of the pan…And then my companion saw that a fresh tray was coming out and heaped a pile of those on my plate.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qbSLiLKB2No/UDwPuo7NBEI/AAAAAAAAAJY/NqmV2PHqsvQ/s1600/bradsfries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qbSLiLKB2No/UDwPuo7NBEI/AAAAAAAAAJY/NqmV2PHqsvQ/s1600/bradsfries.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cell phone photo does not do justice to the amazing meal, I promise.</span><br />
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Delicious. The hot-fresh fries were amazing. Please do not be mad at me, gentle readers--I mean, reader, meaning myself--but the middle could of been cooked just a wee bit more. I'm going to leave it at that. Because they were still awesome.<br />
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B & T, you are an awesome couple. Here's to a lifetime of love and happiness together! Thank you for allowing me to partake on your special day and be the freak who had an obscene pile of fries on her plate, surrounded by various toppings (some stolen from the Roast Beef Station) smeared everywhere.<br />
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+++<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Price: N/A (THE BEST KIND)<br />Portion Size: XXXXX Large.<br />Texture: Crispy on outside, maybe a bit undercooked in the middle (at least the batch I got. But still, I must emphasize, AWESOME).<br /><br />Greasiness Level: 2 out of 5 (actually not that greasy)<br />Seasoning: A bit underseasoned, but I took care of that with the condiments.<br />Fried in: presumably a vegetable oil?<br /><br />Condiments: "Borrowed" from Roast Beef Station: horseradish, soft red onions, mustard<br /><br />ketchup and ranch dressing (ranch dressing at a wedding, people!)<br /><br /><br />Overall Quality of French Fries: 7.25 out of 10</span></div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-39353596404284754602012-07-22T19:14:00.001-07:002012-07-22T19:15:07.103-07:00A word I hope to never use<div style="text-align: center;">
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...In a description of french fries:</div>
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DELISH.</div>
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Thank you, Rachael Ray, for corrupting the English language with your crazy abbreviations! (Actually, I don't really mind her, but DELISH is something I do not ever want to acquire in my vocabulary).</div>
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Fine. You've probably heard me use the word, "Yumsters." But I think I made that up on my own time, even if you've probably heard it elsewhere. And I probably use the word "amazing" too much. Still, neither of those words is as bad as DELISH. The word is delicious. There's an ending to it!</div>
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<br /></div>Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-73390043781122052452012-07-22T18:02:00.000-07:002012-07-22T19:11:18.453-07:00Barney's Gourmet Hamburger in Oakland, CA<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.barneyshamburgers.com/" target="_blank">Barney's</a> has locations in a bunch of different locations. This review is for the fries at the Oakland location.<br />
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You can order a side of fries in three sizes: Full, half, and single. I ordered single orders of both the Spicy Curly Fries and Skinny Fries, and let me tell you that these are a STEAL. For $2.50 you can get a large bowl of french fries, which is probably one of the best deals you'll ever find in the Bay Area because that bowl of fries was, as I said, LARGE, people! With the money you've saved on the fries, you can then walk down the street to Fenton's and a get a nice scoop of Coffee Cookie Dream!<br />
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Onto the fries. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Please forgive the somewhat gross close-up shots)</span><br />
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<b>Part 1.</b><br />
Skinny Fries. They seem cut in-house, nice and skinny, but were really pale (AKA, New oil that has not broken down yet, and thus the oil cannot properly penetrate the outside of the potato. See, I'm learning!). Slight crunch on the outside, maybe just a tad bit too mealy on the inside. Underseasoned, but some salt really brought out the fried potato flavor (sidenote regarding something really annoying: the salt is contained in a salt shaker grinder apparatus, and was not the appropriate type of grinder for such large salt rocks. It took a bit too long just to get a tiny sprinkle of salt on the fries, and the fries really needed a lot of salt). <br />
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The Skinny Fries are definitely better than most of what you can find out there. I'd order them again, knowing that some salt and ketchup will definitely help out.<br />
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<b>Part 2.</b><br />
Spicy Curly Fries, served with "home-style" ranch dressing. I'm not sure what "home-style" means. In the style of home? Made in the kitchen? Anyway, these fries were again a bit underseasoned and needed a bit of salt. They are really not even "spicy," although there are hints of something caliente in the batter. From what I could tell they looked battered and then deep fried. <br />
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These, however, were nice and crisp on the outside, soft in the middle. One can only assume that these were fried in a completely different batch of frying oil. The flavor of these fries were definitely enhanced by a dip in the ranch dressing. I really enjoyed these, although they're not really comparable to a regular old standard fry. <br />
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Skinny Fries:<br />
Price: $2.50 (a steal, people!)<br />
Portion Size: Large<br />
Texture: Not crispy enough on outside, a bit mealy on the inside. Super pale!<br />
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Greasiness Level: 2 out of 5 (actually not that greasy)<br />
Seasoning: Very underseasoned<br />
Fried in: 100 percent vegetable oil<br />
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Condiments: salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard<br />
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Overall Quality of French Fries: 6.0 out of 10 (don't be mad at me, Brad. I still think these had good flavor in spite of the paleness. And at least there was some crispness on the outside.)</div>
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<i>VERSUS</i></div>
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Spicy Curly Fries<br />
Price: $2.75 (again, an absolute STEAL!)<br />
Portion Size: Large<br />
Texture: Crispy on outside, soft on the inside. Yum.<br />
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Greasiness Level: 2 out of 5 (not that greasy)<br />
Seasoning: Underseasoned<br />
Fried in: 100 percent vegetable oil<br />
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Condiments: Comes with a side of home-style (what does that mean?) ranch dressing that really enhances the flavor, salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard<br />
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Overall Quality of French Fries: </div>
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Not what I would really deem "spicy" (ie, it's not going to knock your
socks off or anything), but there is a definite hint of spice.</div>
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7.5 out of 10<br />
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<br /></div>Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-7686135474942743132012-07-22T17:52:00.006-07:002013-02-11T23:28:47.562-08:00Kwik Way Drive-In in Oakland, CA<div style="text-align: center;">
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(This is way overdue. Like, a year and a half, so apologies for that.) </div>
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First, a bit of a history lesson courtesy of the East Bay Express (from an article by John Birdsall in June, 2011) about your friendly local <a href="http://www.kwikwayoakland.com/" target="_blank">Kwik Way Drive-In</a>:</div>
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"In the Fifties [Kwik Way] was part of a local drive-in chain…In the days of red-lining Kwik Way's customers were mostly white; after I-580 slashed through the neighborhood in the 1960s, they were mostly black. Like a wide swath of Oakland's commons the Kwik Way withered, then closed, though the parking lot continued to thrive — no more cheeseburgers or fried prawns, but a late-night menu of eight balls and front-seat blow jobs, with the roar of the freeway as soundtrack."<br />
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In other words, it used to be a place that a younger Anthony Bourdain would have frequented (I'm assuming that here, "eight ball" means the white stuff and not pool-playing).<br />
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Today, it is a pleasant walk up, with five tables outdoors so you can eat in the sun. As for the fries, let me just say this: I was SHOCKED. The first thing you notice is that the portion size is quite generous for the price (just $2.15 including the tax!).<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lDWL35RTva8/UAyfnTtPiFI/AAAAAAAAAIs/rFtWRCLVAi8/s1600/kwik1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lDWL35RTva8/UAyfnTtPiFI/AAAAAAAAAIs/rFtWRCLVAi8/s320/kwik1.png" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(This time around they were brought home and above appear on the kitchen cutting board<span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span>)</span><br />
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The quality and taste are superb, and the fries appear to be hand-cut. They arrived piping hot and delicately cooked with a slightly crispy skin and hot, soft innards (ooh, so graphic). These tasty morsels are also incredibly well-seasoned with a very nice balance of salt, pepper, and parsley. <br />
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I had such low expectations for Kwik Way, but I think I may have found a new love.<br />
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+++</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Price: $1.95 ($2.15 includes tax. Or maybe it was $2.12. What's the tax here again? I don't feel like calculating right now.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Portion Size: A bit bigger than a medium</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Texture: Crispy on outside, soft on the inside</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (a bit greasy)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Seasoning: Perfecto! Salt, pepper, and parsley</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Fried in: Canola Oil</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Condiments: ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Overall Quality of French Fries: 8 out of 10. YUM.</span></div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-50402749782434022662012-06-22T14:29:00.001-07:002013-02-11T23:29:54.260-08:00Oren's Hummus Shop in Palo Alto, CA<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> If for some reason</b></span> you find yourself at Stanford University<b><span style="font-size: small;">–</span></b>perhaps even just to see a spectacular college campus–then there's no reason not to take a little trip down the street to <a href="http://orenshummus.com/" target="_blank">Oren's Hummus Shop</a>.</div>
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It's called a Hummus Shop for a reason. The hummus, falafel, and pita bread are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.</div>
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The fries maybe not so much, but I do think they are made in-house, so points for that. The fries were pale, like they had not been cooked through enough, and were a bit too mealy on the inside. They were also underseasoned. But I feel like Oren's can almost get away with it what with the quality of the remainder of the menu. They probably have the best falafel sandwich I've ever tasted, and it's probably a good thing that I don't live down the street from this place, because I would be even poorer than I already am.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Sidenote:</span> </b>Are you a Seinfeld fan and ever wondered what a Babka looks like in real life? They have both Chocolate and Poppyseed Babka, people! I've always been too full to even think about it, but I promise one day I will leave enough stomach room to actually buy one and taste it.<br />
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+++<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Price: $3.95<br />Portion Size: Medium<br />Texture: Not crispy enough on outside, soft on the inside. Pale.<br /><br />Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (a bit greasy)<br />Seasoning: Underseasoned<br />Fried in: Some sort of vegetable oil<br /><br />Condiments: salt, pepper, ketchup<br /><br />Overall Quality of French Fries: 5.5 out of 10</span></div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-25445864640549673922012-05-02T18:07:00.004-07:002013-02-11T23:30:23.577-08:00Cato's Ale House in Oakland, CA<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>This review is long overdue.</b></span> I have been going <a href="http://www.catosalehouse.com/" target="_blank">here</a> for a few months now, as part of a crack team trying to win trivia on Monday Trivia Nights. The music round gets us every time! My go-to guess whenever I hear a boy band is the Jonas Brothers (always wrong), and I don't even know if they're around as a 3-member band anymore. We lost our young pop culture genius for the next couple months as she travels across the world, and that has been quite a blow. But there is always the fries.</div>
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Onto the fries. First two times I got them, eh, not so bad. 6.0 But a few nights ago I got them again as part of the Fish 'n Chips plate (DELICIOUS) and damn, those fries were good! Different cook? Different oil? I don't know what it was, but that night was a magical night for the fries. Nice and crisp on the outside, good frikkin' chew (I use the word "frikkin'" to express how outstanding that bite/chew/slight give was), and nice, soft, and piping hot innards. Also, because it was part of the Fish 'n Chips entree, it came with a spicy chili aioli which was quite nice for dipping purposes. Will be trying again, very soon.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">+++</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Price: $4.50 as a side ($9.95 if you want the Fish 'n Chips plate)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Portion Size: Medium</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Texture: Crispy on outside, soft on the inside, darn good chew!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (a bit greasy)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Seasoning: Well seasoned with salt</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Fried in: Some sort of vegetable oil</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Condiments: ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Overall Quality of French Fries: Apparently varies. 6.0 the first few times, 7.5 on my most recent visit. Yum.</span></div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-15477423190681583262012-02-15T19:59:00.000-08:002013-02-12T11:27:17.855-08:00Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe in Emeryville, California<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Everyone Oakland knows about <a href="http://iamrudy.com/">Rudy's</a> (or at <span style="font-size: large;">least sorta know<span style="font-size: large;">s about it)</span></span>.</b></span><br />
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Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt opened the original in Emeryville in 2002 and there's now a new one in downtown Oakland. Based on the two facts that they're one of the very few eateries open around here until 1AM<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">and</span> (note italics AND bold) that they carry vegan doughnuts, you really, really want to like this place (oh, and they have amazing Guinness floats!).<br />
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The fries came with a very poorly made grilled cheese (a whole other story), and were pretty much what you'd expect from a sort-of diner. Most likely frozen, almost too crispy, and slightly orange. Pretty average, pretty much what you'd expect from a restaurant like this, but a whole lot better than the "grilled cheese," which was a few slices of cold, unmelted cheese on bread that had marks on it from a panini press.<br />
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PS: This place does have a special place in my heart in spite of the poor quality of fries. I love going to the Emeryville location for a vegan doughnut and glass of soymilk. And the waitresses are sassy.<br />
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PSS: Still really need to take notes on the quality of frying oil (see previous post).<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">+++</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">P</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: small;">rice: $6.95 with a poorly made grilled cheese, $3.25 on their own<br /><br />Portion Size: Medium<br />Texture: Good chew factor, but a tad bit overcooked/too crunchy on the outside<br />Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (a bit greasy)<br />Seasoning:Very underseasoned<br />Fried in: Some sort of vegetable oil<br /><br />Condiments: Salt, pepper, ketchup<br /><br /><br />Overall Quality of French Fries: Pre-cut and frozen. 5.00</span></span></div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-59330682295111450822012-02-03T13:18:00.001-08:002012-02-03T13:21:52.806-08:00Still figuring it out...<div style="text-align: center;"><br />The whole "old" frying oil versus "new" frying oil I've been reading about in a book I mentioned in a previous post, <span style="font-style: italic;">How To Read a French Fry.</span> I just have to take some time to take some notes before I eat my next french fry. But sometimes you just want to eat the fries, without actually thinking about the science behind them. This also takes patience. And for me, hunger + french fry does not = patience. We'll see about next time...<br /></div>Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-78793844157588981352012-02-03T13:14:00.000-08:002013-02-11T23:31:58.738-08:00T.G.I. Friday's at Market Fair, Princeton, NJ<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.tgifridays.com/menus/Menus.aspx">These fries<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></a>are not good. </span></b>They are sort of what you'd expect from a chain restaurant. Frozen pre-cut fries, deep fried until sort of tough on the inside and hardish on the outside. Very underseasoned, and though served hot, the "chew" of the fries could not be disguised even with condiments. Now as you may know, I like a good chew on a fry. But I don't want it to be so chewy that it's bordering on bubblegum.<br />
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I hate to be so harsh on a french fry, because after all the fry itself is not to blame. Ultimately, however, a fry is only as good as its maker, and sometimes the maker is not good indeed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Price:$10.00 (I don't actually remember, but I think it was close to this--I forgot to jot down the price!),<br />came with a vegetarian cheese burger<br /><br />Portion Size: Small<br />Texture: Chewy. Overcooked.<br />Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (a bit greasy)<br />Seasoning:Very underseasoned<br />Fried in: Some sort of vegetable oil<br /><br />Condiments: Salt, pepper, ketchup<br /><br />Overall Quality of French Fries: Pre-cut and frozen. 4.00</span></div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8582069511927096362.post-23391063121327488182012-02-03T12:59:00.000-08:002013-02-11T23:32:24.986-08:00Kensington Circus Pub in Kensington, CA<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>This <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kensington-Circus-Pub-SF-Bay-Area-CA/196317430212">quaint little place</a></b></span> in the tiny town of Kensington fancies itself a British Pub. I love the atmosphere, even in spite of the spotty service and the fact that it was freezing on a cold night (the waiter was wearing shorts and short-sleeve polo shirt, while I had a skullcap on. Sometimes I just don't even bother to ask).<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Om2vkyHd7pE/TyxLLyjIKOI/AAAAAAAAAHc/t4WKf9HhOu4/s1600/kens.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705017493891328226" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Om2vkyHd7pE/TyxLLyjIKOI/AAAAAAAAAHc/t4WKf9HhOu4/s320/kens.jpg" style="display: block; height: 242px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 78%;">(I know this photo isn't doing anyone any favors. Blame poor light and a phone camera.)</span><br />
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I ordered the Fish and Chips, and while I'll give the fish a very low "decent" grade (absolutely bland, but yet still comforting, as I'd been craving fish and chips for months now), the fries were, I hate to say it, pretty darn bad. Hard on the outside, and while soft of the inside, I just couldn't get over the fact that they tasted like they'd come out of the freezer, and were extremely underseasoned. In spite of this, and as is usually the case, I ate them all (I took leftovers home, and it did take me 2 days, but I still ate them all).<br />
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Note: Props for being a cozy place that's kid-friendly (not that I have kids, but it might be something that you might want to know)<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">+++</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Price:$11.00 for both the Fish and Chips (I ordered the 2-fish small portion; there is a 4-fish large portion that is $14.00)<br /><br />Portion Size: Medium<br />Texture: A tad hard on outside, soft on inside. A bit overcooked.<br /><br />Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (a bit greasy)<br />Seasoning:Very underseasoned<br />Fried in: Some sort of vegetable oil<br /><br />Condiments: Salt, pepper, ketchup, vinegar<br /><br />Overall Quality of French Fries: Pre-cut and frozen. 5.00 Verging on Bad</span></div>
Fry Spyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657441709560792949noreply@blogger.com0