French Fry Fairy

TAp 42 French Fries

Tap 42 is a relatively new little hangout in Fort Lauderdale. I have been there a few times now and I have to say, I hear this place. The service is always a little slow, but the beer menu definitely makes up for it. I can think of very few things that are more appealing than a frosty beverage and fried potatoes. Oh mans… my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

So, not surprisingly, I ordered the French fries. There were not too many more options for me because I don’t eat meat, but you can’t go wrong with fries. They came out salty and seasoned. The parsley not only added some flavor, but the green specs also made the fries particularly pretty. Who doesn’t love pretty fries? Not I said the fly… Oh, and did I mention the French fries came in a bucket? The bucket made them taste better and that’s a fact. The fries were crispy and they made me smile on the inside and outside.

I have one more reason to love Tap 42 and this is why:

“Sustainable” Mission Statement: TAP42 tries our best to bring our guests product that will have a minimal Impact on our ecosystems. We try our best to purchase only sustainable, organic meats and seafood. Help our community and buy local when possible.

Cheese + French Fries = Super Yummy Lunch

I went to Grande Pizza with one of my favorite people in the entire world because he said I have to try the French fries with cheese. I drove up to Boca Raton to meet him at the award winning pizza joint and eagerly awaited the arrival of my cheesy French fries.

When they arrived, they looked as delicious as they tasted. I added some extra parmesan cheese to them even though there was already more cheese than I expected blanketing the fries. I took one bite and I was in love. The French fries were not crispy, which is something I typically look for, but they were loaded with cheese and that makes everything good!

There were so many fries even I couldn’t polish off the plate, so my friend had to help. He was lucky I was willing to share… they were divine.

City Hall Tri-Color French Fries

City Hall is a Brasserie-style restaurant in Miami that has a very eclectic menu to please all. My friends and I headed there on Saturday afternoon for lunch and laughs. We were lucky enough to dine at the restaurant on the day it was hosting its very first wedding reception. The atmosphere was fun, celebratory and I think I might have been smiling the entire time.

When it came time to order food, I ordered a side salad and a side of tri-color French fries. That’s right, the French fries were just as colorful as the restaurant’s atmosphere. The fries arrived in a basket, which was an amazing surprise. Not only were there three colors of potatoes, but the fries, which were more like fried potato nuggets, came in an ultra-fun serving container. It was almost as if they were lifted right from the fryer and placed on my plate. The fries did not disappoint. They were flavorful, crunchy, hot and salted perfectly.

City Hall Restaurant
2004 Biscayne Blvd
Miami, FL 33137

Fresh-cut French fries.

My friend Craig, from worstpizza.com, took me to Authentic Brooklyn Pizza in Boca Raton, Florida. Pizza is not my favorite thing in the world, but I know Craig loves it, so I didn’t mind the restaurant choice. Imagine my surprise when I learned about that the pizza joint was much more than a pizza joint. I was ecstatic to learn about all the other menu options.

I ordered a salad, but saw that French fries were also on the menu. When I learned that they were fresh-cut fries, I knew I had to try them. The owner explained the process. He soaked them in water. Next, he fried them once at a lower temperature and let fries cool down. Finally, the potatoes were fried at a higher temperature to make them crispy. I thought, “By golly, this is exactly how I would make my French fries.”

The taste was amazing. They were crispy, salty and fresh-cut. I was still in shock that a pizza joint put that much effort into making fresh-cut, crispy French fries, but I am not complaining. Anytime Craig wants to visit Authentic Brooklyn Pizza, I will definitely join him.

Onion rings at Perkins.

I went to Minnesota and hung out with my girlfriends from high school. These girls have been my friends since we were 13 or 14, so it was a lot of fun to reminisce about our younger days. We spent the day together and wanted to continue hanging out, so we went out for a lot of laughs. We did the one thing that girls do when they get together for a night out… dance. We were dancing queens. I am talking about super cheesy, arms flailing and weird vibrations dancing. We didn’t care who was watching. I am just hoping there was no video.

After we had worked up a hunger, we went to Perkins for some late-night snacks. I strayed from my Read the rest of this entry »

While in Minnesota, I spent my time getting together with the people I love most. I met up with some my sister, my brother (not pictured), my oldest friend and my closest friends from college. We went to Patrick McGovern’s Pub in Saint Paul, Minnesota to catch up and hang out.

We ordered French fries and sweet potato fries to curb our hunger. I was actually surprised that the French fries at McGovern’s were not fresh-cut. I thought most Irish pubs loved potatoes as much as I do. However, I have learned that fresh-cut potatoes are not always the best. Sometimes I prefer potatoes that have been frozen as long as they come out thin, crispy and salted. Read the rest of this entry »

French fries at Mystic Lake Casino.

I traveled to Minnesota to see the fam and catch up with old friends. I am not a big gambler, but we met up with some friends at Mystic Lake Casino to try our luck. I lost $6. I guess I am not so lucky… Oh well.

We took a little walk over to the buffet and decided to gorge on the endless rows of food. There were all sorts of fried food, snacks, entrees, desserts and side dishes. I don’t go to buffets often, so I was a little overwhelmed when trying to decide what to eat first. I headed over to the French fries, because that seemed like the logical place to start.

That French fries were salted and mildly crispy. The fun waffle shape made me smile. Ok, I’ll be honest. They weren’t very good. However, I think it would be a disservice to Mystic Lake if I set my expectations too high for the French fries. They were definitely derived from a frozen bag of potatoes and they were sitting under a heat lamp.  Buffets are all about quantity, not quality. So, as far as quantity goes, there were lots of choices. The mashed potatoes, which is my second favorite food made from my favorite tuber, were actually quite good. They were creamy, salty and yummy.

Wendy's French Fries

Wendy’s new French fries, which were introduced last year, have been in the news quite a bit. I took four of my closest friends to see if they stood up to McDonald’s French fries in a taste test. The five of us tried them out and rated them. Here are the results.

Taste Tester 1
McDonald’s: “They are salty, crispy and hot. I actually think they are a little too salty.”
Wendy’s: “I really like the skin on the potatoes. They are really, really good.”
Preference: Wendy’s

Taste Tester 2
McDonald’s: “The taste of these French fries is reminiscent of my childhood. I love how they haven’t changed over the years. They have a very unique flavor and are unlike any other French fries.”
Wendy’s: “These are greasier than McDonald’s fries. However, they are hot and salty. They are definitely a step up from the old Wendy’s fries.”
Preference: McDonald’s

Taste Tester 3
McDonald’s: “They are good. I think they are fried the perfect Read the rest of this entry »

I met some friends over at Texas Hold ‘Em Barbeque, which is a tiny little joint near downtown. I actually had some problems finding it, but Read the rest of this entry »

H&E Marina Deli in Fort Lauderdale

One lovely Sunday morning, I went with my friends to H&E Marina Deli in Fort Lauderdale. I am not a big breakfast food fan, unless I am making the food myself. I am a pretty picky eater, but I heard H&E Marina Deli was delicious. It’s not easy to find because it is located in the back of Southport Shopping Center on SE 17th Street. If it weren’t for my friends and their excellent navigational skills, I would have never known it existed.

The restaurant has been around forever and it is filled with regulars, who have been going there for years. Not only does the restaurant have character, but it is filled with characters. The traditional deli serves bagels, smoked fish, sandwiches and Read the rest of this entry »