Let’s be honest, everyone loves French Fries but most of us try not to eat them too often for health reasons. A casual conversation on a chair lift about the best fries in the Wasatch Mountains gave me license to explore these delectable treats to find out if they should be in a Senior Ripper’s diet.
A bit of history first: the French claim the first “pommes frites” were served beside the Pont Neuf Bridge in 1789. Americans were introduced to them in 1802 when Thomas Jefferson served them in the White House. The Belgians lay claim to eating the most “frites” per capita.
Now back to the heart of the matter. Are French fries really so bad for you? Well, believe it or not, the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to fries! You can guess the cons, too many fries equals obesity and clogged arteries. On the other hand, potatoes also contain many nutrients and fiber that support the immune system, support digestion, lower cholesterol and a potato’s potassium can even help treat arthritis. Clearly it was time to move into field test position.
My salty adventure began at Alta at the Watson Shelter. Frankly, anything would taste good after a morning of charging down those challenging slopes, but their fries do stand up to their reputation. Served bistro style, wrapped in paper in a cornet, these hand-cut fries hit the spot, especially with the myriad number of dipping sauces offered at the condiment table. Not wanting to fall for my first tasting, I was determined to see if the Alta fries could match the competition at my home mountain, the Canyons Side of Park City Mountain Resort.
Help was aplenty to taste fries from all four of the Canyons’ slopeside restaurants. We sampled fries dipped in a white truffle aioli sauce, sweet potato fries in a chipotle sauce, a mountain of fries graced with a secret salt (we could tell you, but then we’d have to kill you!), and last but not least, tater tots that were paired with a cold beer. Opinions were as varied as the dipping sauces.
My conclusion? I bet you can guess that my recommendation is that Senior Rippers should not forego this tasty treat but save it for when you can share it with fellow Rippers after a fine adventure. You may also ask, which fries stand above the others? They were all top notch, but for me, the fries at Red Pine Lodge shone the brightest due to the pride and enthusiasm of the chefs who made them.
What’s your favorite and where can you find them? Please do share.
I want a senior ripper great pizza debate. Of course there would no question about the inherent health enhancing qualities of pizza. At least with respect to one’s mental health.
The problem is great pizza is harder to find than great French fries.
I miss fry sauce. Came to Utah not knowing what it was. Left Utah wishing we had it in Iowa. 🙂
Now explain. What is fry sauce? Do you mean dipping sauces?
Where these Idaho potatoes?
Did you ever have a spudnut? It’s a doughnut made from potatoes.
Potato origin unknown! I’ve seen spud it’s, but never had the pleasure…