Whether you call them French Fries, Chips or Potato Fingers, Burgers’ best friends are loved all around the world, even by vegetarians. The Burger-Fries relationship is known to have started after World War 1, when White Castle, home of the then 5 cent hamburger, found out that returning veterans were asking for fried potatoes. These sliced batons of potato are cut to various thicknesses and then fried in oil until golden, varying from soft to crispy, and most often served with little more than a dusting of salt. And today it’s their day!
Just like every year, we celebrate French Fries Day by turning a blind eye onto burgers and going Potato all the way!
Whilst many millennials keep on arguing over McD and Burger King‘s fries and never bother to try out anything else, we’re restoring the balance in the war between good and evil by touring the whole island and tasting whatever Fries come in our way! So, who are the new players of 2020?
Sea Salt
Sea Salt in Sliema is definitely one of the most remarkable local eatery concepts of the past years. They also managed to grab our much coveted Gold Standard award for their Surf n Turf burger. Their fries are no less extraordinary. They are freshly cut potatoes that go through a 1½ day process of preparation. They are boiled in water & doused in vinegar and left to rest before they are blanched in an ice bath. They are ultimately deep fried until they end up in your mouth. We’re sure that Chef Darren was inspired from his many years in the UK as this is a common pub snack all over the British Isles. These chunky and scrumptious potatoes have a very addictive salty-sourness, which we adore, and are definitely hitlist material. That salty, acidic crunch is totally addictive and unforgettable. Crave on, these tangy and crispy chips can be enjoyed for dinner time, lunch, and why not, even breakfast! We’re heading back to Sliema for some more…
Gyros & Churros
Poutine is a Canadian dish of French Fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. Americans took the concept further, adding regional variations to cater to local tastes. And the evolution continues at G&C and their selection of loaded fries, ranging from cheesy fries with paprika, to the superb pulled pork ones with spring onions, to the pizza loaded fries with slices of pepperoni, salsa and loads of heavenly cheese. These Fries are the real deal for those hungry Junior College students who will not shy away from a hanzirata! This fries dish is meant to be shared between 2 or 3 people, but there will always be those hungry piggies who will eat it all on their own! Obviously, this one is a massive calorie hit, but who cares when it tastes this fantastic. The one we recommend the most has melty cheese and is topped with delicious pulled pork. When you get a forkful of all that, you might even forget about getting a burger as a main! However it’s not suffocated with an extreme amount of toppings, and the ratio of potato to condiments is just right. There are enough potatoes to scrape off the meat, BBQ sauce and cheese; that is, if you ever manage to eat it all! It’s no wonder that G&C have become a foodie landmark for students, and we can envision them eating these fries all day long, starting with late breakfast…
The Crew
The Crew have wowed us many a time with their Fish & Chips offering. These hand-cut chunky chips are boiled, baked, fried and sprinkled with garlic. The triple cooking method and the actual size of the chips themselves are unequalled locally and deserve the full attention of any chips lover! Those thin potato sticks you are accustomed to, have nothing on these chips!
