Chewy vs. Crispy
By Lacy GROSSER
Columnist
Amarillo College’s Badger Bookstore and Cafe has a lot to offer from drinks to burgers, all of which are made fresh to order and taste great. My friends rave about the cafe. However, I stand to differ on one thing, their fries.
Now, I’m no connoisseur when it comes to fries, but I have definitely had better from other local places. To set the scene, after tasting the fries for the first time at the cafe, my impression was they were definitely an experience, but far from a good one.
The fries at the cafe lack the structure that I like to see in fries. I like a nice crispy outside with a warm, soft, potato-filled inside. When I see the fries like the ones the cafe has, I feel a deep-rooted disappointment, even when simply looking at them. They can’t even stand up for themselves, both figuratively and literally. They always come out limp and are a hollow shell of what they could be, their potential of being the best fry is wasted.
To me, the cafe fries are lacking in the flavor department as well. You’re left with a lame, flavorless, oily mess that leaves most unsatisfied compared to a nicely salted and crispy fry.
The disappointing fried potatoes are painfully skinny when compared to a superior thick cut steak fry. I urge the cafe to look into steak fries because they have considerably more potato content compared to the ratio of the current side dish they serve. A good cafe experience is nothing without a good fry, and right now the fries are sub-par at best.
By JORDAN NUNER
Entertainment Critic
The Badger Central Bookstore and Cafe has some great food options, but some of the best food they have isn’t even on the menu. The majority of the meals at the cafe come with a side of fries and you can even order fries by themselves. I’ve done this a couple of times as their fries are my favorite, second only to McDonalds.
Some people may not enjoy these fries as they are the same as the long and chewy fries you can pick out from McDonald’s fries but with only the soft and chewy ones. There are a few of the smaller fries that get crispy, but the chewy ones are far superior.
There are times when I enjoy a good crispy fry, but you can never go wrong with the soft and chewy goodness of a non-crispy fry. The chewiness even compliments the greasiness of the fry giving it a soggy, but not too soggy feeling. Unlike with cereal, soggy fries are delicious.
Even the fact that the cafe sells them separately from meals is great because sometimes, I just want to eat some fries and nothing else. A cup of cafe fries is a nice, filling, wallet-conscious snack that’s only around $2.
I don’t think I’ll ever understand why someone would prefer crispy over chewy fries. Everyone is allowed to have their own opinion, but I just happen to be on the side of the superior, chewy fry.
The perfect fry for me is one that is thin, chewy and salty but not too salty. Add some chili and cheese and maybe even some bacon and the fries at maximum perfection. I personally don’t like bulkier steak cut fries as they are too much potato and the cut really affects the taste even if they are crispy.
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