A fried fixation

My eating habits have been ridiculous lately. Not only have my at-home kitchen concoctions largely consisted of variations on "I can’t believe it’s just Ramen", but the few meals I’ve eaten out have been at diners, chains, bars and (gasp!) fast food joints. Ranging from the painfully mediocre to the admittedly delicious, my experiences in slothful dining have been varied, though they all have involved fried potatoes of some variety. Here’s a roundup.

Guilty pleasure: Yeah, yeah, the savvy foodie will turn his nose up at a chain like Bennigan’s, but I completely scarfed down one of its unholy appetizers, the Bleu Cheese Chips. The thick cut potato chips were coverd with gobs of Montery Jack and Bleu Cheese melted on top. I consumed them compulsively. I'm not proud of this, but it's a fact.

Fine, but forgettable: Hitting happy hour at Bailey's Pub & Grill in Arlington, I was pleased with their $2.50 beers and skeptical of the menu. The bacon-and-blue burger I ordered was inoffensive, but hardly memorable. Crispy fries, though.

Decadent disappointment: When slumming it at the Silver Diner in Rockville, I customarily order fries with gravy and a chocolate milkshake. Deciding to really splurge, I ended up with the loaded fries, covered with bacon and melted cheese, for a friend's birthday celebration. I won't order it again - calorie concerns aside, the fries lacked crispness and the final result was overcaked and soggy.

Chips and curry: the ultimate combo: According to my friends, Ireland's Four Provinces pours a mean Guiness, but since I was trying the beverage for the first time, I couldn't tell the difference. But they do offer a great appetizer - chips with curry sauce. Undoubtedly a standby at pubs elsewhere, I'd never had the combination, and thought it was delicious. The sauce was just sweet enough, and the chips were crisp on the outside but potato-y on the inside.

You know, I find it easier than most to resist the lure of chocolate, the call of cake in the office kichen. But I'm never the woman to stick my nose up at a french fry, no matter what the location.