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The Dick’s Drive In Review

By tim Monday January 11, 2010

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The Dick’s Drive In Review

Time: December 6th around 8:52pm

Okay I’ll, be honest.  I can be a little (okay, very) immature at times, and I giggle when anyone goes “mmmm, I could go for some Dick’s right now” but in all seriousness, who wouldn’t crave for this Seattle staple?  Some consider eating at Dick’s a guilty sin, but any true French Fry Fan knows that this burger joint is a must eat before you die.  Even Bill Gates goes to Dick’s (anyone have change for $1,000?), so if you were wondering what Billionaire’s eat, now you know.

Dick’s first started selling burgers and fries in 1954 in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood and haven’t stopped since.  The menu has remained super simple,  everything is ordered ala-carte, the Deluxe, the Special, the cheeseburger, the hamburger–but honestly, everything on the menu is special and deluxe here (except the prices). :)

My normal order is a Deluxe (a quarter pound of beef with cheese), two fries, and a Coke.  This time it was no different.  If you’re a true fan, you have to order two fries, God gave you two hands right? Use ‘em well.

If ordering more than one order of fries, they are normally given to you in a bag separate from the burgers, probably because the actual fry bags are of no use–they are out of the fry bag by the time you get in your car. Regulars usually rip the bag carrying the fries open and use it as a plate and sauce carrier.  Speaking of sauce,  I normally only use ketchup (if anything) but if tartar floats your boat, you can go that route too.

If you’re like me, you can’t eat one fry at a time.  Dick’s fries are pretty soggy  so eating a couple at a time is a must for full fry satisfaction.  No extra salt is needed, the Dick’s specialists season them pretty well, and you don’t want to mask the potato flavor.  Cooked in 100% vegetable oil, these guys can be a bit oily at times, but if you’re looking for the natural cut taste, Dick’s are definitely the place to go for the ultimate fry fix–it helps that they  open till 2am at all their locations too.

The burger makes a great companion to the fries (see how I said that?) usually a bite of a burger accompanied with a few fries does the trick.  Washing it down with a Coke and their patented (probably not) crushed ice and you have a happy French Fry Fan.

FFF RATING (out of 5):
For Show: 3.5 (classic oily bag, straight and to the point)
Firmness: 4 (super soggy, but great if you love them this way!)
Fluffiness: 4 (since it’s freshly cut there isn’t mashed meat inside, it’s pure potato!)
Freshness: 4.5 (you can see them slice the potatoes on site.  Now that’s fresh.)
Flavor: 4.5 (perfectly seasoned and tastes like heaven)
Filling: 3 (you have to get two orders if you’re a true fan)
Friendliness: 4 (Service was great and super fast)

French Fry Fan Rating: 4.0 – French Fry Fan of approval.

I can’t say more about these fries other than it is a Seattle must.  Dick’s, you have won my oily, natural french fry heart.

See the review on yelp.com

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The Cafe Campagne Review

By tim Wednesday December 9, 2009

6 Comments
The Cafe Campagne Review

Time: December 5th around 2:30pm

What a better way to spend a brisk Seattle afternoon then at Pike Place? My wife and I were headed towards Post Alley when we decided to have brunch at Cafe Campagne because I vaguely remember having pommes frites there way back when. Being a french fry fan, that was the deciding factor.

Once seated, I ordered the Oeufs en meurette – uhh say again? (Two poached eggs served on garlic croutons with pearl onions, bacon and champignons in a red wine and foie gras sauce served with pommes frites) and a freshly squeezed OJ. That aside, on to the main event.

The skin-on pommes frites came in a nice little basket wrapped in a starched cloth napkin accompanied by ketchup and an aoli sauce. The first thing I noticed was that the fries were dry… but in a good way. It was as if someone in the back actually hand dabbed them with a paper napkin to remove any excess oil. That would have been clutch if only they weren’t overcooked. It tasted like they might have been sitting in the peanut oil for a little too long which unfortunately gave it a little bit of a burnt taste. So sad.

The texture of the fries were reminiscent of In-N-Out as they were firm through and through but not overly crispy. It didn’t taste as if any salt was added to them which complimented my already salty crouton dish, but If I were to get these fries ala carte (around $5) I probably would have made it rain.

With salt added the fries were good naked, but, If you’re into sauces, the ketchup and aioli were presented in nice little dishes which made it all the more inviting to dip. The ketchup had a bit of a zing that told me it wasn’t Heinz, and the aioli didn’t overbear the fries. My wife swears she tasted Truffle oil, which if true, would be luxurious indeed. The salt and sauces masked the burnt taste for a while but since the fries were not extremely hot to begin with, they got cold too soon killing my desire to go back for more by the middle of the meal.

After picking off the first “presentation” layer of potatoes, I noticed there were a ton of broken pieces (shorter than normal, bits) at the bottom–combine that with the burnt taste and the potato skins and you might as well be eating fried ashes. Luckily there was enough to fill the void of hunger but not enough to make me want to finish every last fry in the basket.

Pommes Frites

Pommes Frites

FFF RATING (out of 5):
For Show: 3.5 (above average presentation)
Firmness: 3.5 (not super crispy, and not super soggy)
Fluffiness: 3.5 (the “fry meat” was definitely in each bite, except the broken pieces)
Freshness: 2 (the “natural cut” skin-on was nice, but it was on the colder side when served)
Flavor: 2.5 (the sauces and salt could only mask the burnt taste for so long)
Filling: 3 (pretty good amount of fries for a side)
Friendliness: 3.5 (Service was great, a little on the slow side)

French Fry Fan Rating: 3.0 – Meh.

Blame it on a busy Seattle Saturday, or just the luck of the draw. Would I come here again? Sure. But I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to come here for a fry fix.

See the review on yelp.com

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