There may not be a physical boundary between the U.S. and Canada, but you could consider Canadians’ love affair with poutine a clear food divide.
After Canada’s French fry/cheese curd/gravy dish launched in Quebec in the 1950s, it gradually blended into the culture as the culinary symbol of comfort and national pride. The dish that many Americans have never heard of is so iconic in Canada that food lovers travel the country to its myriad of poutine festivals. Next up is the Ottawa PoutineFest April 27-30, 2023.
Perhaps someday we Americans will “get it,” but to my senses, gravy on French fries is a perfectly spectacular way to ruin a good plate of fries.
I suppose American foodservice operators feel much like I do, because there is only a smattering of gravy doused French fries on menus across this country. Suffice it to say, poutine is not trending here.
BUT, French fries certainly present a tasty foundation for other smotherings that are delicious to Americans. Here are five recent potato-load LTOs I’ve run across:
- Rutter’s, the York, Pa.-based c-store chain, offers Pulled Pork Fries: Fries topped with Austin Blues pulled pork, shredded cheese, barbecue sauce and ranch dressing.
- Dallas-based Bonchon has gone global with its Loaded Bulgogi Fries: Thinly sliced marinated steak over seasoned fries, topped with mozzarella cheese, spicy mayonnaise and chopped scallions.
- Arby’s new Loaded Fries are also packed with protein, described as curly fries topped with sweet and spicy sauce, warm cheddar cheese sauce, diced fried chicken nuggets, and chopped bacon.
We can’t talk about loaded fries without delving into other potato offshoots.
- Domino’s made a splash with its Philly Cheese Steak Loaded Tots. That is potato tots topped with sliced steak, Alfredo sauce, onions, green peppers and mozzarella-cheddar cheese blend.
- Smokey Bones has gone and rethought loaded mashed potatoes with its Brisket Sundae. That is Smoked Texas-style brisket over mashed potatoes and roasted corn topped with red wine sauce, fried onions and scallions.
Heat is what’s hot with fries currently. Bolder-flavored loaded fries (as in ghost pepper fries and hot honey fries) are among the top three snack trends, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2023 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast. Loaded potatoes of any kind certainly tickle the tastebuds and present an opportunity to add gourmet value, something fast-food operators crave.
You can even leverage the popularity of loaded fries to encourage a specific behavior. Eureka! based in Hawthorne, Calif., offers free Truffle Cheese Fries to those who link their credit card to their loyalty program membership. Divulging a credit card number must be a fair exchange for a free order of the upscale fries topped with truffle salt, white truffle cheese sauce, Parmesan cheese and chives.
Loaded fries could present other marketing plays. For any operator making loaded fries a signature dish, perhaps encourage an art contest to design a loaded fries serving dish or container. Also on the contest theme, how about a recipe contest to engage fans by allowing suggestions for loading ingredients. Consider an Instagram fry photo contest.
The U.S. might not match the pageantry of poutine festivals, but we can certainly keep cravable loading options fresh and alive.
Jody