DAILY DIRT: ‘The better the fries, the better the meal’

Daily Dirt for Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025

Way too many fast-food meals are ruined by limp or cold fries. Am I wrong?  … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,204 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Just call this food for thought.

We can debate the pros and cons of the Big Mac, Whopper and other signature sandwiches on fast-food menus, but have you ever thought the item that unintentionally — and often — sways our opinions of a meal is the No. 1 side offering — French fries.

The better the fries, the better the meal, or so it seems. They are the piece de resistance, if you will.

Think about it. A Big Mac meal can be ruined by a sack of soggy fries on the side, and there’s nothing more disappointing than a mouthful of those limp fries after the first bite of a well-prepared Whopper.

“Fries are the quintessential side for burgers and fried-chicken sandwiches,” writes Gabby Romero for delish.com. “And if they’re made especially well, they can overshadow the main (course) and become the star of your meal. But if they’re made poorly? They become a soggy and disappointing footnote.”Well said, Gabby. Well said.

So who offers the best fries? Among the fast-food parlors in the Quincy area, here are my choices:

Gold medal: Raising Cane’s. Raising Cane’s has truly stepped up to the plate since opening on Broadway less than a year ago. Those crinkle-cut fries are normally exquisite — crispy, fluffy, salty and wonderfully golden brown. And they are always warm. Always.

Silver medal: McDonald’s. When at their best, the Golden Arches’ fries are magnificent in both taste and texture — crunchy on the outside while delightfully soft on the inside. In addition, the potatoes are cut into the ideal size and shape and are nicely seasoned. The only drawback with McDonald’s fries is they’re way-too-often soggy and/or downright cold by the time you get them in your drive-through bag, or even an inside order. And that simply should NOT happen. And that makes ’em a bridesmaid.

Bronze medal: Wendy’s.The skin-on fries at Wendy’s are by no means perfect, but they might just be the tastiest of all major chains — but they also tend to get soggy the quickest, so eat fast. More often than not, skin-on fries are cut too large, which hinders their long-term crispiness.

Close, but not quite I: Hardee’s. A few years ago, Hardee’s swapped out its traditional fast-food fries for a “natural cut” version, which are thicker and leave the potato skins intact (that’s a trend, in case you have not noticed). But all too often they seem to have been left sitting too long before being served and tend to be less crispy — and less satisfying.

Close but quite II: Burger King: I often compare the BK fries to rival Wendy’s, with one difference. I think the skin-on texture of the Wendy’s model is slightly better.

Nope, nope, nope: Arby’s: I love a good curly fry, but not with all the seasoning Arby’s uses. If these were served au natural they might be No. 1 overall. It’s a shame, too, because Arby’s has an extremely strong menu to choose from — except for those seasoned curly fries.

2. Did you know (Part 278)

That the last time all five starters scored 20-plus points in an NBA game was in 1987 when the Celtics beat the Lakers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Dennis Johnson scored 25, Larry Bird 23, Kevin McHale 22, Danny Ainge 22 and Robert Parish 21.

That Cardinals Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson had more complete games (255) than wins (251) during his career.

That the Dodgers have sept $1.59 billion in free agency since 2020. For comparison, the Cubs have spent $601.4 million and the Cardinals $280.3 million. The Orioles ($57.9 million) have spent the least, followed by the Guardians ($77.9 million).

That if Ty Cobb came back to life he would have to go hitless in 2,530 at-bats for his career batting average to fall below .300.

That defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champ, Justin Allgaier, used to occasionally run a late model at Quincy Raceways prior to hitting the bigtime. Allgaier finished 18th in Saturday’s crash-filled Xfinity race at Daytona. The 38-year-old Allgaier was born in Springfield, Ill. and grew up in neighboring Riverton.

3. Here’s the best we “Found on Facebook” over the past week:

“The real day of celebration is Feb. 15 when all chocolate is marked down 75 percent.”

“I’m at the age when I appreciate a good handrail.”

“Goodbye football, hello NASCAR!”

“If a man speaks in the forest and there’s no woman around to hear … is he still wrong?”

“When things get tough, remember it could be worse. Your mother could still be cutting your bangs.”

Steve Thought O’ The Day – Why did the cowboy get a wiener dog? Because he wanted to get a long, little doggie. (Thank you! I’ll be here all week.)

Shecky Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He’ll be appearing at The Funny Bone on Feb. 30.