5 to Try: Cheese fries

A bad cold can knock a dining reviewer down for days. When that happens, good friends and colleagues step in to pick up the slack and go grab a bite of this and that.

That was the case last week and I turned to my folks to see who would be willing to take one for the team and eat cheese fries.

Anything goes, I said. As long as it has cheese and fries, it's fair game. 

For fun, let's take a quick look at the possible history of cheese fries. It's likely, from Wikipedia and following links to magazine articles from there, that Cheez Whiz came before cheese fries. The processed and jarred cheese sauce was created with a purpose: To make Welsh rarebit a fast meal to get to the table. In 1952, Kraft introduced the product to England and in 1953, it was brought to the U.S., where it found its way on to Philly cheese steaks and eventually to cheese fries.

Two possible firsts involve Dairy Queen. One story goes that Austin Ruse invented them at a Dairy Queen in Missouri; another is that a 16-year-old diner named Don Jenkins mixed chili, cheese and fries at a Dairy Queen in Tomball, Texas. It doesn't seem like a chocolate and peanut butter accident, and whoever was so inspired to put the two together set the table for generations of cheese fries lovers to come, from those who prefer a simple sauce with maybe a bit of bacon to fries loaded down with everything from carne asada to bulgogi beef, which brings us to our first to try.

White tablecloth fries

Kimchi fries at Acre (690 S. Perkins; 901-818-2273) are fancy fries, complete with cheese from France. Cantal cheese tops fresh, thin fries, which are also smothered in caramelized onions, kimchi (a spicy Korean condiment made with fermented vegetables, most notably cabbage and radish), bulgogi beef, then peppered with sesame seeds and topped with cilantro, green onions and Sriracha mayo.

They're available at lunch and on the bar menu ($10), and they're most definitely a shareable as much for their assertive flavor as for the quantity. And no matter high falutin', they're still messy cheese fries. You can use your fingers if you want, though you'll do better with a fork. But delicious? You bet. --Jennifer Biggs

Tried and true

I go to Huey's (multiple locations) when I want a burger I can count on. And when you want a burger you can count on, you need fries you can count on to go with it. Who would argue with that?

But as reliable as the local chain's burgers and fries have always been, I must admit I had never tried the cheese fries. Normally, I just get the steak cut fries as a side with my Bluff City Burger or Senor Huey, add a healthy shot of ketchup, and I'm good.

For this outing, however, I turned to the appetizer menu and got an order of cheese fries with bacon bits and green onions. They arrived quickly — and in a sizable quantity. Enough so that I was happy I brought along two taste testers to help. 

It was the familiar thick steak fries, covered in a generous portion of melted cheddar cheese, as well as bacon bits and green onion. One of my fellow tasters noted that they could have been a bit warmer, but I was fine with them. Then again, I rarely complain about food temperature (probably less than I should) while my wife obsesses about it. Someone in the group also noted that a dash of salt was needed. 

The bacon and onions were a nice touch, adding just the right extra flavor. The order came with both ketchup and ranch for dipping. I normally just do ketchup with fries, but I must say the ranch really hit the spot.

Cheese fries are something I rarely try, so I admit to not being an expert on the subject. However, it must say something positive that we left a clean plate from a dish we all three said we were just going to sample.

The price was $8.25 (add $1 for chili), and we visited the Germantown Huey's location at 7677 Farmington Boulevard. -- Ron Maxey

Waffling at Tracks

“Cheese fries” combines two great things that are usually great together, but let’s be honest: It can be a trap. Too much cheese sitting atop fried potatoes for too long can lead to some sogginess. If it’s late enough and you have enough alcohol in you that requires, um, nutritional balance — this is the essential purpose of cheese fries, right? — then this doesn’t matter.

But R.P. Tracks (3547 Walker Ave., 901-327-1471), the longtime stalwart just off the Highland Strip, has found the key to bypassing this potential problem. The menu calls them “Cheese Fries Extraordinaire” ($9.50) and you know what “extraordinaire” is code for? Bacon! Lots of it. These are really bacon fries. The melted chedder-jack blend is just enough to bind the stays-crisp, nicely spiced waffle fries to the copious, crispy bacon piled on top. Bacon is always the right answer. These come otherwise unadorned (simplicity is a virtue) with a side of sour cream and another sauce of your choice. Ranch is the default (note: ranch is never my default), but you could go with honey mustard, bleu cheese, barbecue, or cajun mayo instead. -- Chris Herrington

Saucer surprise

On Saturday I joined around 30,000 of my closest friends for the 45th Annual Silky O'Sullivan's St. Patrick's Day Parade. When we finished cheering for our favorite floats [harassing them for beads], I went over to the Downtown Flying Saucer Draught Emporium (130 Peabody Place; 901-523-8536) for a bite to eat.

After looking over the menu, I decided on the Cheese Fries Surprise. The appetizer is big enough to share and described as house-cut fries topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, jalapenos, and "a little surprise underneath," which is more meat.

Because I only eat fish during Lent, I opted for the meatless version of the dish ($8.49; $9.49 with meat). Despite passing on the delicacy also known as bacon, these were probably the best bar fries I've ever had. They were loaded with cheese and seasoned just right.

If you're ever looking for the perfect snack to refuel after an afternoon of parading, bet on the Saucer's Cheese Fries Surprise.--Nicole Harris

Ragin' Cajun

Our first naïve question to our server at The Second Line (2144 Monroe (901-590-2829): “Does this item ‘The original andouille-crawfish-pimento cheese fries’ mean that we can choose from three types of cheese fries or are all those ingredients in there?”

Answer: They are all included in the dish served atop a floor of beef gravy in a hot, six-inch cast-iron skillet.

Our second naïve question was between ourselves: “Is this $12 appetizer enough with maybe a small side dish, or should we order a po boy?”

We guessed wrong. The cheese fries are plenty of appetizer for a table of four. After splitting them with just my wife and forging ahead with a hot ham sandwich, I was done for the night.

But this dish was worth the discomfort.

The Second Line cheese fries, garnished with slices of green onion, are a casserole-like delight. The ingredients pack just a bit of a kick and are well balanced. For example, the fries do not swim in the brown gravy. -- Tom Bailey