Salmon-pink in color, it is the most efficient way to get additional fat onto the deep-fried potatoes next to a bacon cheeseburger. Creating a new way to up Utahns’ fat intake was a tough assignment, but local burger chain Arctic Circle was up to the challenge.
nIn researching the origins of fry sauce, frankly, I was hoping for controversy. I expected a blazing debate across the Internet. But alas, there is little or no dissent to the claim that in or about 1948, Don Carlos Edwards, proprietor of a then-fledgling Salt Lake City burger joint, mixed together ketchup and mayonnaise in an approximately 2-to-1 ratio and began serving it with Arctic Circle french fries. Deliciousness ensued.
nThere are many fry sauce variations. The original version has ingredients listed on its individual serving plastic containers as “Ketchup and Mayonnaise.” Crown Burger’s sauce contains sweet relish. And the Training Table uses a house-made barbecue sauce in place of ketchup. Fry sauce from Greek Souvlaki and Mazza both carry the kick of exotic spices from the Near East.
nGreen Jell-O has earned the reputation of Utah’s signature food product, but fry sauce is indigenous, and it’s spreading. Our condiment is now found throughout the Intermountain West and is encroaching on the West Coast, too. A local company, Some Dude’s Fry Sauce, sells the stuff in grocery stores nationwide.
nBut it doesn’t stop there. I visited Amsterdam a few years back and found no shortage of french fry stalls. The Dutch have an affinity for mayonnaise with their fries. But ketchup is also available for tourists, and I was given a choice. When I asked for both, the eyes of the frites attendant widened with a dawning understanding and a little bit of awe. I had unwittingly introduced my favorite condiment to an entire continent. Yes, I’m taking credit for that.
n
Speaking of Food & Drink, frite,
-
Isle Seats: Warm vibes and sometimes combustible cuisine mix & mingle at Asian Isle.
A long weekend of touring Phoenix-area wine bars and restaurants had left me with, as Tom Waits once sang, “A bad liver and a broken heart.” Well, not a broken heart, but a broken wallet, for sure. nSo I was in the market for a meal that would be easy on the budget and, for once, not in need of an award-winning wine selection to go with it. Somebody had dropped off a stack of menus for...
- Feb 4, 2009
-
Paris Bistro & Market Street Grill
nV-Day in ParisnWell, maybe you can’t go to Paris for Valentine’s Day, but you could dine at Paris Bistro. Eric DeBonis and his Paris Bistro crew are taking reservations for Valentine’s Day, which will feature a “magnifique” five-course menu priced at $69.95 per person plus tax and a service charge (20 percent), with optional wine pairings also available, priced separ...
- Feb 4, 2009
-
Zermatt II
nWhen visiting Zermatt Resort in Midway, dining at Schneitter’s restaurant (see Dining, p. 31) is the most obvious—and priciest—option. But Zermatt offers other appealing eating opportunities as well. This past New Year’s Eve, my wife and I found ourselves enjoying a toned-down (until the Jägermeister kicked in, at least) celebration with newly made friends at the cozy...
- Jan 28, 2009
- More »
More by Rob Tennant
-
Jingle Plays
Two theater companies present family-friendly holiday productions.
- Dec 10, 2013
-
Review: Pioneer Theatre Company's Other Desert Cities
If Pioneer Theatre Company’s Other Desert Cities were one of your co-workers, it would be that guy down the hall who’s name is probably Jim, but you’re not sure enough to actually call him that out loud
- Oct 29, 2013
-
Rent @ Utah Repertory Theater
Review: Small-scale production muddles the modern classic
- Sep 24, 2013
- More »
Latest in Wine
