Lobster Roll Side Dish Battle: Potato Chips Vs. French Fries
One great thing about debates held at FR Headquarters is that no matter which side of which food fight you're arguing for, my headphones are on and I'm not listening to you until it's time to break a tie or some such other power play. Django Reinhardt Pandora station, you make writing about lobster rolls CRAZY pleasant (as if it wasn't already).
However, I did pick up on this little spat between Assistant Contributing Editors Laila and George, shortly after George hoovered this gem for lunch, having eaten the accompanying waffle chips on the way back to the office. You see, he prefers fries with his, and Laila likes chips with hers. Both made strong arguments. Observe young food writers in their native habitat:
George: Fries are more of an accompaniment, chips are more standalone.
Laila: No, potato chips for sure, they're like a vessel, you can eat the lobster mixture on top of chips. You can't do that with fries.
George: You can't do that with shoestring fries
Laila: Shoestring fries are not real fries. I'm talking about frites.
George: Also, potato chips might have different flavors which wouldn't mix well with lobster rolls.
Laila: But salt and vinegar would be good, they're acidic, like lemon. "Just okay" potato chips are usually still fine; "just okay" fries are gross. Fries need to be really good.
[I foolishly interject: "What about waffle chips?"]
Laila: Waffle chips are posers, they're not real chips. Straight-up chips, regular or salt and vinegar.
George: In summation, I don't want something that came from a package with my fresh Maine lobster.
Laila: Who said they had to come from a package?
George: All chips come from a package.
Laila: All chips do not come from a package. Also the chips have more crunch factor, which you want because the texture of the roll is crisp outside, mushy inside. Same with fries, crisp on the outside, mushy on the inside. Together it's too matchy-matchy.
...at this point the conversation changes, but the Assistant Editors have spoken. Hard to believe they were ever interns.
How about you? Chips or fries with your lobster roll? Remember to keep poking me and asking me to validate your argument with my encyclopedic knowledge of culinary history. But really, I do want to know.
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