Wednesday, May 18

 
Blue Over Chips?

Memo to the sales and marketing staff at Old Dutch Foods, St. Paul, Minn.:

The Chicago Tribune's Good Eating staff just ranked Ruffles as the city's top chip. That must mean they didn't have Old Dutch to test. Better run a truck down there right now and show them what a big bet they missed.

Ruffles and its itty-bitty, brittle ridges, is the chip equivalent of Domino's pizza or the Chevy Cavalier -- serviceable but nothing special.

Here's the Trib's ranking:

1. RUFFLES

(6.3 points. 12-ounce bag, $2.50; 21 cents per ounce.) "Very crunchy, crisp." "Very good potato flavor but greasy; excellent dunk-ability." "Plenty of salt, not much potato."

2. VITNER'S RIDGETTS

(6.2 points. 9.5-ounce bag, $1.99; 21 cents per ounce.) "Salty, spuddy, just oily enough." "My favorite of all. Great flavor." "Light, oily flavor; not much potato taste."

3. (TIE) BONANZA RIPPLE

(5.3 points. 12-ounce bag, 99 cents; 8 cents per ounce.) "Golden, big ridges; more potato taste with some oiliness." "Very pretty with uniform ridges." "No potato flavor; oversalted."

JEWEL RIDGES

(5.3 points. 12.25-ounce bag, $1.99; 16 cents per ounce.) "Some potato flavor shines through." "Good crunch." "Bland."

Also tasted

4. Lays Wavy (5.1 points)

5. Kettle Krinkle Cut Natural Gourmet (4.7)

6. Jays Crispy Ridged (3.9 points)


posted by Unknown 12:05 PM