Mountain Fries

Well, now that Blogspot is allowing much more flexibility in blog format I think it's time to give The Pedaling Prince a long overdue face-lift; now this is more the way I want it to look. :)

Anyway, today I'm here to talk to you about a new "chip wagon" that opened only a few days ago; it's called "Mountain Fries" and it's located in Downtown Sydney on Bentick Street across from the Bargain Shop next to Club 55:


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I usually use Bentick street on my way home from work (usually after I leave Subway) and recently as I passed I smelled the delicious smell of french fries. I followed it and found Mountain Fries.

Well, that particular day I had already eaten and was too full to try anything. I had intended to try something there this past Tuesday on my way home from work but unfortunately I got sick and was out of work for the past two days. However today, on my way home, I again smelled the intoxicating smell of cooking french fries and remembered, Oh yeah, Mountain Fries; I gotta try them out. Having already eaten a light dinner, I just had some of their french fries.

I kid you not: these were the best french fries I've ever had. Anywhere. Bar none. They were just crispy enough to have good texture yet tender enough to be just this side of melt in your mouth. They were almost (but not quite) sweet to the taste and were delightfully (and surprisingly for greasy food) satisfying to the stomach. The most impressive thing, though, was that, unlike most chip wagon fries, there was not a single burnt fry. Not one.

The most unusual feature of Mountain Fries, however, is something that I, as a person who very rarely carries physical cash, really appreciate; unlike every other chip wagon I've ever visited, they actually accept Interac direct payment, Master Card and Visa. Actually (and I'm going to have to ask them about this, out of curiosity) they also take Canadian Tire money in multiples of 25 cents. Now that is a wide variety of payment options!

Their menu is also unusually impressive for a chip wagon, even including an impressive array of options for vegetarians (all prices include tax):

Cold Sandwiches

• Non-Toasted BLT $2.50/$3.50 (Half/Whole)
• Turkey Salad $2.50/$3.50
• Egg Salad $2.50/$3.50
• Ham & Cheese $2.50/$3.50
• Roast Beef $2.50/$3.50
• Turkey $2.50/$3.50
• Turkey Bacon $3.50/$4.50
• Non-Toasted Club $3.50/$5.00
• Tofurkey $3.50/$5.00

White, Whole Wheat & Multi Grain Breads available

Hot Sandwiches with Fries

• Turkey $7.75
• Roast Beef $7.75
• Hamburg $7.75
• Tofurkey $9.25

Fries

• Home Cut Fries $2.75/$3.50 (Small/Large)
• Poutine $4.50/$5.50
• Works (Chili, Cheese, Sour Cream, Bacon, Green Onions) $4.50/$5.50
• Veggie Works (Cheese, Sour Cream, Tomato & Green Onions) $4.50/$5.50

Hot Dogs & Hamburgers

• Hot Dog $2.50
• Veggie Dog $3.50
• Hamburger $3.50
• Cheeseburger $4.00
• Veggie Burger $4.00
• Veggie Cheeseburger $4.50
• Sausage on a Bun $3.50

Soup & Chili

• Vegetable
• Soup of the Day
• Chili

All soups $2.75 for small, $3.75 for large.

Besides all that they also offer:

• Nachos $5.50
• Veggie Nachos $5.50
• Potato Skins $5.50
• Corn on the Cob $2.25
• Baked Potato
  • With Cheese $2.50
    
  • Sour Cream & Chives $2.50
  • Bacon/Cheese $3.25
  • Chili/Cheese $3.25
• Extra Gravy-Brown, Turkey $1.00
• Extra Cheese $1.00
• Extra Bacon $1.00
• Extra Chili $1.00

Beverages

• Coffee/Tea $1.50
  
• Pop $1.50
• Water $1.50
• Red Rain - 250 ml $2.75
• red Rain - 1 lt $3.75
• Floats $3.75
• Flavored Drink Free

Now here's a menu section you don't ordinarily see on a chip wagon (at least around here):

Dessert

• Jello $1.50
• Jello Pudding $1.75
• Jumbo Freezie $1.50
• Popcorn $3.00
• Cotton Candy $3.00
• Ice Cream Cone $2.00/$3.25 (small/large)
• Sundaes, $3.50/4.50; available flavors:
  1. Butterscotch
  2. Chocolate
  3. Strawberry
  4. Blueberry
  5. Cherry

Both sundaes and ice creams are nut and gluten free.

Finally, Mountain Fries even has its own "house specialty" dessert:

Mountain Tracks $5.00

• Deep Fried Dough
• Whipped Cream
• Chocolate Syrup
• Maraschino Cherry

It's available in all the same flavors as the sundaes are. It doesn't sound particularly healthy I'll admit but, then again, neither is your average fast food burger, either. Chip wagon food is like any fast food; it's about taste, not nutrition. Even so, the fact that they're trying so hard to cater to the vegetarian market actually does render their overall menu significantly healthier than the average chip wagon's.

If those fries I had today are any indication, and given the absolutely astonishing variety on their menu, this place is destined to become the best chip wagon in town!

I'm going to continue to try out items from their menu every day or two and, each time I try something, I'll report back here about it. So keep an eye on this blog for further reports! :)