Regional potato chips

quote:

Originally posted by ConeyIslandLou

Im still stumped - is Wise a regional chip?? I dont ever remember seeing them in Kansas....how far west do they go?

I can tell you that we have Wise chips in FL. I just had a bag on Monday with chili cheese dogs.

Conn's potato chips in SE Ohio...unique!!!

"State Line was the best potato chip in the world, bar none. They were made in Wilbraham MA, and were available all over southern New England. I went back home last year, after an absence of some years, and they had disappeared completely. I asked my moms, other folks, even spa owners, no one could say anything but "oh yeah, I remember them, not sure what happened..." The humanity!"

Hi!! I'm originally from that area, and I couldn't agree more! Stateline were the best! I have been away for ages, but have checked online, and never seen them. I wish I knew what happened also.......

Hold on - found them on www.taquitos.com but there is no way to order them or find out any more about them!

another brand of chips i remember from my younger days is golden sun chips,they had a picture of the sun on the front of the bag (naturally) and it was trimmed with red. it was a wax paper bag and i remember using the inside of the bag to get the metal on the sliding board nice and slippery

Originally posted by stanpnepa

Wow! Didn't know Gibble's was still in business, you can no longer find them in Northeast PA! They were always VERY good.
You should remember golden sun chips from the sixties and seventies?]

quote:

Originally posted by Kristi S.

Does anyone from the Pittsburgh area remember Blue Star Chips (came in a can) from about 30 years ago? My father-in-law's dad once owned the company.

Oh, boy, do I! The best chip around 40 years ago. Very buttery-tasting, and light. Still don't know why they didn't last. Every time I travel, I look for them or something like them, hoping that SOMEBODY makes something similar.
And, BTW, I never say them in a can. We bought them in bags.

My alltime favorite is Humpty Dumpty Ketchup flavor, I know pretty weird.

Tim's northwest alderwood smoked are great.

Cape Cod Dark chips.

Now if they would just invent a chip with Marmite Flavor...

I recently moved back to Iowa and rediscovered Sterzings potato chips. They're only sold in southeast Iowa, but they have to be the best in the world. Here's a link to their web site: http://www.sterzingchips.com/NewFiles/about.html

Utz and Gibble's in Bawlamer.

I had a new chip this past weekend-made by Snyders of Berlin-it was Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper. It also had a slight garlic flavor in it.
Those were really good.

O-o-o-o-p-s. Seems like I spoke too fast a while back, about State Line chips still being available in these parts. It's NOT so. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Really sorry I can't get those chips any more.

Kettle Foods Kettle Chips ... especially the organic "sweet summer herb" variety. They're made by a little firm in Oregon. http://www.kettlefoods.com.

quote:

Originally posted by RC51Mike

Grandma Utz, Gibbles, Kay & Ray's, Good's- both the blue and red, Diffenbach's, Herr's has one cooked in lard that is very good- in a brown bag- "old fashioned" or something- Oddly enough I don't have a bag of chips in front of me to check. Herr's also has a kettle chip cooked in peanut oil that's pretty good. Since it's peanut oil, it qualifies as health food

Don't forget Zerbe's, another great Lancaster County lard chipper. Original Good's in the blue & white bag has to be the best I've ever eaten. Hand cooked in 50 lb. batches in nothing but pure lard and distributed in only Lancaster and Berks Counties. There's nothing that can compare with a chip cooked in lard. Where else would such a small operation survive and thrive for over 100 years but in Eastern PA.

Hmmm....
- Cape Cod Chips, every variation is awesome (especially regular and sour cream and chive)
- Utz, crispiest non-kettle chips available
- Route 11 Chips, delicious but rare; Mama Zuma's Revenge = thumbs up! (only found them at a small farmstand north of the LIE on Long Island Av. in Yaphank)
- Zapp's; delicious but rare; only seen them at the Waldbaum's in Patchogue
- North Fork Chips

quote:

Originally posted by DerangedMetsFan

Hmmm....
- Cape Cod Chips, every variation is awesome (especially regular and sour cream and chive)
- Utz, crispiest non-kettle chips available
- Route 11 Chips, delicious but rare; Mama Zuma's Revenge = thumbs up! (only found them at a small farmstand north of the LIE on Long Island Av. in Yaphank)
- Zapp's; delicious but rare; only seen them at the Waldbaum's in Patchogue
- North Fork Chips

I knew there was a reason to shop at that Waldbaum's! Welcome to the site.

Steve
Bellport High '89

Growing up in Pennsylvania is like living in chip heaven. I've tried all of the chips mentioned from PA and a couple more besides - Moyers is a name worth mentioning, I think they are out of Pottstown. Serving in the Military gave me a chance to try Southern chips, California chips, Texas chips plus the national brands, of course. In all of my duty posts I always had the folks back home ship out some good old Gibbles or Middleswarth chips once in a while because the local brands just weren't doing it for me. Still being a chipaholic and always looking I have finally found the best, bar none, chip I have ever tasted - Martin's Kettle Cooked Jalapeño. Even stores that carry Martin's don't always have the Jalapeño chips. I have taken to getting them direct from the fryers themselves: http://www.martinschips.com/. They have not updated their web order form to include this new chip so you have to call. They are packaged 3 to a carton of 1 lb bags (the air-filled store packaging is typically only 10 oz). They really are incredible - my wife, who doesn't care for BBQ chips, loves these particular chips.

quote:

Originally posted by stevekoe

quote:

Originally posted by DerangedMetsFan

Hmmm....
- Cape Cod Chips, every variation is awesome (especially regular and sour cream and chive)
- Utz, crispiest non-kettle chips available
- Route 11 Chips, delicious but rare; Mama Zuma's Revenge = thumbs up! (only found them at a small farmstand north of the LIE on Long Island Av. in Yaphank)
- Zapp's; delicious but rare; only seen them at the Waldbaum's in Patchogue
- North Fork Chips

I knew there was a reason to shop at that Waldbaum's! Welcome to the site.

Steve
Bellport High '89

Ahhh, you graduated from Bellport? I graduated from there in 2003. Now I'm glad I'm out of there. And the Zapp's chips are in the health/natural/specialty food section near the dairy section.

About 15 years ago, I remember going to the Lancaster Central Market in Lancaster, PA, with my former husband & former in-laws. A woman was putting freshly-made potato chips in brown paper bags and selling them that way. I grew up in Pennsylvania but I had never seen (or tasted) anything so fresh for a "junk" food. And I honestly think they were Utz, too.

Slightly off-topic, my former FIL (from Duluth, MN) said at a doughnut stand at this same market two things I'll never forget: 1) "Got any bismarcks?" and even better 2) "Are these made by the Yemenites?" I did want to crawl under something when he said that...G-d rest his soul, though!

I'm due for a trip back.

Ah, Wesza, I rarely ever buy potato chips anymore because I prefer the "unsalted" or "lightly salted" and the quality of the potato sure shows up in those. Monoculture must be playing havoc with potato growers, shades of the Irish Potato Famine? I taste plenty of flavor but its almost always a little nasty. Sure miss good potato chips; especially gross are the ones that have obviously come from potato with a rotten end

I'll address a few ...

RE: Tim's Chips in the Northwest ... There is a brand of chips in Texas (Texas Chips?) ... the packaging and the product seem identical to Tim's. Anyone know if there is any connection? BTW: Tim's is probably THE most consistant, best rustic chip.

RE: Wise ... I can also remember when they were really good, because they were very well done. I'm guessing some MBA -- who would think New Haven Pizza is burned -- probably generisized the Wise Chips. Today they aren't bad.

RE: State Line chips ... Who'll ever know if the chips I read that you can get today are as good as the old-timers (such as myself) remember. But I do miss them.

RE: Harry Cary's ... ARE the best fresh. Atlthough any fresh chip is usually pretty good.

RE: Cape Cod chips ... they were the best in their time. I have to beleive they have also been over "improved" ...

RE: Utz ... never a dissapointment.

Finally, in my opinion, flavored chips -- almost always, enhanced by MSG -- are always a compromise. Therefore, the real test is in the plain chips. If i never passed through Seattle, I'd miss Tim's the most.If it weren't for the fact that Wise is so-different than the old daze, I'd miss them too.

My favorite is CAPE COD DARK RUSSET.

Walt

Hey Yumbo can you send me a few bags of those chips? Kellybear

Let's hear it for the regional potato chip brands - i.e., anything other than Lay's. Out here in the Pacific Northwest we have a great little brand of chips called Tim's. They have some incredible varieties, like Parmesan and Garlic or Cracked Black Pepper.

-Yumbo

And while we're on the subject of chips, I'm looking for Smiths Bacon Flavored Fries, Golden Flake Cheeseburger Chips, Poore Brothers Salt and Cracked Pepper and Calbee Foods Grill-a-corn garlic toast. Now don't just tell me where you can get them, I need some offers for you all to send me some.

quote:

Originally posted by wheregreggeats.com

I'll address a few ...

RE: Tim's Chips in the Northwest ... There is a brand of chips in Texas (Texas Chips?) ... the packaging and the product seem identical to Tim's. Anyone know if there is any connection? BTW: Tim's is probably THE most consistant, best rustic chip.

RE: Wise ... I can also remember when they were really good, because they were very well done. I'm guessing some MBA -- who would think New Haven Pizza is burned -- probably generisized the Wise Chips. Today they aren't bad.

RE: State Line chips ... Who'll ever know if the chips I read that you can get today are as good as the old-timers (such as myself) remember. But I do miss them.

RE: Harry Cary's ... ARE the best fresh. Atlthough any fresh chip is usually pretty good.

RE: Cape Cod chips ... they were the best in their time. I have to beleive they have also been over "improved" ...

RE: Utz ... never a dissapointment.

Finally, in my opinion, flavored chips -- almost always, enhanced by MSG -- are always a compromise. Therefore, the real test is in the plain chips. If i never passed through Seattle, I'd miss Tim's the most.If it weren't for the fact that Wise is so-different than the old daze, I'd miss them too.

A few comments about your excellent observations:

1. Wise - Owned by Borden, now in bankruptcy, trying to work out of it. Made in many different plants so consistant quality is going to be difficult.

2. Cape Cod - Downsizing its production from its original Hyannis, MA plant and increasing its production at the very large plant of LANCE, in Charlotte NC. Quality suffering? Well, they make the same Lance chips in the same kettles as the Cape Cod and now only the packaging (and the price) is different.

3. Utz - Trying to stay competitive by being in the low price field. While their specialty chips such as Grandma Utz's are more expensive, they are trying to be leaders in the supermarkets, but fighting Lay's can only be done on price and they may be sacrificing quality to maintain their prices.

4. Tim's - Was bought by ConAgra foods and then sold to Birdseye. Will they continue to maintain their standards now that they are truly corporate? Their web site loudly proclaims that they won the American Culinary Institutes GOLD MEDAL. Bah, humbug! Thats like Lay's recent campaign in Chicago (now under a cease and desist order from the Courts) that claimed Chicagoans preferred Lays to Jay's (a local brand) in taste tests.

This forum, "regional potato chips" is wonderful, however too often the posts are about memories. There are still people making chips with the attitude of 'this is my product, this is how it tastes, I hope you like it'. Great products with wonderful flavors. "Route 11" of Virginia, "Grippo's" of Cincinnati, "Martin's" of Thomasville Pa, "Mrs. Fisher's" in Rockford IL; these are the artists in the Chip business who we should be glorifying for their current efforts and products.

The Utz's, Lance's, Herr's, Wise's etc, have surrendered to the Lay's philosophy of mass production and now aim at the 'center' of taste levels, rather than to a specific taste.

Because of the giant known as Frito-Lay, the smaller guys can never get the wide distribution. The internet is a wonderful way to find these people and get their chips. You really should try to find "Grippo's Waffle Bar B Que" and you will immediately realize euphoria. People in Cincinnati use the crumbs from the bottom of the bag to coat their chicken! Unfortunately, Grippo does not have its own website.

quote:

Originally posted by yumbo

Hey Ya'll -

Let's hear it for the regional potato chip brands - i.e., anything other than Lay's. Out here in the Pacific Northwest we have a great little brand of chips called Tim's. They have some incredible varieties, like Parmesan and Garlic or Cracked Black Pepper.

-Yumbo

We were in Seattle in August and had some Alderwood BBQ Tim's Chips and Wasabi chips. In Vancouver they have a brand called Miss Vickie's. THey were good, but TIm's are crispier- more like kettle chips.

Since moving from the Chicago where there were several Regional chips to choose from, to the Dallas area 8 years ago I have been buying regional chips from all over the country via the internet. I learned about Kitchencooked founded in the 1930's in central Illinois from this thread and have been ordering them ever since. I have never strayed from the oriignals as they are pure heaven. However I just placed an order and am also trying the new Cajun Spice flavor.

Anyone looking for a truly great chip should try them at kitchencooked.net

I don't see a lot of those flavors here in the South...I do love the black pepper and salt ones, but Tom's are not great and that is all that I ever see. Schlotsky's has them too.

Ole Saltys ...

I just saw this on the Food Channel:
http://www.olesaltys.com/cgi-bin/webc/home.html
I see myself trying some.

i ate state line and wise and cape cod chips in my youth.
here in portland or we eat kettle chips i beleive are made in salem or. and ive recently come across cape cod chips here!~~ im sure they can't really be made on the cape anymore.
i really like wise . so thin and cripsy and salty. they dont sell them here.
when i was in Canada i tasted "curry" chips that were so good. they has alot more flavored chip varietys in Canada....