The United States Potato Board publishes reports regarding potato usage and they recently published a study about potato usage in Foodservice in 2013. I was looking through it and it had some interesting results about what is being ordered at restaurants.
Did you know that French fries account for 63% of all potato orders in restaurants? Hashbrowns are more important in Midscale Restaurants (i.e., IHOP, Denny’s, etc.). Lucky for you, Hollywood Fries make the perfect French fries and also make delicious hashbrowns!
French fry servings are seasonal, peaking in Q2 and Q3:
French fries also maintain an 18% share of total foodservice visits, with the hamburger category accounting for 75% of all fry servings in Quick Service Restaurants (i.e., Wendy’s).
A separate segment was dedicated to the habits of Millennials, which showed that the only potato product that hasn’t declined are chips. As you know, our Hollywood Fries can also be used to make chips.
One of the key takeaways from this study, is that depending on which age group your business is targeting, our Hollywood Fries can satisfy the current trend. Whether it be French fries, hash browns, or Chips – our product does it all!
Somewhere over the rainbow you can find a fresh field of Hollywood Fries Potatoes growing.
Our field in Northern California is coming along nicely, and we are planning to have the crop available towards the end of June. They may look just like plants now, but in a few weeks they will be cooking up the French Fries you have come to know and love. While there may not be a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, there will be a pot of potatoes!
Here is a preview of how the Hollywood Fries are sizing up:
On the left is a picture of the spuds taken this month and on the right are the fields back in April. The potatoes are almost ready for harvest! Check back in a couple of weeks to follow the status of the fields.
San Clemente, CA – On a beautiful sunny day, walking along El Camino Real Street and admiring how peaceful the ocean looked, I walked into The Vine Restaurant and enjoyed some of the best French Fries.
There I met Jared Cook – he has been cooking professionally for the last 10 years, having used Hollywood Fries for the last year.
The first time he used Hollywood Fries he realized instantly that they were the perfect potato for frying. “They stay crispy longer and achieve the perfect golden brown a fry should have!” notes Cook. He feels that what makes Hollywood Fries better than other potatoes is that the size of the potato lends itself to long, beautiful fries and that the starch content is perfect for frying. The fries never get too dark, achieve a perfect crispness every time and stay crisp longer.
The Vine has received recognition in various articles for their fries and customers happily return frequently to the restaurant. Cook’s favorite use for Hollywood Fries is pairing it with The Vine’s signature Wine Country Burger – “Perfect fries for a perfect burger.” To other Chef’s considering switching to Hollywood Fries, Cook would like to tell them that “this might be the most important decision you have made in your entire life ever!”
The Vine Restaurant was OpenTable.com’s Diners’ Choice Winner in 2013 and one of Orange County’s Top 10 Wine Bars in 2014. You can visit their website at: http://www.vinesanclemente.com/ to learn more about what they have to offer.
Last week we were invited to SYSCO in Los Angeles to cook our Hollywood Fries for their team. Our cooking method was simple:
1. Wash the potato
2. Peel the potato (some we left with the skin on)
3. Cut the potato
4. Fry the potatoes for about 5 minutes
5. Toss with sea salt (the fries on the left have the skin on and the fries on the right were peeled)
Those who tried our Hollywood Fries were amazed that there was no blanching necessary and nothing was added to the fries except for a little bit of sea salt. Numerous people commented how our Hollywood Fries tasted just like In & Out Fries and came back for seconds and thirds. Also popular was the Tornado Potato we made to demonstrate different ways the Hollywood Fries can be served at restaurants.
While there, we shared with their marketing team what makes the Hollywood Fries perfect for frying and were able to demonstrate how they consistently fry light and don’t absorb as much oil as other fries. We emphasized that Hollywood Fries can be used for all sorts of different fries such as garlic fries, chili cheese fries, nacho fries, and even chips!
We would like to thank SYSCO for their continued support with our Hollywood Fries program!
I don’t know about the rest of you, but when the weather starts to cool down, I find myself ready for soup at least once a week. I am not picky when it comes to what kind of soup I am going to have. Basics like chicken noodle and clam chowder work all year long. I find fall and winter leads me towards classics like butternut squash and minestrone but when I have had a long day I find myself wanting a soup with substance but which is still healthy; for me fresh potato soup fits the bill. Potatoes are naturally fat-free, have twice the potassium of a banana, and provide nearly half your daily value of vitamin C – all for just 110 calories in a medium-sized (5.3 ounce) skin-on potato. That potassium fills me up and the vitamin C fights off the office flu that is inevitable during the winter months. Great win-win all winter long.
I recently found this recipe from our friends at www.potatogoodness.com and the US Potato Board. Made it at home using Hollywood Fries as the white potatoes and they worked great. They absorbed all the flavor while still providing great texture. I highly recommend giving this a shot in your home or restaurant. The recipe feeds 10! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Yield: 10 Servings
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Ready Time: 35 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Ingredients
6 medium Hollywood Fries, diced
8 ounces (or 2 ½ cups) frozen cauliflower
1 head broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 leek, washed and chopped thinly
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic, divided
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth*
2 cups 2% milk
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
5 ounces reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese*, for topping
5 slices center-cut bacon, microwaved and crumbled for topping
Chives, chopped for topping
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Fill large pot with potatoes and salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. When potatoes have finished cooking, drain water and set potatoes aside in bowl or colander.
While potatoes are cooking, line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. To prepare broccoli, remove bottom part of stem, and slice into bite-sized florets leaving an inch of the stem intact. Place broccoli on prepared baking sheet, lightly drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with pinch of salt and ½ teaspoon garlic. Roast in oven for 20 minutes until crispy.
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Sauté leeks, crushed red pepper, and garlic until leeks soften, about 1-2 minutes. Add cauliflower and vegetable stock, increase heat to medium-high and cook until cauliflower is soft. Remove pot from heat, and add potatoes, milk, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Using an immersion blender, (or transfer soup to regular blender), puree soup until smooth and creamy.
To serve, ladle one cup of soup into a bowl and top with cheese, bacon, chives, and roasted broccoli. Enjoy! Makes 10 servings.
Note: Boil or microwave broccoli for the topping if you don’t want to fire up your oven for roasted broccoli.
On November 24th, Burger Parlor hosted their first annual “Fire Fighter Burger Eatin” Contest.
6 Firefighters from 3 Fullerton Fire Houses gathered to see who could eat the most burgers in 6 minutes.
Bud was the winner having eaten 5 burgers in 6 minutes!
His prize is free burgers for a year at Burger Parlor, which Los Angeles Times has noted as having “Killer Onion Rings and Fries”. Chef Joseph Mahon proudly uses Hollywood Fries at his restaurant as they are the perfect complement to his delicious Burgers.
We hope to see you all out there next year for the second annual “Fire Fighter Burger Eatin” Contest! Date and time to be announced in 2014.
We would like to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgivukkah. This year Hanukkah and Thanksgiving will overlap, which won’t happen again for another 75,000 years (give or take a few decades). If you’re wondering how you can enjoy Hollywood Fries on this memorable holiday, you can try Hollywood Fries – Hashbrown Style while you’re having breakfast with your loved ones. You can double, triple or quadruple this recipe as needed.
Are you in the Scottsdale, AZ area craving some Hollywood Fries? You are in luck! A HopDoddy Burger Bar recently opened in Scottsdale, AZ.
The Hop Doddy Family is excited to bring their restaurant to Arizona and so are their customers! Those who visited the restaurant loved the fries and enjoyed HopDoddy’s crafted burgers.
As you can see in the picture to the right, HopDoddy is proud to display their Hollywood Fries right next to the ordering counter along with the rest of the great fresh produce they serve every day.
You too can experience what everyone is raving about by visiting HopDoddy in Scottsdale on the corner of N Scottsdale Rd and N 74th St.
I recently found 
Are you in the Scottsdale, AZ area craving some Hollywood Fries? You are in luck! A HopDoddy Burger Bar recently opened in Scottsdale, AZ.
