ottawa foodies

The recent "Russet Potato" thread made me think of my favourite potato chips: Covered Bridge Sweet BBQ chips. (www.coveredbridgechips.com) I just love the Russet potatoes and they are from New Brunswick. Found these at Farm Boy.

Wouldn't mind hearing what everybody else's favourites are so I can try them.

I really enjoy Blair's chips. Yes, Blair's 'the hot sauce company'. I typically buy the Habanero flavour, but you better plan on sharing that bag. They are H-O-T!!! They also have a tamed down Buffalo Wing that are spicy, but not overly. Great crunch, and great flavours. They're crunchier than a Miss Vickies chip, which I also really enjoy. In Ottawa, there is a lack of selection, as you'll really only find them at Bulk Barn in Habanero or Buffalo Wing. The odd time you'll see them at a 7-11. They have a bunch of other great flavours, but they're rarely seen in Ottawa, or Canada unless shipped in. They aren't cheap either.

Hey, you can get covered bridge here? That's great! BBQ in general are my favorite, and the Covered Bridge BBQ are extremely good. We buy them whenever passing through NB. I've tried several of the covered bridge flavours and they are all really good.

potato chips...a weakness of mine along with chocolate!
BBQ is also a fav, Miss Vickies original are also a favourite.
Rats, we passed through NB this summer and didn't know about Covered Bridge...next time.

Another vote for Covered Bridge. We were driving by a couple of years ago and met the owner. A forth generation of a potato farm family who decided to make chips. GREAT chips and a really great guy. Their natcho chips are also excellent. Available at Culinary Conspiracy too!

kettle chips or die. will have to try Covered Bridge. i'm a huge fan of Cape Cod russett. Miss Vickies unsalted are my staple.

does anyone remember Mister Vickies? that's right, Mister Vickies. the packaging (crude photo attached) had the 'Mister Vickies' script along the top with a bowtie/blue overalls covering the bag. a few years back a friend of mine was convinced i was crazy so i went as far as to emailing the company just to confirm their existence. they made them before the company sold out to Frito Lay. can't quite put my finger on the flavour but they had a spicy kick them (not hot per se, more like a strong onion/garlic).

Those Cape Cod russetts are killer. I love how they're extra browned and, thus, extra tasty.

They're my third favourite post-curling snack, after a pint of beer and a second pint of beer.

(Pic shamelessly stolen from some guy on Flickr.)

Hard Bite Salt and Vinegar (haven't seen theses anywhere in Ottawa) and Blair's Habanero ! YUM

When I was a kid growing up in windsor, we used to get Superior Potato Chips delivered to the door the morning after they were baked. Still the best I ever had and wish I had that 5lb turquoise can today. We used to leave it on the porch and "the chip man" would come by and fill it. I left in 76 and they were still doing it then.

blubarry - that is so totally insane to me! chips! delivered to your front door!

that is up there with my mom telling me about mixing the margarine with the yellow dye pack and how they fought over the job.

What about those old grape and orange flavoured chips? Did they have those in Ontario?

This is a topic of great interest to me. I maintain that the best chip ever made is the Kettle Chips Honey Dijon. But Hardbite (available at Bulk Barn I think) and Covered Bridge (available at Glebe Metro I believe) are both mighty fine Canadian made chips.

chris - i forgot about the honey dijon! they are great, not my very favourite, but really good. i tend to eat the baked kettle chips now. they are definitely the best baked chips on the market. they are low in calories and more importantly, they look like potatoes and taste like potatoes.

What exactly is "kettle chips" supposed to mean? To me it is just an extra word the marketing department added

From what I was able to find, it seems that "kettle chips" are cooked in a batch process rather than a continuous process. But I don't know if that explains the fact that "kettle chips" seem to be a harder, crispier, looks-more-like-a-potato potato chip, which is what most people seem to like.

HFF, it was insane. I hesitated to talk about it in the school lunch thread, but mom used to pack our lunches with sandwiches, fruit, puddings etc., and always a baggie full of chips scooped from the "Superior" can. I think they were so good because they were delivered within hours of having been made.

They have quite a selection of interesting chips at Market Organics. Some of the wierd ones I quite like (jalapeno) but I seem to like the standbys like salt and vinegar best. I haven't tried them all by any means. A selection of them are usually on sale at any given time under $3 a bag, and if they look interesting I'll try them. Most of them are marked "gluten free" too.

now I feel really old. I found an old Superior potato chip can on a collectible site. This is exactly like the one we used to leave on the porch for the chip man. I think they stopped home delivery in the late 70's, but they made amazing chips until the 90's.

I tried a bag of covered bridge bbq today and it was really good. Thanks for posting - I don't know if I would have picked up a bag without seeing it here.

Have not tried Blair death rain yet- but they are on sale for $1.49 at Bulk bark Billings Bridge.

Also...there is a $3 off $10 coupon at the Bulk Barn.ca website :)
-wasn't planning on posting this and really came to add what chips I like.

guess I will pick up a bag of the Death Rain not too spicy to see what the hype is about...

I like the Kettle Brand chips- the baked bbq ones are very good.

For a wannabe kettle chip similar to Miss Vickies- the Master Choice kettle style is great.
They used to be on sale for $1 often, but now the packaging looks fancier and they are always over $2- still good though.

Miss Vickie's Original..Now I have a craving!

I had not tried the Covered Bridge chips mentioned, so when I saw them today I had to snap them up. I was surprised to see them at Fresh Co, of all places. They had sea salt and black pepper, and the sweet bbq (or was that smokey?). I opted for the salt/pepper. They're pretty damn good! The russets are a very good choice. The flavouring is a nice compliment, and doesn't overlwhelm like many. I think I still prefer the Blair's chips, but these are definitely very good. Not greasy, crisp, good flavour and an almost 'clean' taste, if that makes sense. The bag also specifies 'gluten-free'. $2.99/bag.

Blair's Death Rain Habanero
it is said most peeps can't finish a small bag
lol i crave 2 or 3. i find them addictive

i love spicy seafood and when traveling in Eastern USA, i discovered Route 11 chips and these are spicy crab

another Route 11 fave of mine: green chili enchildada
Route 11 is out of Virgina

another fave is Zapp's out of Louissianna
fried in peanut oil, you cannot hear much while chewing them they are so crunchy
and again spicy (imagine that LOL) and seafood.. crayfish

Chef Obi, I got those crab chips at Dollar Tree in Massena last month for $1 a bag. Interesting flavor, but since I am a dip lover, I want chips with ridges!

They aren't my favourite, but I did try a bag of Cajun Squirrel flavoured chips. Oh, come on. I HAD to. Not very momorable. Much like ketchup chips mixed with barbeque. Not very squirrely at all.

No, I tend to go for the regular lightly salted chips. I like the plain taste of the potato. It's better if they're fresh so the oil doesn't go off.

I like waffle chips if I can find them. Oo! Maybe I'll have to make some this weekend! They'll go nicely with the roast.

Covered Bridge are pretty good. They come from the land of the best potato: New Brunswick.

Covered Bridge also makes tortilla chips and they are actually made in Ottawa!
I bought a bag that was very similar and went to look at the company address on the bag and found this:

www.mexicancornproducts.biz

I think someone on this site was looking for Dutch Crunch or Old Dutch kettle chips?

I was at the convenience store in the General Hospital- the small one that sells bus tickets and they had both brands in small bags for $1.50

I also saw some of the Grandpa's brand potato chips. One of my friends at school, many years ago her family would always buy that brand.
They are only ok- I might try them again just to see though.

Bulk Barn has some brand of sweet potato chips for around $2.50 they were quite crunchy and tasted of actual sweet potato.
I sometimes buy the terra chips and find they just taste more of oil and salt.
I forget the brand,but will buy another bag and post then.

I've tried Terra Chips a few times now and although I like the principle, the chips are too inconsistent for my taste. There are a few really nice ones in the bag, followed by a bunch of hard-as-rock, plain unpleasant ones to crunch on. And for that price, I want all good chips...

uhmm from my time in London Walkers roast chicken flavour. They don't do this flavour now but sometimes I can find roast chicken and rosemary when I look.

I love Miss Vickies Salt and Vinegar. My usual favorites are ripples, or kettle chips. Terra chips can be good.

But OH MY GAWD were these chips from Herr good. A friend brought them up from NJ when we met with them in NH. I liked them enough she sent the bag home with me...

I am a Ruffles man, myself. Plain. Somehow, they have a potato-y flavour that no other chip has. To me, anyway.

Ruffles sour cream and bacon, Herr baby back rib and original Pringles. I must confess I am a junkie for all chips, except sun chips they suck.

I just had some BLT Lays and although they are definitely chemical/fake, I did enjoy the flavor. But they were too thin for my liking. I prefer more substantial chips, thicker and/or with ridges.

uhmm forgot about the zappa chips. they were good.

Foodtravel, I am sure I saw Walkers Roast Chicken at the Scottish and Irish store. Maybe Mrs McGarrigle's too.

Call me boring, but I'm all about Lays regular, or if I'm i'm feeling nostalgic, ketchup chips.

Mmm.. vinegary salty chemically garbage, just like when I was a kid.

Just tried pop chips (in my work vending machine and now available at costco). These are pretty tasty, and somehow popped. Not low fat however. I've tried both the regular and the bbq.

uhmm I should look for them.. Last had them at London heathrow.

@sourdough: I just had a bag of the PC popped chips the other day and they were pretty good as well. They certainly made a nice change from regular potato chips for a snack.

Otherwise, yeah. It's the Ruffles sour cream & bacon.

@Rizak - just saw the PC ones last night. Packed a few in my lunch, the bbq flavour is quite good. Its definitely got nice smoke taste to it.