I love my Potatoes! I'm done!

If you have followed my blog, you know I'm picky about my potatoes. They have to be done right, or wrath will follow. You won't see any homefries here with slimy skins still attached. A few previously frozen French Fries might show up if they have any redeeming qualities.

Celtic Nachos (Small - 12| Large - 13) from the Irish Cottage in Methuen. "Homemade Kettle Chips Smothered in Cheddar Cheese, Topped With Bacon Bits, Onions, Tomatoes, Jalapenos, and Salsa". Salsa on the side, please. I'm not even sure that salsa and nachos should be in the same sentence. Large, of course, since it's only a dollar more. The waitress did warn me that it was big and she was not wrong. I was a bit miffed that the chips weren't salted, but after thinking about it, the dish wouldn't be edible with that amount of salt involved. The chips were excellent, and all the promised toppings were present. It could have been more bacon, of course. The jalapenos look quite fierce, but they lose much of their heat after being warmed up. The nachos were well-engineered with cheese and toppings on all the layers. Much to my surprise, the salsa was actually a pleasant addition.

The lemony roast potatoes with Kokonisto at the newly opened Kouzina in Peabody were impeccable.

The house-cut French Fries at Shadi's in North Andover are worth the trip alone. Other excellent hand-cut fries include The Wardhurst.

Pork Ribs with Potato from Sichuan Palace in Chelmsford is an outstanding dish with perfectly cooked potatoes. Listed as non-spicy but disregard that and order the spicy version.

We can't forget the baked potato; that is a legend in itself. Plain or loaded with cheese, bacon, and scallions, it is all good. Here is the loaded potato (+1) from Texas Roadhouse accompanied by the twin pork chops that they cook pink. Not sure who comes up with serving a peppercorn sauce with pork chops, but it's delicious!

On that visit to Texas Roadhouse, my waiter raved about the Tater Skins. "Plate of 8 baked potato skins topped with melted cheddar cheese and bacon bits". I have never ordered this because, you know, I don't like skins. They looked good in the picture, and I was hoping they had crisped up the skins or something. Nope, but at least the skins weren't soggy, a minimal amount of actual potatoes. The cheddar was good, but the bacon bits were crisped to death. Been there, got the T-shirt. Never again. At least I had a coupon for a free app.

Mount Vernon in Somerville serves a Throwback Thursday menu at very reasonable prices. Double Thick Porkchop (currently $10.99) with stuffing and two sides. These are previously frozen fries, but they are cooked perfectly every time. I'm not a fan of frozen fries, but these are as good as they get. The mashed is the real deal made from potatoes.

Portuguese chips or fried cubed potatoes are other favorites. It seems that all Portuguese restaurants serve these, all equally good.

I'm not a fan of Steak Fries, but the ones from Lobster Tail in North Andover are slightly smaller and cooked perfectly.

The Millers Tavern in Methuen served up Irish Nachos. "A skillet of sidewinder fried potatoes topped with shredded corn beef, melted cheddar, Dublin sauce, sour cream and scallions". The sidewinder moniker is due to the shape of the potatoes. This was new to me and absolutely delicious. Not on the menu currently.

I also like my mashed potatoes, but I haven't found anyone that serves outstanding mashed. Most are acceptable after adding butter and salt. Any suggestions?

This is my last weekly post after posting for 10 years. I'm done. I might do a longer post for a new restaurant or a themed one like this. Suggestions?

When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.

-- Malala Yousafzai