Garlic curry cheese and bacon chips

The new Genoa cafe got me to thinking. There is now a noble little chinese place across from the Athlone Garda station called “Lotus Chinese,” but there used to be a chipper there called Fryer Tuck’s (hah hah) whose specialty was Garlic curry cheese and bacon chips.

That’s right - thick-cut, deep-fried chips smothered in both a heavy garlic cream and yellow curry sauce (both, no doubt, cream-based), huge chunks of Irish bacon (rashers, really - they resemble ham steaks more than the crispy bacon we’re used to stateside) all under an oozing, melting blanket of Irish cheddar cheese.

I do believe my aorta almost clogged shut just during that description.

I mentioned this bee-yoo-tee-ful concoction in my post about the etiquette of drinking in Ireland, but since Fryer Tucks closed for the past few years I have not seen that particular combination advertised at any chipper and, frankly, had mostly forgotten about it.

bacon garlic curry cheese chips from alfredo's in Athlone Well, following this Tuesday’s Shack session the bean, the sherrif and I were heading home when the Irish munchies struck. Well, we nosed up to the kerb at Alfredos and tromped in. I made mention of the lost garlic curry cheese and bacon chips and the bean said,

“If you asked, I’ll bet they’d make ‘em for ya.”

I did get a revolted look from the girl behind the counter and had to confirm twice that yes, I wanted ALL THOSE TOPPINGS on my small order of chips (now there - what was I at ordering a SMALL chips with so many toppings on it?), but make them they did.

And, I’m disgusted with myself to say, they were every bit as good as I remember.

Read more about Irish food before your trip!