The long May weekend has passed and for many it’s time to travel to the family cottage. Great diners and restaurants can be found along the way – but how about taking a new route – The Chip Truck Trail through the Kawartha’s.
You can find Chip Trucks in every corner of the Kawartha’s. And there is good reason. French fries are a simple comfort food.
History is a bit vague on the origin of the French fry, but most votes are cast for the Belgians as being the first to fry up thin strips of potatoes. It may have been as early as the late 17th century. The story goes that adding potatoes was the next step to compliment the daily frying of small fish for dinner. When the rivers were frozen and the fish were not accessible, the potato was still available for frying.
Now Poutine is another story. It is said to have originated in Quebec. A customer asked to have cheese curds added to his fires. The Chef replied, “Ça va faire une maudite poutine,” or, “That’s going to make a dreadful mess.” Although that story may not be 100% confirmed, it is felt that the origins were in rural Quebec in the mid-century.
CottageLife.com (http://cottagelife.com/canadiana/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-poutine) has created a list of the “10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Poutine.” Two of the items on the list are great trivia topics.
- Poutine is one of Canada’s greatest inventions. “It’s number 10 on a list put together by CBC in 2007, with input from such Canadian luminaries as Margaret Atwood, Mike Holmes, and Preston Manning. Poutine beat out standard time, the Bloody Caesar, and the BlackBerry, but was defeated by insulin, the telephone, and five-pin bowling, among others.”
- And are you ready for this fact? It’s in the Guinness Book of World Records. Joe Beeverz broke the record for the world’s largest poutine in 2014 in Brandon, Manitoba. His poutine weighed in at 1,949 pounds, 800 pounds heavier than the original Saguenay, Quebec creation.
If you have a craving for French fries or poutine, do you know where you can find the Kawartha’s famous chip trucks and wagons? Well, there is actually a map!
The map highlights the following locations to help you get your comfort food fix:
- Sullivan’s General Store/ 4Corners Chip Truck: 472 Ennis Road, Ennismore
- Fergie’s Fries: 3295 County Rd 36, Bobcaygeon
- The Cabin:1384 Armour Road, Peterborough / 2011 Ashburnham Drive, Peterborough
- Country Bob’s Chip Truck: 3192 Buckhorn Road, Buckhorn
- Pirate Shack: RR. 36, Bobcaygeon
- Homer’s Chip Trailer: 4454 Highway 7, Norwood
- Kiss Chip Truck: 989 Ward Street, Bridgenorth
- Reggie’s Hot Grill: 89 Hunter St. E., Peterborough
- The Brown Eyed Susan: 200 County Road 28, Bailieboro
- Terry’s Taters and Treats:2550 Lansdowne St. West, Cavan Monaghan
But I did a little digging and there are a couple of other chip wagons even closer to home!
Visit the Sizzle Wagon at 1265 Hwy 35 in Bethany. “Friendly staff, great service with a delicious menu. More than your average chip truck has to offer. Definitely worth the drive south on Hwy 35 @ Hwy 7A.”
Or how about Vicki’s Chips on 1482 Ontario Hwy 7A right in Bethany!
Whether you are staying home for the weekend or traveling throughout the Kawartha’s, your craving for fresh French fries and other Chip Truck food is just a short drive away.
Bethany Ontario 