Thursday, January 25, 2007

Memories Au Gratin

Many years ago, when I was in my early teens, there were these potato chips, called "O'Grady's."
They were extra-thick, and they came in a couple different flavors, but the one I remember best is "Au Gratin."
When you first opened the bag, this smell would be released in a pungent cloud around you-- like a potato chip bag fart-- replete with the scents of extremely aged cheddar and sour cream and who knows what else. It was enough to bring tears to your eyes.
And I mean that with all the love in my heart. My dad and I LOVED those chips. They may have stunk to high heaven (and all the heavens in between), but they were delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about them.
They're no longer around these days, for some reason. I tried Googling them, to see what I could come up with. I couldn't find any pictures of the bag (though I remember it was kind of an aqua color), but I did find a blog entry from "Snooze Button Dreams", back in 2003, that tells a tale very similar to the situation in my own family. Click here to read it.
Instead of "Au Gratins", my dad referred to them as "Old Rottens". And it was a term of affection.
Ruffles makes a "Sour Cream and Cheddar" flavor which isn't bad, and is slightly reminiscent of the O'Grady's flavor, but not nearly as pungent-- and not nearly as thick and bold.
O'Grady's really were the best when it came to that kind of flavor.
Does anyone else remember these raunchy-smelling little gems?
I miss them.

8 comments:

Mo and The Purries said...

Oh my freakin' goodness ---
YES!
In college, we called them "all rottens" because of the stinky bag fartiness.
Whatever happened to them???
Were they just to good and special to last in this cruel, cruel world?

I'm drooling like Homer over a donut thinking about my O'Gradys all rottens....
thanks for the memories, au gratin.

Janna said...

"All Rottens".... yeah, maybe that was what my dad and I called them... It was either that or "Old Rottens."
Either name fits. :)
Apparently the company doesn't make them anymore... at all! They were discontinued. Doesn't that just suck rocks???

Wayne said...

Oh Yes! O'Grady's Au Gratin's were the best! I'd forgotten about them too!

Schmoop said...

Good God Yes!! I had forgotten about them. They were freaking great. I would eat a whole bag and my mouth would develop scar tissue from it. Mmmmmmmm YUM-OH!! Have a great weekend Janna!!

Steven said...

I don't recall those, no.

I do however remember a potato chip that was the absolute saltiest of salty chips int eh history of salty.

Damn I wish I could have those again. ;)

Steve~

Foofa said...

I never heard of them but I used to be like a crack whore for Old Dutch Dill Pickle chips. I would have my mom mail them out to college for me and Friend and I would just eat eat eat. Sometimes they arrived all broken but it didn't matter. They were crack lickin good.

Janna said...

Wayne and Matt: I'm so glad I'm not the only one!

Steve: Were they "salt and vinegar" flavored, or just regular chips that somehow obtained an ungodly amount of salt?

Natalie: You "crack" me up! :)

Thanks for the comments!

Mo and The Purries said...

Mmmmm... salt and vinegar chips. Now my mouth is watering again...