I've always been a big fan of Shakey's Bunch a Lunch. It's not the wonderful atmosphere, the great service or the appetizing food that brings me there. It is just one thing that draws me to Shakey's, and this is it:
MMMMMM... Shakey's World Famous Mojo Potatoes. The nectar of the spuds. Cut up potatoes dusted with seasonings (possibly the chicken seasoning; websites argue the exact recipe) then deep fried. I don't think I have ever left the Bunch-a-Lunch grazing area without a few of these nestled on my plate, and occasionally in my pockets. I've ruined more pants this way.
So, I go into Shakey's today, speed past the salad area (no one should get salad at a buffet; it is just filler that they hope you will fill up on before you get to the high-ticket items) and head to my beloved potatoes. I get there, I look.... and something looks dreadfully wrong. Sure, they look kinda like mojo potatoes, and the P-touch label above the pan says they are mojo potatoes, but... something just ain't Kosher (besides, I assume, the entire meal). I take some potatoes with apprehension and sit down at my booth.
THEY AREN'T RIGHT. I took another bite to be sure I tasted right. And it just ain't right. And then it hit me: THESE AREN'T DEEP FRIED! These are BAKED! BAKED mojo potatoes!!! Curse those health-food advocates, they have gotten to another one of my favorite foods! I can only assume that, in response to the recent attacks on fried foods and trans-fat oils, they decided to start baking the mojo potatoes, assuming nobody would notice the difference.... except, of course, that everyone would suddenly feel so much healthier after eating them.
I have a bit of news for Shakey's: People who eat at Bunch-a-Lunch are not all that concerned with eating healthy. Practically by definition. I looked around the restaurant, just to be sure, and I didn't see one person who looked like they'd be hitting the gym after this meal. Not a one, and that included the people working there and one guy who was refilling the claw machine.
This is just another example of the health food advocates ruining food that the Founding Fathers worked to assure were the right of all Americans. Now that the advocates have ruined mojo potatoes, what's next? Low fat Twinkies? Oh, wait, they make those already. Fat Free pop tarts? Oh, wait, they make those, too. The point is, if you are trying to eat healthy, shouldn't you be avoiding potatoes and Twinkies entirely, instead of eating some pseudo version of it?
All I know is, mojo potatoes now join the ranks of "Foods that disappear because Joe loves it." This includes Delaware Punch, Quisp cereal, Fizzers candy and other items that I may write about in future blogs. Now, if you'll excuse me, I suddenly have a craving for a pop tart....
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