Recently, the entire Feisty Family was invited to the Bon Appétit Culinary Studio to sample some items from Alexia Foods. Alexia makes a variety of frozen products such as french fries and onion rings in a variety of flavors. What separates them from their competitors is the use of all-natural ingredients and small batch production. The studio was a nice room in the Condé Nast building in Times Square with a fancy kitchen and a nice sized lounge area.
The point of the evening was to sample 4 new flavors of french fries and vote for our favorites. Lucky for use there was also some more substantial dishes that also had some other Alexia Products. Each of these dishes were paired with a different wine, which was a very nice touch.
Yvo says: I was surprised that they’d paired a different wine with each dish- I found this very interesting. I decided I felt like drinking as I wasn’t the one holding the camera – I can’t hold my hands steady when I drink – so I sat back and let TT take the lead.
Our first sample was the Tangy Parmesan Waffle Fries made from Russet potatoes. The first thing I noticed with all the fries were that they were barely heated. They weren’t frozen, but were basically served at room temperature. A little odd since these were the focus of the evening. These waffle fries were my favorite of the evening. They were indeed quite tangy from the Parmesan and the most crispy out of all the selections.
BeerBoor: I liked these most as well, perhaps because the shape was best able, of the four, to retain some sort of integrity at room temperature.
Yvo says: I was disappointed that they hadn’t been heated/cooked properly, but I decided this was the theme of the night and no fault of Alexia’s. I am positive that were they properly toasted, the crispness would be evident and I’d be pleased with them. The flavoring was pretty good – cheese fries without the liquid mess – just wish they were hot. And crisp. Mmm… waffle fries.
The first dish served was Mini Pulled Pork Sandwiches served with one of “Alexia Select Sides” of Roasted Red Potatoes and Baby Portabella Mushrooms with Whole Green Beans, Onions and a Thyme-Infused Oil Blend with a touch of Olive Oil. That is quite a mouthful to describe a side dish huh? I guess “veggie medley” was already taken? Anyway, the pulled pork sandwich was quite tasty. One of the better ones I have had in a while. It could definitely give Brother Jimmy’s a run for its money. The side of veggies was ok. As you can see it doesn’t look very appetizing. The flavor was good, but the problem with frozen sides is that when heated the veggies can get mushy, which is what happened here.
Yvo says: I was sad not to find any mushrooms on my plate, but I liked the red potatoes. The pulled pork sandwich didn’t much appeal to me for some reason; I forked out some of the pork and found the sauce a bit too sweet. There seemed to be way too much bread for the sandwich, but I suppose if I’d eaten it with the pork, the pork wouldn’t have been too sweet, huh? Oops.
BeerBoor: Limp, cold green beans do not make me want to rush to the frozen-food aisle. Fortunately the potatoes didn’t suffer as much. However, the wine, a German Riesling, was overly sweet and mushy, and after a few sips I gave up.
The next contestant was the Caribbean Jerk Crinkle Fries also made with Russets. There were pretty unremarkable. Not enough spice on the fries to remind me of anything Jamaican.
The next dish was Mini Brioche Grilled Cheese with Alexia Appetizers Onion Rings. Bread + Cheese + Butter = Delicious. What is not to like about grilled cheese? Although the cheese itself wasn’t very remarkable and a little cold, it got the job done. The onion ring was nice and crunchy and tasted fried, but was baked. This was one of the better side dishes.
Yvo says: I really liked the onion ring but again, wished it was hot. As I told Kristin, I could see just making a bag of these and making it a night in front of the TV instead of bothering with a main dish. She probably thought I was a sad woman who lived alone with her cat. I have a dog, damn it.
BeerBoor: This was more of a grilled butter with American cheese sandwich. Absolutely laden with sweet butter. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, really. The St. Laurent Sancerre paired here was considerably drier than the sugar bomb accompanying the slider, and could express some fruitiness to boot, so I appreciated that.
Our third contestant was the Chili Lime Sweet Potato Fries. Like the crinkle fries above, there wasn’t enough flavor to the chili lime. While they were good sweet potato fries, they were indistinguishable from plain sweet potato fries.
Here is the Bon Appétit chef plating the next dish; Indian Scented Sliders with Pepper/Marjoram Compote and Spiced Mayo and Alexia Spicy Sweet Potato Julienne Fries with Chipotle Seasoning. This was a fantastic slider. The “Indian Scent” was subtle which was good as cumin and other spices can be quite overpowering. The meat was perfectly cooked, which is not as easy feat in the slider. Nice and medium rare! As I read the menu now, I realize the side dish is definitely not the Sweet Potato fries. It was a warm black bean, corn, and sweet potato salad. It was pretty good for something you just reheat in the oven.
BeerBoor: easily the best main dish of the evening for all those reasons. Plus, the Boedecker 2007 Pappas Pinot Noir was surprisingly good: dry and spicy, and fairly sharp.
The last contestant was Carolina BBQ Sweet Potato Fries. I had no idea what they were trying with these. My palate may have been tainted by some of the other strong-flavored dished, but I did not get any flavor out of this besides the sweet potato.
BeerBoor: I understood what they were shooting for here, some sort of Western NC barbecue sauce, but it was so barley perceptible as to not make a difference. I wish these were served crispier, as well.
The final dish of the night was Roasted Lamb Loin Tuscan Style with Lemon and Alexia Oven Reds with Olive Oil, Parmesan and Roasted Garlic. This was my favorite meat of the night. The lamb was perfectly cooked. Super tender! It wasn’t highly seasoned, so it allowed the lamb to shine on its own, which I really appreciated. It was quite a pleasant surprise because I never expect to get food that is perfectly cooked at a PR event. The potatoes were ok, but I would have preferred them to be left in the oven a little longer to crisp up.
Yvo says: Uhhh… why don’t I remember this? Oh, right, wine. Well, I do remember TT triumphantly holding up a piece of lamb for me to inspect, and I vaguely recall putting something in my mouth that was remarkably soft and tender, but the rest is a bit of a blur. I should probably stop drinking.
BeerBoor: It concerned me that all night, the mains were cooked rather well while the sides were always done improperly. So it went with the lamb as well. At least the Chianti didn’t disappoint, an easy-drinking Tuscan, Isole e Olena, hit the spot as a final wine pairing.
I voted for the Parmesan Waffle Fries in person, but you have the chance to vote for your favorite on Alexia’s Facebook page.
Check out the swag that each of the attendees received; 2 different Oxo oven mitts, a bottle of one of the wines we were served, an Alexia apron, a coupon for a free Alexia product, and a copy of the current Bon Appétit magazine.
Yvo says: Hey! I didn’t get a copy of Bon Appétit!
All in all, this was a lovely event and introduction to Alexia Foods. Their products have some interesting flavor combinations and seem to be a heathier option in the frozen food aisle. Thank you to Alexia for a nice evening and the goodies.
Yvo says: I agree- I am definitely going to look for these. Sometimes when I’m making something extra complicated, I focus on that and sort of forget to whip up something on the side and wind up with plain rice or pasta, which can be fine, but it’s nice to have potatoes sometimes.
Please note that this event was courtesy of Alexia Foods. I received no monetary compensation for this review, nor was I obliged in any way to post about this meal, positively or otherwise. This is my own opinion and I feel it was unbiased; you are free to take from this what you will.
Lkp says
This looks awesome–love the photos. I love Alexia’s sweet potato fries–maybe I’ll branch out into other areas now.
T.C. says
Mmm fries.
CT says
Looks yummy! I had never heard of Alexia before, but will have to try them out now… I love waffle fries!!