On the vacation to the middle of nowhere (Oxford/McDonough, NY) I was treated to a greatest hits of FBG’s childhood and college years. Admittedly, this was quite interesting. I’m a city boy through and through, I don’t get how people can live more than 3 miles from multiple chains of grocery stores, fast food restaurants, and all other forms of entertainment. So, to liven up the experience, we spent part of an afternoon in FGB’s undergrad college town. The sights are beautiful, the college is basically stuck into a hill, looking half like it’s going to fall on the city below it at any time. By the time we were done, I’d spent far too long in a car. So, we hit up a nice looking place that is fairly new (it wasn’t around when FGB was in school there). This place is a modern(ish) diner called Plaza Diner. Definitely catered to the college student, and not the 50’s nostalgia so commonly seen in diners, it was just what I needed. A place to sit down, relax, and have some nice fries!

How was the fries? Interesting, not so much in the style or taste, but the specific flaws (which were minimal) were very unusual for the style. The fries were steak cut, about an 8.5/10 in thickness. Most fries were moderately above average in the crispiness, approximately a 6.5/10. The primary flaw lies here. A notable, but small percentage of the fries were pretty overcooked, not inedible, but cooked to the point they were highly browned and almost hollow on the inside. But honestly, this is the only notable negative. The fries were fairly bland, but were skillfully cooked other than the overcooked ones. There was no potato clumping on the interior, a common issue with steak fries. Fries were cooked through and were very fresh tasting, and properly warmed. The price for a large serving was $2.99 and the serving size was small/moderate for the price.

Plaza Diner

122 Main Street, Oneonta NY 13820

Fry Cut – Steak Cut

Crispiness – 6.5/10

Thickness – 8.5/10

Price – $2.99/large serving

Salt – Very light.

Seasoning – None