There was a thread here recently about food products that we love and miss, and in that thread I recall that O’Grady’s Au Gratin Potato Chips were mentioned fondly by a few Dopers.
For those who don’t know: in days of yore–mid '80s to you–giants and gods walked the Earth, and among the snack food gods that lived on the supermarket shelves back then were O’Grady’s Au Gratin Potato Chips–thick cut, ruffled potato chips with a distinctive cheese flavoring that were just about the best chips I’ve ever tasted. O’Grady’s AGPCs had my worship for an ever too brief length of time. One day they were on the shelves at the 7-Eleven down the street, the next day–poof!–all gone, never to be seen again.
Or maybe not.
Because just the other day I bought a bag of Ruffles Thick Cut Cheddar Baked Potato flavored chips. I’d never seen the flavor before, and figured I’d give them a try, hoping they’d be tasty and different from the standard Cheddar and Sour Cream flavor (I don’t like Sour Cream). Folks, if Frito-Lay is not making these things with the same recipe as the long-lost O’Grady’s, then the taste is a remarkable coincidence. They’re great, and almost exactly as I remember the dearly departed O’Grady’s.
So if there are any O’Grady’s fans out there still in mourning for the loss of that once mighty chip, I suggest you run out to the store and buy a bag of those Ruffles. They may not be easy to find; I found them in one of the local Safeway stores, but the Safeway in the next town over did not have them. Hunt for them if you must, but get a bag–you will not be disappointed. And maybe, if they fly off the shelves, Frito-Lay will look at the sales figures and keep these chips on the shelves and get them in more stores.
I leave you to your task, and wish you good snacking.