With the possible exception of weekend festivals and man-eating mosquitoes, is there a sight more synonymous with summer in Sudbury as a chip stand?
Charged with the task of seeking out the Top 5 road-side snack
bars and taste-testing their french fries is much tougher 
(and filling) than it sounds.
The easy part was eating the fries. What made the job tougher
is trying to track down all of the deep-fried vendors
throughout the area.
If there's anything I've discovered it's that the quality of
the french fries, as well as the price, can make or break a
chip stand.
Every chip stand visited features a full-menu ranging from
burgers and hot dogs to poutine and fried chicken, and they've
all got seating available to customers so in the end, it's the
fries themselves that separate best from the rest.
What makes a quality box of french fries? For our un-scientific
purposes, we looked at how cooked the fries were and how evenly
they were cooked. There's nothing worse than having fries on
top that are partially cooked and crispy, over-cooked ends at
the bottom. We also made our decision based on texture. Some
fries were simply too dry. We also considered how the fries
tasted when eaten with gravy on the side.
Here's a look at our Top Five chip stands (feel free to send us
reviews of your favourite stand to share with other
readers):
Express, Chelmsford
Situated adjacent to a Shell station, Express offers some of
the tastiest fries found anywhere, never mind from a chip
stand. So fresh and crispy, they were still sizzling long after
coming out of the deep fryer. At $4.07 for a small fry and a
small gravy on the side, Express isn't the cheapest or the most
expensive, but the product is worth the price.
The Little Chipper, Hanmer
The Little Chipper comes in a close second.  A couple of
seats, but there's lots of room to park and eat in the car. If
the wind picks up, sand will be blowing off the gravel parking
lot so having a ride is a good idea. Despite the sandy
surroundings, this stand offers fries on par with Express. For
just $3 for fries and gravy, you can feed an army without
breaking the bank.
The Silver Bullet, Notre Dame Rd.
A lack of seating doesn't stop people from flocking to this
popular stand, which consistently cooks up good eats. Some room
to park, but most people seem to pick up their food and return
home with it.
Marcia's Place, Garson
Garson's hidden gem. Speedy, friendly service and fries that
were meant to be smothered in piping hot gravy. Fries sell at
an average price of $3.97. Definitely worth a stop if you're
looking for a snack in Garson.
Mariette's Place, Val Caron
Coming in at number five is Mariette's Place. While the fries
aren't as addictive as some of its competitors, Mariette's
offers more deep-fried bang for your buck with the biggest
"small" fry anywhere. At only $2.95, including a small gravy,
it's a steal of a deal in the Valley.
-Jason Thompson
