A good Portland pub is as ubiquitous as the city’s rain-misted winters and emphasis on local, organic food, as depicted in “Portlandia.” Known for its hearty, flavorful beers and an ever-growing restaurant scene, Rose City is also to thank for a feat of brewpub menu ingenuity: totchos. In the ranks of other food mashups like the sushirrito, totchos combine the best of two dive bar worlds: tots and nachos. Totchos were put on the map when they were created by Jim Parker at Oaks Bottom Public House nearly two decades ago.
Tater tots layered with toppings, salsa, and cheese are prepared just like your favorite plate of greasy bar nachos for this signature Oregonian dish. And the love of the totchos comes as no surprise, considering tater tots were invented in Oregon in the 1950s. Two brothers, Theodore Golden Grigg and Nephi Grigg, of the Oregon-based potato company, Ore-Ida, Inc. (now owned by Heinz), first commercialized the economical, frozen, and packaged spud bites created from leftover french fry scraps.
Today, walk into your choice of the myriad dive bars in Portland and you’ll likely be able to find a plate of seasoned tots among a slew of IPAs and other regional menu items like corn dogs. While many people have come up with creative ways to use the frozen spuds, a plate of totchos from the tots’ birthplace of Oregon is truly hard to beat. And all dressed up, tater tots take on a new light.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Read more: 13 Best Spots For Mouth-Watering BBQ Brisket Around The US
The Best Totchos Are Piled High With Toppings
Close-up of tachos in a skillet with fried-egg – TobinCStudio/Shutterstock
Like with any good plate of nachos, totchos are meant to be enjoyed with a pint of lager and loaded with toppings. For the purists, totchos are layered with cheese, jalapeños, chopped veggies, salsa, and sour cream, as served on Oaks Bottom Public House’s menu. But the inventive restaurants and brewpubs of Portland would never stop at the classics, and all the flavor fusion opportunities. For instance, the city’s staple watering hole, Hungry Tiger, serves up its “tot-chos” with vegan cheese and meat options. Some spots in Portland offer Mexican-inspired toppings like carne asada and avocado sauce, and others serve them with an Italian spin of Parmesan cheese and garlic.
If you prefer to get your totchos fix outside of a bar, there are spots like Doghouse PDX foodcart, where you can order tot bowls with a fried egg, Korean gochujang, or even a sprinkling of chanterelle salt. Spend enough time in Portland, and it’s inevitable you’ll find all kinds of riffs on the dish, from toppings of feta cheese to Cajun ingredients. You might even try tots topped with pulled pork, cheese, and barbecue sauce (aka “dirty tots”).
If you’re not in Portland, you can of course easily make the Oregonian fan-favorite at home, too. Just swap the tortilla chips in an easy baked nacho recipe with your favorite bagged tater tots. To achieve a crispy finish, just make sure to pre-bake the tots before loading on toppings and cheese.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.