I first discovered Tim's Chips accidentally; a local brew pub served them with a pint and a bratwurst. The sad news is that the chips totally made the meal; the beer was watery, and the brat was, well, let's be polite and call it "over cooked" (are they supposed to fall apart like that?). But the chips—thick cut, crunchy kettle-style and incredibly fresh chips with just the right amount of salt. Since then, I've dedicated myself to the thankless task of trying Tim's chips at every opportunity.

Tim's begin in 1986, as a small family company; today they're owned by Birds Eye Foods, and they make not only Tim's various chips, but Maui chips, which, given that they are my other favorite chip, I should have guessed. Tim's has a number of flavored chip varieties, and I've tried several. I've liked all that I've tried—they are pretty much what you'd expect, if you've had other chips in the same flavor, with the difference that these chips are thick-cut kettle style, surprisingly lacking in grease or oil, and incredibly fresh. The Kennedy family's tradition of using special locally grown potatoes fromn family owned Northwest farms in Quincy, Toppenish and Ellensburg in Washington State, as well as farms near Portland, Oregon and Bakersfield, California, continues. They aren't kidding when they call these "Cascade style" chips.

• Sour Cream & Onion These are dominated by the sour cream flavor, but the onion is there too. It really is a lot like eating a crunchy baked potato.
• Sea Salt & Vinegar A little more on the vinegar side, but if you like this style, these are quite good. These work quite well with salmon or tuna salad, in terms of pairings.
• Johnny's Seasoned These are lightly dusted with Johnny's Seasoned salt, and it's just the right amount, too.
• Homestyle Barbecue These are on the sweet end of the barbeque spectrum, but there's nothing bland about them. I don't know whether I like these or Tim's Originals better.

Tim's makes other flavors as well, notably, Wasabi, Pepper Jack Cheese, and Jalapeno. I'll have to confess right now that as dedicated as I am to serving you, faithful readers, I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy chips. I draw the line after Barbeque, and while Tim's Homestyle Barbecue chips are fabulous and definitely fall into the category of More, you're on your own for these flavors. That said, a local retailer tells me that the Jalapenos are hands down the best sellers. If you're eager to try them for yourself, there's a handy Tim's Chips locater.

I also want to point out that these chips are just the right texture to use crushed where you might use bread crumbs—for instance, a light crusting of Tim's chips on really good vanilla ice cream (make ice cream balls, and put them in a ziplock style bag of crushed chips; shake well to coat) is amazing; the salt enhances the vanilla flavor, and the textures are super together.