I don't know if this is isolated to NM (and far west texas) but over the past 3 weeks I've found that anyone who uses those "panko" style onion rings no longer have any. Must be a supplier issue. My independent research found found 2 Sonics in West Texas out, the Sonic in Ruidoso NM Out, Blakes Lotta burger in Alamogordo out, Blakes Lotta burger in Socoro out. and Hall of Flame Burger in Ruidoso is also out. What do they have in common... they all sell those crusted onion rings. Why or how has the supply chain of cheap, mediocre Onion Rings been disrupted across the south west?
I blame it on the French Fry Mafia and the Tator Tot Syndicate. They've banded together to snuff out their competition.
Oregon has rings. We also have water, lesbians and pot. What's that Belinda Carlisle lyrics about heaven on earth???
lol. There's a supply chain issue in a lot of things. Yes, onion rings are on the list. I've been reading people on reddit screaming about onion ring shortages around the nation for a few months.
The French - mon Dieu! They are angry about Australia dumping the dozen French designed diesel/electric attack submarines, based on the French nuclear attack boats and to be built in Australia at a cost of tens of billions of dollars, for 8 or more actual nuclear attack submarines based on either the American Virginia class boats (subs are called boats - don't ask me why) or the new Astute class attack boats being built by the UK. They are to be built in Oz, with significant aspects of the subs to be purchased from the US and the UK. France has been completely cut out of the deal, which came as a complete surprise to them. The boats will cost billions more than the French design and take years longer to build, but will be far more powerful and sure to give China a real headache. The 3 nations also signed a mutual defense agreement in the process that further binds them together in case of a conflict with, presumably, China. To add more pain to the French psyche, the Aussies are talking to the US about leasing some nuclear attack boats in the interim, so that they can become familiar with operating them, and China can become familiar with worrying about them. Naturally, the French have retaliated . . . with onion rings.
Freedom Fries have won the battle of attrition that has consumed the last 50 years of the restaurant wars. A complete blind side of the Onion Ring that has sent Curly Fries and Tater Tots into negotiating terms for their surrender and hopefully some resemblance of peaceful coexistence. Word on the street has Nachos and Grits forming an alliance to stop the Freedom Fries advance.
It is a complete and total pain in the ass to make "homemade" rings. Not kidding, it's a serious production. My brother just told me that back in his bistro in Sonoma they had 1 person who started first thing in the morning and all she did was prep onions (peel, slice, buttermilk soak, rack dry, flour/starch dust, dry again, beer batter, panko, fry). Her other job later in the day was to clean the 17 dishes used to prep the onions that morning and afternoon. No lie. They sold lots of rings, and we made them a couple of times for ranch-style fish fry day. Best I've ever had. You have to be dedicated to the ring and love the people you're cooking them for. Most everybody gets their Individually Quick Frozen, ready to fry, stuff from Asia. As we all know, there are supply chain issues with everything coming from Asia...thus No Rings For You!
yesterday driving from El Paso to Austin my girlfriends son wanted a burger so we stopped in to Carl's Jr. I saw Onion Rings on the menu and ordered some figuring I would get the same "sold out" response. To my surprise they had some. Not surprisingly the were horrible. The worst onion rings I've ever had. completely flavorless. I threw them out after trying 3. I've never eaten carls jr before but based on those rings I never will again.
