What’s in a Tater Tot?

You may ask yourself why a story about tater tots. What makes them so unique? Yes, our smashed tater tots are delicious, but there is also a story behind them (many things here at The Grumpy Rabbit have backstories.) Growing up in Lonoke, Gigi, the owner of The Grumpy Rabbit, enjoyed delicious food made by her mother, Jessie. Jessie was a fantastic cook but didn't cook or eat what she considered "junk food." Her one indulgence was homemade tater tots. In adding tater tots to the menu, Gigi wanted to honor the memory of her mother. She, Chef Hale and the staff set off to create large round fluffy fried potato tots to add to the menu.

A recipe was formulated. A beautifully rounded crisp tot was made and fried to perfection - or so they thought. That beautiful round tot was gorgeous on the outside, but not at all what they imagined on the inside. So, it was back to the drawing board. After many trials and errors, they finally grabbed one of the beautifully rounded domes of potato, smashed it, and threw it in the fryer. When it came out, it was delicious inside and out. A happy accident? Maybe. All we know is that this action resulted in the deliciousness that we enjoy dipping our sauce in each and every time we order this appetizer… I'd suggest the fry sauce.

But there's more to the story. If you venture upstairs while visiting, you may find a beautiful abstract painting of two long-haired dachshunds hidden towards the back of the long hallway. Did you know their names are Tater and Tot? These are Gigi and Grumpy's four-legged fur babies. Before she passed, Gigi's mother, Jessie, fell in love with Gigi's dog, Freckle (another dachshund.) After Freckle crossed "the rainbow bridge," the two dachshunds (Tater and Tot) were brought into the Wiertelak's home and were given names to honor Gigi's mother.

Lastly, there's one more connection to tater tots that is worth mentioning. We might write about this later, but Tater Tot Enterprises, LLC. is our corporate name. So, to sum it all up, tater tots are much more than a fried potato treat here at The Grumpy Rabbit. They are woven into the fabric of who and what we are and, more importantly, honor the memory of a wonderful woman.