The Chipster

What came first the bag or the chip? Whether you buy them for their irresistible tropical packaging, their thick crispy texture, or their all-natural ingredients, Rusty's hand-made potato chips are a local treasure. The Balboa Island based company hand slices premium Bakersfield potatoes and cooks them slowly in sunflower oil- without any saturated fat, then sprinkles them with French Mediterranean sea salt. Long accompanying sandwiches at local restaurants, the chips have only recently appeared on the grocery store shelves. Rusty's Dip Ideas on the back of the bag include personal recipes for salmon dip, clam dip, and "Rusty's Way," where chipaholics are instructed to squeeze a lemon over chips in the bag, "Shake the bag and enjoy...Hot!!"

Rusty's Chips are available for purchase at all Gelson's Market, Whole Foods, Savon Drugs and Bristol Farms. For more information, visit www.rustyschips.com