Cheese fries. In my experience, cheese fries means making some fries, covering them in shredded cheese (usually cheddar), and then putting them under the broiler to melt it a bit. In Chicago, cheese fries means making some fries, and covering them in processed cheese sauce or providing processed cheese sauce on the side for dipping. This is not some horrible idea, but it is not what I'm used to, and from a flavor standpoint not my preference. I like my nacho cheese on nachos, not on fries. So if I ever get a craving for cheese fries, I'll essentially have to make my own.
Queso. I'm a girl who would have been happy to live off of chips, salsa, and queso. When I say "queso" I mean the melted cheese in a bowl, typically mixed with salsa/pico de gallo/etc so that it's somewhat spicy, and you get to dip all your chips in it and gain 500 lbs. Here, queso refers to melted cheese, but not the dipping kind. It's melted, but not runny, and you are supposed to wrap it in tortillas to eat it. This queso existed in my previous life as well, Ninfa's and Serrano's both serve these wrapping quesos, with additive choices such as chorizo, crawfish, and fajita meat. When I worked at Serrano's I always loved when people ordered the quesos, because we got to mix them and roll them tableside for the customers, and I thought that was fun. But what is not fun is that dipping queso does not appear to exist here. I do not understand why Chicago chooses to ignore the amazing greatness that is dipping queso. And people are welcome to argue that it's not "authentic" but I've eaten at many an authentic Mexican place and still been offered the option of dipping queso. Give the people what they want!
