Today we went to the Greek street festival which has resulted in lots of NO PARKING AFTER 4 AM TOWING ENFORCED and ALLEY CLOSED signs on our block. There are many flags that match the bright blue outdoor carpet they have put down. The Greek Church is on the corner. By craning my neck around I can see the cross on the cupola from where I am sitting, elegantly sipping a glass of Retsina. (Not really, it is a glass of decent Cabernet.) We are in the thick of things- we can hear the music, loud loud loud, see the drunk people staggering around, smell the charcoal smoke from the grills, see the raffle booth from the house. Maybe we will go buy raffle tickets and try to win plane tickets to Greece or an iPad. This leads me to the point of this post: Fries. We got some wonderful ones at the festival.

I love fries. Here are the best ethnic varieties.

1. Curry and Chips: England. Just how it sounds. Curry sauce on fries.
2. Greek Fries: Homemade potato chips soaked in lemon vinaigrette and oregano, covered in feta.

The meat sticks are souvlaki. Beef or pork, I’m not sure.

3. French fry omelet sandwich- Spain. Take your ordinary frozen french fries, fry them in a gallon of olive oil and twelve pounds of salt. Then take half a dozen irradiated eggs. These do not have to be refrigerated. Add an inch of oil to the pan and make an omelet- add fries to omelet. Put omelet on a baguette sliced in half lengthwise. Serve with side of french fries. Get angry if people don’t clear their plates. (Fries can be replaced with an entire garlic plant)
4. Country Fried Taters- favored food of American White People. I enjoy them with ketchup and Ranch. My mother makes good ones but mine are blackened lumps of death.