happiness is a warm spud

~'She's talking to someone (she's not talking to me)' by BR-549. great band. great name. perfect rockin' chair song for the hopeful lamenting.


~“Animal factories are one more sign of the extent to which our technological capacities have advanced faster than our ethics.” -Peter Singer. ain't it the truth?



~The Search for One-Eyed Jimmy because it is the finest ever ever ever performance by John Turturro. too brief, John, far too brief. hear me now.


hey folks, sit for a spell. knowing my unhealthy lust for french fries, my pal Lori said that i should blog about good places to get french fries. she wants to know where to get waffle-cut fries...i was lacking in recommendations, so now i'm on a tiny quest. i'm sure there are already several hundred tramillion fry-bloggers out there, but ok, Lori, here's a few off the top. and by the way, the pursuit is happiness.

Maxfield's -2 montgomery street inside the palace hotel. truffle oil fries. it's like if someone were to give you a 1954 corvette and it just happened to be your favorite color. fortune! truffle oil is earthy and ash-like. you don't necessarily taste the oil on your tongue, it's more of an aroma in your throat that you thank the spud gods for. they are not as greasy as one would expect- it's my understanding that they double-fry the spuds- but when they turn cold, you do get that sort of post-BJ film on the roof of your mouth. apologies for my indelicate comparison. that ain't puddin', folks!
http://www.maxfields-restaurant.com/

Hotel Utah - 500 fourth street. all you need if you want love in a basket. they are plentiful and delicious: slightly crispy in all the right places, a great tooth-feel and there's almost always at least one really long potato in every bunch. why is a long fry so exciting? because if you're eating them with someone you love, then you can give the Gift of Long Fry to your sweetie. there's no question that they use real potatoes. i've never had bad service at the utah, though it can get noisy. one time, the couple sitting next to me had a chihuahua in their laps. when they went out for smokes, they asked if i'd mind cradling the little angel. happy-making on top of happy-making.
www.thehotelutahsaloon.com

Brickhouse -426 brannan street. 'big ass fries' is what the menu boasts, but the basket isn't really as big as all that. it's still a fair amount and really all you need if you're filling up on a fat tire or seven. the fries are sometimes limp, the texture smooth, but they always arrive hot hot hot and brickhouse has a trunkload of hot sauces from which to choose. pretty important stuff in deeannland. two legs-up for friendly service.
www.brickhousesf.com

21st Amendment -563 second street. good, smooth texture. the chef performs some sort of hoodoo magic on them so there's no need to salt them when they arrive in front of you. some could find that annoying, but i'm a salted nut, so i don't mind a bit. they aren't greasy and the cuts are thick as a hitchhiker's thumb. they aren't, however, crispy either. a bummer in my book, but not a deal-killer. i will also note that 21st deserves a two legs-up for their onion rings: a delicate but determined crisp, hot, and the cuts of onions are substantial enough so that you don't get that weird slither that leaves you looking like you're panting with a flaccid onion tongue. they rival the fries, uh-huh.
www.21st-amendment.com


thank you, babies, for stayin' on. indulge a little. it's good for your soul. cheers. clink. chow.