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January 18, 2005
Why I eat at the P.O.
Well, because of my hand, I haven't been knitting or printing, and I don't really have much to show. But I did exchange some e-mails with Christiane this morning about the big party I attend each year in Pennsylvania, and that brought to mind this vacation story.
This past summer, Peter, Claire (that's Mariah Claire, the sweater's namesake) and I went for lunch at the P.O. Diner in beautiful downtown New Castle PA. We picked it just because of its name, of course; we're big Eudora Welty fans around here. So we're ordering our food, and I have to be a freak and ask how many fryers they have, because I can't (won't) eat anything that's been fried in the same grease as fish (incidentally, the only place I've ever found that cooks their fish in a separate fryer is Bill's Sandwich Shop, also in New Castle). So after learning that they have only one fryer, I order a salad.
After a minute the waitress comes back and says "I guess you don't want the fries on your salad, then?". A salad comes with fries on the side? No, she says, the fries are on the salad.
Fries ON the salad? Like, where salad dressing will get on them?
The waitress says "you're not from around here, are you?", and proceeds to tell me that every place around here does it, and she even went to Florida last year and they had fries on the salad there, too.
Well.
Is this true? Has anybody ever heard of this? I've eaten in plenty of places in this area of Pennsylvania, and I've never before heard of fries on the salad. I mean, come on, it's gross.
Here's Claire and I looking at the waitress in utter disbelief; I think this may be the moment where I was saying "you put salad dressing on them?".
I bet she was making it up, just fooling around with the foreigners; it's all some kind of plot, and next year I'll go to the P.O. and ask for my salad without the fries and they'll think I'm crazy.
By the way, since I just can't believe that nobody wanted to know what the Amish guys had in their suitcase, I'll tell you: Wonderbread. The suitcase was jammed full with Wonderbread.
Posted by jodi at January 18, 2005 12:36 PM | categories: dumbass : self-absorbtion
Comments
Welcome to what we know as the Pittsburgh Salad. Salad with fries on it. It's quite brilliant, if you think about it. How often do you want to order a salad to be good, but really crave some french fries?? It's the perfect marriage.
Posted by: Christiane at January 18, 2005 01:46 PM
Are you serious??
That's disgusting.
Posted by: jodi at January 18, 2005 01:49 PM
It's no worse than fries with vinegar... an ontario staple.
Posted by: Rob at January 18, 2005 02:09 PM
ew. i have never heard of fries on a salad. and for the record, i live in MD/VA/DC. and I went to school in CA.
Posted by: maeve at January 18, 2005 02:15 PM
Oh come on. It's perfect. Completely negates all nutrional value of the salad.
Next you'll be saying fries on sandwiches are weird....
Posted by: Christiane at January 18, 2005 03:07 PM
Well, my husband (who is a big fan of your blog-he's a graphic designer) is from Pittsburgh and he introduced me to Primanti's years ago. They put fries and slaw on their sandwiches. Grossed me out at first, but now I crave them. When the fries on salad thing started, it didn't bother me at all.
Posted by: sandy at January 18, 2005 05:52 PM
Hey, there was a thing on PBS last week maybe about regional foods and Primanti's was on there with their french-fry sandwiches. My mom is from Pgh, but I'd never heard of such a thing. I'll have to ask her.
And Jodi, I lurve your haircolor. I'm due for a change (from magenta) and you're inspiring me.
Posted by: Lynn at January 18, 2005 07:14 PM
Call me sick, but that tattoo of yours would make a nice fair isle pattern.
P.S. Fries on salad? And they wonder why there's an obesity problem......;-)
Posted by: claudia at January 18, 2005 08:19 PM
lol...I've lived in pittsburgh all my life and that is a normal staple around here. yinz should try it sometime actually it is really good.
Posted by: April at January 18, 2005 09:03 PM
I cringed at first, but when I think about it - potato salad is potatoes with dressing. German potato salad even uses vinegar. And I know lots of people who dip fries into creamy dressings like ranch and buttermilk.
There's a greasy burger place I used to go to that serves fries with a "special sauce" made of mayo and mustard.
Posted by: mk at January 19, 2005 12:48 AM
Mmm.....Primanti's. Now you're talking.
Posted by: Christiane at January 19, 2005 10:12 AM
Not really interested in fries on salad, either. Maybe on the side...Great blog, thanks for visiting mine.
Posted by: Jenni Brown at January 21, 2005 05:19 PM
i've never read your blog before, just stumbled upon it.
but i'm from pennsylvania, and we do, indeed put fries in our salads.
and pot pie is not pie, dammit, it's ham and noodles and potatoes and carrots!
Posted by: susan at January 27, 2005 11:27 PM