French Fry Diary 734: Blog March – Would You Like Fries With That?

While French Fry Diary is not officially part of Blog March 2017, that doesn't mean there might not be something I can add here.  If you want to read my entry, it's right here, and you can learn about the Blog March here, and see the schedule here.

My entry talked about the differences between Trump and President Obama, and outlined reasons why I could no longer be silent about politics.  I fear for my rights and the rights of my family and friends.  What does this have to do with French fries you're asking, right?  A lot.  I think the preferred fries say a lot about a man.  This isn't a meme you see on Facebook, but just some observations I've had. 

President Obama liked Five Guys, and would treat his staff and guests quite often. Trump appears to have a liking for KFC, and also McDonald's. If I'm being honest, these facts make me want to frequent Five Guys more, and KFC and McDonald's maybe not so much.

I know we can't blame KFC or McDonald's for who buys their product, but this information definitely makes me think twice. Do I want to be seen where Trump goes? And let's take a closer look at that pic of Trump eating KFC – he's using utensils, not a crime, but definitely odd. The thing that is a crime though is the fact that there are no fries. Who goes to KFC (or sends an intern to KFC) and doesn't get those delicious potato wedges?? What kind of monster does that?

In all seriousness, this blog is a fun and silly thing, I do it because it amuses me and I love the favorite fried food, but, the actions (or inactions) of Donald Trump, our current President, and the disputed leader of the free world are very serious business. He must be watched and our freedoms safeguarded, especially our freedom of expression, be it fries or art or protest. Join the March.

If you're not an official stop on the Blog March tour, do it anyway. Speak your mind, write your heart, and get the word out. Link back to us so we can help you spread the word.

Please join and/or donate to ACLU, vote, or register to vote if you haven't already, support People for the American Way, Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, Lambda Legal, and Public Television.

Check out the next stop on the Blog March right here tomorrow, and here the next day. A full schedule can be found here. And thank you.

French Fry Diary 674: The So-Called KFC Rat

So it's happening again. Every once in a while, someone supposedly finds something in their fast food that is a deep fried something that shouldn't be there. Rarely is it true, usually it's a hoax, or an attempt to make money from a lawsuit. Check your Snopes to make sure. But always, always, these things go viral, and the powers that be, that don't like fast food, use it as a reason not to eat fast food.

Today, we have the rat from KFC. It's just a piece of chicken that may look like a rat, that's all. Just like clouds may look like Lady Gaga, I assure you, they are not Lady Gaga. KFC assures us this is not a rat, just as the man who got this chicken tender and posted it to Facebook will not come forward and let them (or anyone else) examine the 'rat.' It's just a tender with the shape of a rat. There's a reason that McNuggets are made in the same shapes all the time, and this is it.

This might also be the place to mention another ugly rumor. KFC is not KFC because they no longer serve chicken, but because of the Health Nazi stigma of the word 'fried.' They are still Kentucky Fried Chicken, as seen in the new commercials featuring Darrell Hammond as Colonel Sanders, and the less said about those commercials, the better...

So KFC is safe, they're not cooking rats. And furthermore, you should go to KFC today, and get some chicken tenders, and a side of fries too while you're at it.

Are We Really Running Out of French Fries?

Yeah, I'm doing that thing, that panic thing that news services do to get folks' attention, you know, like when the local news does that "one of these soft drinks can kill you, details at eleven." Let me clarify, there have been potato shortages in some parts of the world recently, but no, we are in no way running out of French fries any time soon. Not happening.

In Japan in December there was some concern due to contract disputes in the shipping industry here in the United States, as the US is the world's leading supplier of potatoes. This caused Japanese McDonald's to temporarily remove Large and Medium size fries from their menus.

Venezuela is having similar problems, but they seem to be more internal than external. You can read about that here. And just so you think it's just McDonald's, KFC is also taking heat.

Bottom line, while some international markets are having trouble staying in French fries, and potato chip prices are going up, we have lots of potatoes here in the US, and should be fine. We are not running out of French fries.

French Fry Diary 644: KFC's Double Down Dog

You've probably seen or heard about this. Available for a short time at KFC locations in the Philippines, and at a count of only fifty sold per day, the Double Down Dog is a cheese-filled hot dog, wrapped in a bun-shaped piece of boneless fried chicken, with a zig-zag of mustard on top. Mmmm… (well, except for the mustard)

People are shocked and outraged of course. These are the health conscious folks who would never go into a KFC anyway, so really, why should the rest of us care? The health Nazis are not in KFC's demographic. Do we tell them what kind of flavorless non-bread cardboard bread they should eat and not eat? No.

I could definitely see myself trying the Double Down Dog (which honestly is not so far off from KFC's original Double Down), sans mustard of course, at least once, but I can't see doing it more than that. It's a once in a lifetime (make of the pun what you want, Health Nazis) treat, and I think that's why it's a limited time item.

Despite the limitations, they are selling out crazy in the Philippines. If you're there, and planning on getting a Double Down Dog, don't forget to get fries with that!

French Fry Diary 566: Church's Chicken

Church's Chicken is the fourth largest chicken fast food chain after KFC, Chick-fil-A, and former partner Popeyes. They are currently often co-franchised with White Castle, which is what their fries most resemble. Most folks only know two things about Church's, and neither is very nice. One, that they are mostly located in lower class minority areas - not true, and two, that the Ku Klux Klan owns them and they are slowly poisoning minorities - also not true, Snopes even says so.

The Church's I visited was quite small, had a tiny eating area, and so I went through the drive-thru. There seemed to be much contention over my order, as if they didn't hear it, record it, or cook it. With only two customers inside eating, two employees working the store, and no one in the drive-thru but me, I had a good fifteen to twenty minute wait for just fries and a soda.

I ordered the large fry, not realizing how big large actually was. The large fry order is a whole box of them, making the previously thought $2.79 price actually a pretty fair bargain. The French fries themselves, as I said above, are much the same as at White Castle. These are standard crinkle cuts, deep fried, and quite probably had spent some time under a heat lamp for a while. The fries were a bit too crispy/crunchy for my tastes, but that might be because of their time in heat lamp prison. Because of that, reheating them at home later was just not possible either in the oven or microwave.

Also notable is the side menu at Church's that includes fried okra and mashed potatoes. Maybe next time. As I wrote this review in the car (because I went through the drive-thru), I have to mention that Church's mobile phone website is nigh impossible to navigate. Many details had to be filled in at home later. Someone needs to call IT.

This was not a great visit, perhaps a second chance is in order, but not for a while.

French Fry Diary 542: Howard's Crispy Fried Chicken Skins

I love my friend Marni, I really do. And I love that wherever she goes, she's looking for new and interesting snacks for me to review here on French Fry Diary, but with this entry... I'm beginning to think she's mad at me for something. Something bad.

Marni got me these ...things. Howard's Crispy Fried Chicken Skins. Yeah, folks, these are exactly what they sound like they are. And not the tasty skin you can pull off your KFC and enjoy, this is just disgusting. I thought I was going to throw up.

Howard's Snacks also makes other yummies like pork skins and popcorn. From their website: "We knows all Fried Pork Skins..." I'm just guessing all our base belong to them too.

The Fast Food Strike

The big story today in the world of fast food, predominantly realm of the French fry, is the fast food strike.

Workers at many of the major fast food outlets - including McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, KFC, Taco Bell, and many others - are choosing to protest and/or walk out today as a measure to gain higher wages.

Fast food restaurants unfortunately are notorious for their minimum wages and low pay rates. Some workers cannot afford rent or to take care of themselves or their kids. Think about that next time you order fries at your favorite fast food place.

French Fry Diary 439: Popeyes, Delaware House

It's been quite a while since I've been to Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (or as they are colloquially known, Popeyes Chicken), not since they started to replace local area KFCs at least, and I've never been to the Delaware House rest stop on I-95 despite passing it perhaps hundreds of times, so why not kill two birds (or chickens) with one stone?

Delaware House, recently renovated a few years back, is a more likely stop on I-95 now that personal favorite Maryland House is now itself being renovated. Oddly enough, the first time I had ever been to a Popeyes was also at a rest stop, this one somewhere between Chicago and Milwaukee back in 1992. I remember two things about the visit - the biscuits were good, and there was a 'gentleman' giving out business cards at the rest stop declaring himself a 'procurer of companionship.' Uh huh.

That didn't happen this time. Delaware House is actually rather nice, and has a loungey food court vibe. Originally The Bride was going to get pizza at Famous Farmiglia, but once she smelled what Popeyes was cooking, to paraphrase The Rock, she joined me in line there. Despite what seemed a long line on a busy Friday night, we were quickly taken care of with a friendly smile. A-plusses for customer service and appreciation.

The Bride and I shared some spicy chicken tenders, and I got a biscuit and some fries of course. The biscuits are still just as good as I remembered. The Cajun Fries were crispy and battered natural cut shoestrings, as opposed to the regular cuts I had gotten the last few times I'd been to Popeyes. I wonder if that's a franchise-wide change or unique to this location.

The fries came in an old style fast food paper pocket, but overflowed into their own mini-box, which was a nice touch. Some of the fries were stuck together in batches due to the batter in the deep frying - nothing wrong with that, just interesting. The Cajun spices and cracked black pepper gives the fries a good zing, not unlike those at Checkers. Good stuff.

Good relaxing stop and dinner break, and best of all, no pimps. ;-)

French Fry Diary 336: Publix

We have a special treat for folks this week. While I'm busy running the Virtual Book Tour for THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES by my friend author Fran Metzman, another good friend of mine, Terry Willitts will be guest blogging here at French Fry Diary this week.

Today, it's Publix, a place I've actually gotten recommendations for, but alas there are none nearby, but Terry's got it covered...

PUBLIX CHICKEN AND ONION RINGS

Publix is a supermarket chain in the Southeast US, and they are noteworthy for their deli and bakery departments. (They also have great produce, decent prices, and great sales, especially their BOGO promotions.) Their deli makes some of the best subs - if you have one, you'll laugh at the idea of going to a Subway.

Recently, I had stopped in for some fried chicken (I prefer theirs to Popeyes or KFC) and saw they had fresh onion rings; I don't know if this is a new item, a seasonal one, or been there a while and I just haven't noticed (not entirely impossible.) I got a half pound of them with my chicken.

They were HUGE. I don't know about you, but I believe size does matter, especially when it comes to onion rings. The batter was light and crispy - not too crunchy but not soft or chewy. The onion was warm and taut and flavourful. These are the best onion rings I've had in years and highly recommend them, especially with an order of chicken, or perhaps a Publix sub. And stop by the bakery for a cake, pastry or other dessert.

Thanks, Terry! If you'd like more of Terry online, check out his regular blog here, his daily year long journey through "Doctor Who" from the very beginning here, and his eBay page here.

French Fry Diary 299: T.G.I. Friday's

A while ago I was seduced into reviewing T.G.I. Friday's by my buddy Ray raving about their new menu and especially their new Steak Fries. Now the prospect of a new menu at Friday's doesn't phase me so much as it seems like they change their menu every other week, but new Steak Fries, yeah, I had to see that. And so we went.

Usually T.G.I. Friday's is one of my favorite restaurants but the customer service varies and sometimes ends making us avoid the place for months at a time, until we get a craving for something there, or have forgotten how badly they treated us last time. They have a lot of meals I like, but also a constantly changing menu, so sometimes they don't stay around for a while. Notably, over the years, I have loved their steak on a stick, Jack Daniels chicken and burgers, and the onion rings. Half of those items are currently gone from the menu, for the record.

The night we went we had a very enthusiastic waiter, who was very eager to sell me on the then-new fries when the option of sides came up. He described them as "KFC potato wedges, only fresh." So, right out of the starting gate, before they even came - I knew they weren't even steak fries, but potato wedges. Talk about false advertising…

As encouraging as the waiter was, the service really wasn't. The salads came with uncooked bacon and no fork. We were not off to a great start at all. Of course all of the wait staff had vanished. We finally flagged down an employee in a dress shirt (a manager?) sans flair, who promised to fix things and after a short wait, did.

Friday's has a variety of fry options currently. The usual fries are of the natural cut type and really nothing special. When dipped in the Jack Daniels barbeque sauce, they are amazing, but as far as I'm concerned, anything dipped in that stuff is amazing - I love it. They also have the Crispy Green Bean Fries - flash-fried green beans - not really fries, but actually a nice interesting treat.

They also have less than satisfying beer-battered onion rings. Friday's seems to change their onion rings/straws once a week just to flummox me. They never have the kind I want when I want them. They used to have very crispy thin onion rings and onion straws that were to die for, but seemingly not anymore. I guess I'll have to wait for another menu change.

My meal finally arrived, and it came wrong. Instead of the Jack Daniels Chicken I ordered, I got the chicken and shrimp. Again, after a short wait, the right dinner came. Remember what I said about customer service? Anyway, on to the favorite fried food. The regular cut natural cuts came hot, and were salted and peppered, with way too much salt actually. And when I say too much salt, you know it's waaay too much salt. And then there were the "Steak Fries." Our waiter was dead on when he described them as KFC potato wedges but I would actually give KFC the win on this one. They were not hot, and as opposed to the regular fries, these had too much pepper. They also come with the option of parmesan cheese.

The customer service continued to drain me. While our waiter was friendly and cooperative, he was no so good in the execution of his job. He was not only slow with the utensils, napkins and drink refills, but hard to find when we needed him. And he spilled hot Jack Daniels sauce on me too, not his fault, but it didn't help.

Now my correct order came far too late for me to enjoy it with my dining party, so I ended up taking most of it home. The chicken and the regular fries are always good later whether nuked in the microwave or heated up in the oven. The potato wedges did not do well in either area, and were trashed.

A few more words on the Jack Daniels barbeque sauce - I love this stuff. I love it so much that I have tried on occasion to recreate it at home from online recipes. It's never quite the same. Our waiter was cool enough to give me two small containers of it to take home with my chicken and fries. It's darn good on other fries, burgers, steak, etc. as well. It's one of my all time favorite dipping sauces for the favorite fried food. Friday's, if you want to do something right, bottle that stuff.

Random Tater Pic of the Day #7

Cartman and Kyle eating McDonalds French Fries in a hot tub full of KFC gravy. It's from the "Crack Baby Athletic Association" episode of "South Park."

"It's called poutine."

I'm not making any comments.

French Fry Diary 163: Gino's Is Back!

When folks think of the first fast food restaurant they were exposed to, the answer is usually McDonald's, but for me, and I suspect quite a few folks my age in the vicinity of Berlin NJ, the answer would be Gino's.

Gino's is long gone -until just a few days ago- but that building in Berlin, next to the old now also gone Acme, that was since been an Arby's, a Roy Rogers and now just a regular Jersey diner, will to some folks be forever known as Gino's. It was the first place we all got fast food. It was where most of us had our first fast food hamburger - the Gino's Giant, not the Big Mac or the Whopper. It was the place we first had Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was where we went for lunch after grocery shopping at the Acme on Saturday mornings. It was where the food came from for birthday parties when we were little. And for some of us, it was where we had our first part-time jobs. Gino's left that Berlin location in the seventies, but there was still one or two around, but they all closed in the early eighties.

Imagine my surprise to find that a new Gino's had opened just a week ago in King of Prussia. Opened and looking to franchise by founder Gino Marchetti and his partners the new Gino's is known as Gino's Burgers and Chicken, and you can check them out here at their website, or here at their blog, and shortly I'll be reviewing their fries right here at French Fry Diary. And don't forget to 'like' them on Facebook. Welcome back, Gino's!

And just for the sake of nostalgia, here's one of their commercials from the swinging seventies...

French Fry Diary 105: KFC

KFC is of course shorthand for Kentucky Fried Chicken. The name change was for brevity, and to remove the word 'fried' to appease the Health Nazis, and not as urban legend says, because they no longer serve chicken. Sheesh. They’ve been around for decades, since Colonel Harland Sanders founded the chain in 1952. Known primarily for their trademark fried chicken with eleven herbs and spices. While their focus is chicken, they have always had potato side dishes – which is what we’ll be concerned with, especially the French fries.

In the 1980s and 90s KFC used to have shoestrings that were very good and crispy but those are long gone. Now they have natural cut potato wedges. I don’t go to KFC often but I was prompted by recent TV commercials. The primary objective for this visit to KFC was to try the new "Get a Grip" Boneless Filet.

At first glance, it’s fairly reminiscent of the boneless chicken breast filets Chick-fil-A used to sell back in the day, you know the same ones they now only serve in sandwiches. Bonus on the KFC version is that they come in an almost-fry-like cardboard pocket. As far as the filet itself goes, the grilled is better than the original recipe, and Chick-fil-A still does it better. Period.

As I said, currently KFC’s fries are of the potato wedges variety with a spice black peppery seasoning and possibly batter-fried. Being wedges you don’t get as many with an order unless you order the large, which is really large, a box the size of a whole meal. These wedges are pretty good, not great but not crappy either. Excellent when hot, crispy and always soft and fluffy in the middle. Bonus – they can be baked or nuked in the microwave later for leftovers.

Of the rest of the KFC menu, my favorites to order are the Honey BBQ Sandwich and the Honey BBQ Boneless Wings. This is notable as the KFC Honey BBQ sauce is excellent for dipping, for any fries. While I wish KFC would go back to the shoestrings they used to have, the potato wedges are still pretty good.

French Fry Diary 94: Long John Silver’s

Fish and chips is a longtime combination in the fry game and cashing in on that concept is Long John Silver’s. They are similar to what I remember Arthur Treacher’s and Gulliver’s to have been back in the day, pretty much except for the fries.

The Long John Silver’s I visited shares space with a Taco Bell, as they are both part of the Yum super-corporation that also includes KFC, Wing Street, A&W and Pizza Hut among others. Yep, the Pepsi super-conglomerate, honestly Coke would take these places a step up for me.

The place is mostly Taco Bell as they were there first however, and the dual logos of the LJS fish and the TB bell next to one another is a bit unsettling as neither quite look like what they’re supposed to look like. To me at least, the bell kinda looks like a dragon or a crocodile eying up that fish for dinner. Yeah, it's more disturbing than it is unsettling.

I ordered the chicken and chips, my usually order there which includes two chicken planks (always very good unless someone screws up and I get fish), a generous helping of shoestring French fries, two ‘hush puppies’ (basically tasty deep fried breaded balls of mystery stuff), and an assortment of crumbs. No, I have no idea what the crumbs thing is about.

The fries are traditional shoestrings and always crispy. You gotta eat ‘em while they’re hot because they don’t stay hot for long, and sadly they don’t really nuke that well. You can reheat them in the oven when you get home but it’s dicey getting them just right without burning them or making them too crisp. Unless you live close, there’s not much of a take out option because of this.

The fries seem to have an Invisicoat texture but they don’t. If anything they are very lightly battered with something similar to the mystery crumbs. Sometimes the quality varies, but most of the time these are very good and quite addictive. If hot, highly recommended.

French Fry Diary 79: Burger King at Home 1

As mentioned here at French Fry Diary, Burger King is invading your grocer’s freezer. In fact, they are there now.

The good news is that instead of the crappy fries you can get at any Burger King, these are different. They come in three varieties: King Krinkz – seasoned crinkle cuts, King Kolassalz – bigger crinkle cuts, and King Wedgez – seasoned potato wedges. Thankfully none of the regular ones, but the package itself, in which the fries cook in your microwave, becomes an ersatz Frypod – an "Eazy Tranport Frypod." I gotta give them props for packaging at least.

I tried the King Wedgez first. The directions were oversimplified, with instructions like Shake, Vent, Zap, Cool, Tap, Rip, and of course, Eat. The end result, if you tear it right, does look like the type of package fries used to come in a few years back, but ironically, not really much like what we know as a Frypod.

There weren’t all that many fries inside either, granted they were big, but still maybe only about ten to a dozen total. The King Wedgez were seasoned potato wedges, similar to those at KFC, but with vertical medium ripples. The ripples were not as small as those at Famous Dave’s, but not as big as those on wavy potato chips. The fries were not really very tasty either – a little soggy and not very crisp (or even "Krispy!" as the package itself promises), but with a good pepper aroma that emanates from the microwave while they’re cooking.

All in all, the experience was fun – the packaging, the adventure of making them, etc., but the fries not so much. Ore-Ida microwave fries are better, but not as much fun. Next time we’ll try the King Krinkz and King Kolassalz and see how they are.

French Fry Diary 56: The KFC Double Down

Had I not seen this on the news I would sworn this was a prank or something concocted by This Is Why You're Fat, but it's real, heart-stoppingly real.

This one is for you, Health Nazis, something that makes French fries seem not so bad after all...

The new Double Down sandwich from KFC, also known unofficially in some circles as the cardiologist's nightmare, consists of two chicken patties in lieu of a roll with two slices of cheese and two strips of bacon between them. No, I'm not kidding. Honestly, my first reaction after realizing this was for real was the thought that having a roll might have lightened the blow to the easily shocked.

As tasty and as artery-hardening as this sounds, this thing just isn't for me. But if you are going to try this monstrosity, don't forget the fries. Mmmm... fries...

French Fry Diary 40: IKEA… Fries?

I wish I could be more positive about this one, but I just can’t. Finding French fries in new and interesting places is a pleasure and an adventure. It is truly one of the best parts of this job – unless they suck, and trust me, IKEA fries do indeed suck.

For those not in the know, IKEA is that funky Scandinavian place with all the cool furniture that sometimes can drive you insane putting it together by yourself when you get home. For quite some time I have been hearing rumors that IKEA also had a restaurant, and that the food was really quite good. As you can imagine, my first thought was of the fries, so I set out to try them.

Now mind you, I had been warned. I was told repeatedly that the fries at IKEA were bad, even crappy, and that I wouldn’t like them. But, I have a duty here, and like my friend Ben, I decided I had to try them, so you won’t have to.

These are really crappy fries. Wow. Yeah, really crappy. IKEA fries are diner quality regular cuts with lotsa batter, like lotsa batter in the manner of the old KFC Extra Crispy chicken recipe, and that’s not a good thing. This is truly the invisicoat from Hell. Once you get through the coating there’s a processed mashed potato taste inside. Not hot, barely warm, and served cafeteria style, these are probably the worst fries I’ve had in quite some time. I barely ate more than half a dozen of the wretched things in the photo shown. And then I couldn’t even give the rest away.

Friends assure me that the mashed potatoes are good, and I myself can attest to the ‘cholad ljus’ chocolate bar being quite tasty, and some of the furniture at IKEA is great – but whatever you do, stay away from these crappy fries.

Oprah's Un-Fried French Fries

Oprah Winfrey likes French fries. I know she does. And there is no malice or sarcasm involved in that statement. We all know Oprah likes French fries. Come on, look at that smile. She’s thinking about French fries right now.

To make up for her (an myself as well) luring folks to try that nasty Kentucky Grilled Chicken (with beef seasoning! thank you, El Pollo Loco), here’s one of Oprah’s recipes for fries:

Ingredients

* 5 lg Baking potatoes (about 2 3/4
* Light vegetable oil
* Cooking spray
* 2 lg Egg whites
* 1 tb Cajun spice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Slice each potato into 1/4 inch ovals, then slice each oval lengthwise into matchsticks. Coat a baking sheet with 3 sprays of the vegetable oil.
Combine the egg whites and Cajun spice in a bowl.
Add the matchstick potatoes and mix to coat.
Pour the coated potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet and spread them out into a single layer, leaving a little space in between.
Place the baking sheet on the bottom shelf of the oven.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the fries are crispy, turning them every 6 to 8 minutes with a spatula so that they brown evenly.

Rumor has it that Oprah also likes honey on her fries, whether it’s for dipping or poured right on, I don’t know, but I can’t say that I disagree. Honey is an intriguing condiment, not every time, but once in a while it’s great. I hear it’s extra great when the fries are a side for honey dipped chicken.

Brandy also likes Oprah and digs the whole honey and fries thing, read her blog entry about that here.


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Could You Be the Next Colonel?

From the official KFC website:

A SECOND COLONEL? KFC LAUNCHES SEARCH FOR NEW FACE OF KENTUCKY GRILLED CHICKEN™

To Celebrate Its Grilled Menu, KFC Teams with MySpace to Cook Up Nationwide Quest to Find the Ultimate KGC Fan and Possible New Brand Icon

LOUISVILLE, KY – The Colonel needs a counterpart. For 65-plus years, the image of Colonel Sanders has represented Kentucky Fried Chicken. Now KFC embarks on a worldwide search, with online partner MySpace, to identify a new iconic face for the brand’s revolutionary new Kentucky Grilled Chicken (KGC). The search for the ultimate KGC fan has begun.

Whether it’s an uncanny resemblance to the fried chicken founder or an updated take on the classic chicken dance, KFC fans can submit a video now through July 7, at www.myspace.com/unthinkfc showcasing why they are the ultimate KGC fan. America will have the final vote on the brand’s new KGC ambassador.

By showing the world why they are the ultimate KGC fan, entrants have a chance to win the ultimate chicken prize – KGC for life – valued at more than $13,000, awarded in the form of KFC® gift checks. The winner will also have the chance to strut their stuff and represent KFC as the next American icon, potentially even appearing in future KFC advertising.

Three finalists will be revealed on July 25, with voting beginning on August 1 where KGC fans can watch the top three videos and vote for the “Ultimate KGC Fan.” (All entrants and voters must be registered members of the MySpace Web site and in compliance with MySpace’s Terms & Conditions policy).

“For decades, our founder Colonel Sanders has been the face of our world famous fried chicken,” said Javier Benito, executive vice president of marketing and food innovation for KFC. “With the launch of our second secret recipe, we’re encouraging all chicken lovers, grilled and fried, to showcase why they are the ultimate KGC fan and should be the new face of Kentucky Grilled Chicken.”

And if you do become the new Colonel, or even try to by entering the contest - don't forget about the fries!


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And Now a Message from the President... of KFC