Side Dish Heaven

Good morning and Happy April! I hope nobody gets suckered into a scam story or scheme today.

Gail Grabowski provides us with a foodie puzzle called "On the Side." This puzzle includes all the foods I love but can only indulge in small portions. All the theme clues read "Side dish for dinner" and the answers are below:

20A: POTATO SALAD. My dad used to buy potato salad and "doctor it" by adding more mayo. Can you say "heart attack waiting to happen?" I actually like German Potato Salad because uses oil and vinegar instead of mayonnaise and it's easy to prepare for most people. As for me, I'm a total klutz in the kitchen. In fact, I've been told to say out by my husband and son. :-(

50A: FRENCH FRIES. They are not so bad if you bake them. However, my mom used to buy the horrible Ore-Ida frozen kind. The best (IMO) are from Five Guys, but at 300 calories for a small portion, I have them just once a month.

11D: BAKED BEANS. "Beans, Beans, Good for the Heart. . . ." You know the old joke. I always think of the Boy Scouts and their stereotypical meal of franks and beans. . . . I didn't realize how much sugar canned baked beans had until I saw a label--16 grams! Heinz baked beans are actually more popular in the UK than they are here. The most vivid scene involving baked beans is from the movie "Tommy," where Tommy's mom (played by Ann Margret) loses her mind:

28D: ONION RINGS. This is probably my favorite side dish, especially if they are made with vidalia onions. My dad used to bring these home from Atlanta when he went away on business. The best onion rings I've tasted are from Bareburger. Their burgers aren't too shabby either!

The cryptoquote for today is from the Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 B.C.):

Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.

I know far too many people who do the latter. They just like to hear themselves talk.

Most of us know that Plato was a student of Socrates and founded The Academy, which was the most renowned school of ancient times. In turn, Plato's most famous pupil was Aristotle.His best-known work, The Republic, can be found on the International Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Republic, among other works, shows us the relationship between the soul, the state, and the universe. His teachings were a big influence on Western civilization and literature.

The JUMBLE had some tough words today. The picture shows four bats (as in the winged animals) hanging upside-down. The caption reads "The bat bar was becoming a popular _____."

Word List:

UGEGO = GOUGE
OSEHU = HOUSE
TENXET = EXTENT
NACDEN = CANNED

Scrambled solution: GUHOTAN
Solution: HANGOUT

I now leave you with the video of the "Batman" theme song. Till tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel.

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick