RESTAURANT ROUNDUP:

Remember back in spring 2003 when many Americans were so upset with the French for not supporting the invasion of Iraq that several restaurateurs, including the cafeteria for Congress, decided to rename French fries “freedom fries?”

My, how times change.

Arches restaurant owner Dan Marcheano seems to be so taken with French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s work as a global mediator (from the Russian-Georgian conflict to now the Middle East violence) that “freakin’ fries” are off the menu at the Arches and it’s back to French fries.

Oh, and don’t forget French bread, toast, onion soup, bread, dip — you get the picture.

“Basically we’ve forgiven the French. I like the new president,” Marcheano said, laughing. “I forgave a whole country. I just gave them my blessings.”

And there was plenty of French champagne available for New Year’s Eve revelry, but Marcheano couldn’t keep that off the menu for long anyway.

“For awhile I took out all the French champagne, but my customers were howling. I only did that for six weeks,” he said.

Of course, it’s all in jest. During these tough times, a sense of humor is a must, Marcheano said.

“In these times you need to be able to giggle and laugh,” Marcheano said.

— Paul Anderson