Observer Food Tournament will be ...

... about (drum roll please) french fries!

Send me your favorite fry place by Feb. 16. I'll scout possibilities and begin the tournament with 16 contenders, which will be whittled down week by week with a combination of taste-testing and voting (details to come).

The champion will be announced to coincide with the NCAA basketball championship. Previous years' winners: Moosehead Grill for wings and Luigi's for pizza.

NOTE: This is not a voting stage; it's just a call for suggestions on places we should try. The voting comes later. You can comment on this post, e-mail me at hschwab@charlotteobserver.com, tweet @helenschwab (be sure to use the hashtag #helendining), leave a message at 704-358-5250, or drop me a line at Helen Schwab, Charlotte Observer, P.O. Box 30308 Charlotte, NC 28208-0308.