This is not only not a comprehensive look at the 2023 State Fair Food Offerings, it is also not objective or even fair. Just reflections from YA and me.
Don’t Bother
Cheese Curd Dill Pickle Taco. Sounds good on paper but dill pickle ends up taking away from the cheese curd taste. It also made the fried taco shell really soggy really fast.
Sweet Corn Ba-Sant. Marketed as a cross between a bagel and a croissant with a creamy corn custard, this didn’t live up to its hype. Not a lot of custard and if there was corn in there, I couldn’t tell. A little dry.
At Least Once Every Year
Sweet Martha Cookies. Get these early (so you don’t have to wait in a long line) but only get what you think you (and any companions) can eat before the day is up. Wonderful when warm but “meh” if you still have some around the next day.
Pickle Pizza. So much better than you expect. White sauce, garlic, dill and then the sliced pickles. Not an every day taste, but fun at least once.
Hot Honey Cheese Sticks. Strips of fried Haloumi cheese slathered with a hot honey sauce (and for some silliness, a sprinkle of honeycomb cereal). Hot sauce on cheese might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it didn’t keep YA and I from having it for breakfast more than once.
Yes Yes Yes
Roasted Corn. Fabulous as always. Perfectly roasted, dipped in melted butter, salt and pepper. What more is there to say?
Cheesy Siracha Bites. Little ball of dough, deep fried and then covered with cheese, green onions and chives. Served with a siracha sauce that is the perfect hot/not too hot blend.
Hawaiian Shave Ice. Still the best way to cool down on a hot summer day. Biggest shave ice on the fairgrounds. I always do cherry and orange.
Sota Sammie. Grilled sandwich with peanut butter, almond butter and fresh blueberry jam. Sounds good and tastes even better.
Deep Fried Blueberry Pie. Really, how can you go wrong with this. Freshly fried blueberry hand pie with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream. This vendor added a cookie dough version of the pie this year but both YA and I say “why mess with perfection”?
Wedge-Hammer. Refreshing combo of orange juice, lemonade, ginger and a splash of lime. Not too sweet so just right for sipping in the sun.
Birthday Cake Mini Donuts. The big surprise of the year, this new concoction turned out to be great! The donuts themselves were a little fluffier than the usual mini donuts, doused with a cinnamon sugar mix and then drizzled with icing and sprinkles. It was the consistency of the donuts that really made this a winner.
There were plenty of other foods and beverages over the visits we made, but we decided these were the highlights.
Can you stomach carnival/fair food? Any favorites? Any really NOT favorites?