Wonderfully Awful: County Fair Delicacies!
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a blogumn by Robin Rosenzweig
I just returned home from lovely Del Mar, California after spending three glorious days at the San Diego County Fair, and can now state with confidence that the county fair as it currently exists may stand alone as the singularly most Wonderfully Awful way to spend a day (or weekend). Now, before you all smack me upside the head with a deafeningly loud collective “DUH”, let me just back this up by saying that it’s been a good five plus years since I’ve set foot at a county fair. Prior to that, I was an annual attendee of the Big Fresno Fair. I still own a roller skate belt buckle that I picked up at that very fair that provides way more significance in my life today than I ever could have imagined when I paid $13 for it back in the ‘90’s. That said, I think the fair has changed a bit since then. Or maybe I should say the food has changed. Mutated. Become freakishly insane. Yeah, that about covers it.
Note the nurse with a defibrillator on the sign. She should not be ignored.
My memory of fair food is that although one could expect everything to be deep fried, it was still normal food being deep fried. Fried chicken and fried zucchini and the like, joined by your standard corn dog and funnel cake fare. Now it’s like some kind of contest to come up with the most frightening deep fried culinary creations possible. The giant Charlie’s Chicken stand, aside from offering up fried chicken and waffles, boasted some of the most interesting dessert options at the fair, including deep fried Klondike Bars and Pop Tarts. But after walking down another couple of booths, I stumbled upon the inarguable king of the deep fried creations – FRIED BUTTER.
Yeah, I said it. Fried…butter. Deep fried sticks of butter. Now, I’m not much of an adventurist when it comes to food, so I didn’t try it. But my fiancé is far braver than me and couldn’t resist the lure. Apparently you have several sweet or savory options when it comes to how you can get your fried stick of butter. The fiancé chose to have his covered in an unhealthy dose of whipped cream. I’m surprised they didn’t offer to just inject a syringe filled with fat directly into his arteries. Deep fried fat, that is.
By the by, when it comes to the fair, if it ain’t deep fried, it’s on a stick. And there are plenty of somethings-on-a-stick available to the fair-going public. I do think I understand the reasoning behind it. Fair attendees are a walkin’ crowd, and they don’t have time to sit down and eat their meal. So if it’s on a stick, people can enjoy it while they’re walking. That said, I’m not sure a pork chop-on-a-stick is any easier to eat than a pork chop on a plate. Same with pizza-on-a-stick. I think there are just some foods that don’t need to be stick-a-fied. But it sure is entertaining when they are.
On a side note, for those who just don’t care about whether or not they survive the fair, I suggest trying the Coronary Combo consisting of the deep fried butter and chocolate covered bacon. Not for the weak of heart. Come to think of it, you probably ought to get a thorough physical before even setting foot at your local county fair. But if everything checks out, enjoy all the gut-busting, deep fried artery-destroyers-on-sticks that your aching little heart can handle!
Deep Fried Butter Photo Credit: It’s Holly (click on pic for more info)
My blood got thick just thinking of deep fried butter. Did you fiance enjoy it? Did it taste like fat, dipped in fat, covered in fat?
My blood got thick just thinking of deep fried butter. Did you fiance enjoy it? Did it taste like fat, dipped in fat, covered in fat?
Chocolate covered bacon sounds amazing. Whole Foods has a chocolate bacon bar, but it only has tiny pieces of bacon bits in the chocolate, just enough to give you that salty flavor. But a whole slice of bacon dipped in chocolate? Wow.
Chocolate covered bacon sounds amazing. Whole Foods has a chocolate bacon bar, but it only has tiny pieces of bacon bits in the chocolate, just enough to give you that salty flavor. But a whole slice of bacon dipped in chocolate? Wow.
The chocolate covered bacon was awesome. I wasn't brave enough to get the chocolate dipped pickle. Uh uh. Not the butter either. I was suffering enough from that zucchini weenie and that sweet potato dog. I think even I – she of the corn dog tattoo – have to agree after this that some things just don't need to be impaled on a stick.
The chocolate covered bacon was awesome. I wasn't brave enough to get the chocolate dipped pickle. Uh uh. Not the butter either. I was suffering enough from that zucchini weenie and that sweet potato dog. I think even I – she of the corn dog tattoo – have to agree after this that some things just don't need to be impaled on a stick.
What did the deep fried butter taste like?
Robin, I think you're going to have to actually go to the LA County Fair and taste the deep fried butter, so that we can get an answer to this question.
What did the deep fried butter taste like?
Robin, I think you're going to have to actually go to the LA County Fair and taste the deep fried butter, so that we can get an answer to this question.
I ate the following: chocolate covered bacon (and got a 2nd carton to go), zucchini weenie (poorly executed), sweet potato dog (which necessitated a glass of $1 milk to calm the stomach acids), the most outrageously overpriced ear of grilled corn (sauced in a yellow liquid substance), deep fried klondike bar (for the win!), deep fried Oreos (good if you love Oreos, which I do not), and a chicken kabob (on a stick, of course).
There were a few moments when I felt overwhelming food guilt, but then I would see a person so fat it would make my mouth hang open in wonderment which made me feel just a little bit better about myself and my food choices as a lifetime whole.
I really want to try a deep fried klondike bar now. But why oh why didn't you sample the fried butter? We're so curious about that!
I ate the following: chocolate covered bacon (and got a 2nd carton to go), zucchini weenie (poorly executed), sweet potato dog (which necessitated a glass of $1 milk to calm the stomach acids), the most outrageously overpriced ear of grilled corn (sauced in a yellow liquid substance), deep fried klondike bar (for the win!), deep fried Oreos (good if you love Oreos, which I do not), and a chicken kabob (on a stick, of course).
There were a few moments when I felt overwhelming food guilt, but then I would see a person so fat it would make my mouth hang open in wonderment which made me feel just a little bit better about myself and my food choices as a lifetime whole.
I really want to try a deep fried klondike bar now. But why oh why didn't you sample the fried butter? We're so curious about that!