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Carnival & State Fair Foods

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"
I might get banned from The Mess Hall for saying this, but I don't particularly like carnival/state fair food. Corn dogs are terrible, I don't like cotton candy, and I certainly don't want my Twinkie, Snickers bar, etc. deep fried. If there's a vendor selling Italian Sausage and peppers I'd get that.

I'd prefer to go to a festival celebrating a specific kind of food. There's a shrimp festival every year in Fernandina Beach and that's fun. Shrimp any way you want them.

That's why I haven't been to one in 20 years. If they had a shrimp fest or carnival, I'm in.

...still like dem corndawgs.
 
In western Massachusetts, there is a thing every September called the Eastern States Exposition, or "The Big E" is what the locals call it.

They have pavilions for each of the New England states and the pavilions specialize in the unique food of that particular state. They also have all of the regular fair food as well.

My favorites are:

Fried Dough - This is called different things in different places, but it isn't a funnel cake. It's a flat piece of dough that is dropped in the fryer and then dipped in butter. One then adds their choice of toppings like cinnamon-sugar, powdered sugar, etc. . .

Coffee Milk from Rhode Island and Maple Milk from Vermont - just like chocolate milk but with different syrups.

Lobster Rolls
Clam Chowder
Cotton Candy
Maple Candy
Kettle Corn
Frozen Lemonade
 
My favorites are:

Fried Dough - This is called different things in different places, but it isn't a funnel cake. It's a flat piece of dough that is dropped in the fryer and then dipped in butter. One then adds their choice of toppings like cinnamon-sugar, powdered sugar, etc. . .

Pizza Fritta.
 

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"
Why all of the sudden to I have a hankerin' for fried Oreo's.

$F5AGD12HABC7XWI.LARGE.jpg
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
^^^Cheese curds I've never had.
Not a state fair food, but you must try poutine. I fell in love with it when I spend 3 weeks in Montreal around Feb 2012. As to state fair food I am simple- I love corney dogs. The last time I went to a state fair was the Texas SF in 1993. I found the Hans Müller tent and gorged myself with sauerbraten and Spaten Octoberfest beer.
 

The Count of Merkur Cristo

B&B's Emperor of Emojis
Aaron:
$State Fair.pngIn 2013, the Mrs. and I went to the Louisiana State Fair (Shreveport, LA - 22 Nov thru 8 Nov 15),...and the food was awesome (just throw all your diets out the window: because State Fairs only come once a year)! :thumbsup:

We really liked the Crawfish and Crab Boudin $Crawfish and Crab Boudin.jpg,

Giant (slow-cooked), Pork Chops $Giant Pork Chop.jpg,

Southern Fried Frog Legs $Frog Legs.jpg and the Pecan Cretes $Pecan-Crete.jpg.

Read More: a) http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/10/best-food-at-louisiana-state-fair-slideshow.html# b) http://www.statefairoflouisiana.com/
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"[The State Fair]...a showcase of talent, [great food,] creativity and inspiration". Katherine Meade
 
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TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
I must admit that I do love a good corn dog with mustard. Yessiree.

But, oh, a shrimp festival would be a piece of heaven!

We also love going to all the ethnic festivals around here. It's nothing like a carnival with rides and all that, but the food and music are great!
 
We go to the South Florida Fair every year. This year, our favorites were ribs, corn on the cob, fried twinkies and red velvet funnel cake.
 
Like "Ollie4ISU" I do the Iowa State Fair (maybe every other year or 2 out of 3). My food routine is pretty much in the order below:


  • Fried Cheese Curds
  • Iowa Craft Beer Tent
  • Gizmo or Ginny Grinder (is a combo Ital. sausage/beef/Prov. Cheese/Red Sauce) sandwich
  • Iowa Craft Beer Tent
  • Nitro Ice Cream (ice cream fast frozen with Nitrogen, patented by ISU professors), awesome dense & creamy
  • Honey Lemonade from the Iowa Honey booth in the Ag Building (usually buy a couple of these at a time)
  • Iowa Craft Beer Tent, repeat, repeat
  • If I have room, then a corn dog or something else

I usually do some walking around between all of that :)
 
The last food that really stood out was deep-fried alligator on a stick at the Taste of Lombard, IL. Better than the gator I had at the fancy seafood place in Florida. We also have Ribfest in Naperville every year.
 

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"
Like "Ollie4ISU" I do the Iowa State Fair (maybe every other year or 2 out of 3). My food routine is pretty much in the order below:


  • Fried Cheese Curds
  • Iowa Craft Beer Tent
  • Gizmo or Ginny Grinder (is a combo Ital. sausage/beef/Prov. Cheese/Red Sauce) sandwich
  • Iowa Craft Beer Tent
  • Nitro Ice Cream (ice cream fast frozen with Nitrogen, patented by ISU professors), awesome dense & creamy
  • Honey Lemonade from the Iowa Honey booth in the Ag Building (usually buy a couple of these at a time)
  • Iowa Craft Beer Tent, repeat, repeat
  • If I have room, then a corn dog or something else

I usually do some walking around between all of that :)

:lol:
 

Y'know what strikes me about that picture? The vendor on the bottom right is selling elephant ears AND funnel cakes!!! That's unheard of. I grew up on elephant ears and never heard of a funnel cake until I moved away to college. Everyone who loved funnel cakes had never heard of an elephant ear. In all my travels I've never seen the two offered at the same time... It's ALWAYS one or the other.


BTW... elephant ears are much better, IMHO. And I can never seem to find them anywhere. Stupid funnel cakes have taken over!
 

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"
Y'know what strikes me about that picture? The vendor on the bottom right is selling elephant ears AND funnel cakes!!! That's unheard of. I grew up on elephant ears and never heard of a funnel cake until I moved away to college. Everyone who loved funnel cakes had never heard of an elephant ear. In all my travels I've never seen the two offered at the same time... It's ALWAYS one or the other.


BTW... elephant ears are much better, IMHO. And I can never seem to find them anywhere. Stupid funnel cakes have taken over!


Like this?:

$WA-State-Fair-Elephant-Ears.jpg
 
I've been going to fairs, festivals, and carnivals for many years.

I'll try anything once, twice if I like it.

deep fried butter
deep fried koolaid
fried ice cream burger
spaghetti and meatballs on a stick
chicken fried bacon
hot beef sundae
nutella funnel cake
deep fried pickles
 
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