State Fair---The Food, Part I

Today I went to the Texas State Fair.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  The weather ranged from sunny and warm, to sunnier and hot, though it was never terribly hot.  I preparedly had put on sun screen and wore sunglasses and a straw cowboy hat, all of which helped save the day.  

I had started planning for this excursion with the intention of sampling all eight 2008 Big Tex Choice Awards Finalists in the food category.  Last night I printed a map of the fairgrounds with big red dots and numbers where those foods are located.

I met my friends in the parking garage of my old store, then drove us all the 2.7 miles to the fairgrounds.  After a quick entry to the parking area and a short wait in line at security, we were in!  All the fair was before us, and it wasn't even 10:30 in the morning yet.  

Most of the food vendors weren't open, but we all were very hungry, arriving at the fair knowing we would want to eat a lot.  I bought $40 worth of coupons, telling myself that I was going to eat until I burst.  We checked out Big Tex (more on him tomorrow), and walked around a bit until we found a Fletcher's Corny Dog stand.  See my beautiful, smokin' hot corny dog and Dr. Pepper below.

We sat for a short while and finished our corny dogs.  Then one of my friends had a conference call to be on, so my other friend and I moseyed around the Cotton Bowl (picture tomorrow) in search of the food item I was most excited about....CHICKEN FRIED BACON!!!  We found the stand and waited in line for about 5 minutes to get some which we then brought back to our other friend.  See below for my catch.
I have to say that I was bitterly disappointed in the chicken fried bacon.  All that hype with nothing to substantiate it.  It really didn't have any kind of taste.  A healthy dose of cracked black pepper and some salt on the bacon before frying it would have worked wonders.  Oh well.  For a short while the breeze gently blew bitter disappointment at me.
After visiting some of the buildings and exhibits (again, more on that later), I found the Fire & Ice stand.  I'm all for deep fried pineapple ice cream, but as you can see above, there wasn't any ice cream to be found.  Instead the 'dish' consisted of battered and fried pineapple chunks covered with strawberry sauce, whipped cream, and powdered sugar.  I had a couple, shared with my friends, then promptly threw it all in an obliging garbage can.  

Curses!  The State Fair food gods are conspiring against me.  How can it be that 2 out of 3 dishes thus far were sub-par?  Is it possible that I am too picky?  Have I too much of a refined palate?  Read on, o excitedly drooling one, read on... 

Up next is a delicious little creation known as Fernie's All-American Fried Grilled Cheese Sandwich.  We waited in another longish line, though not too long.  Forget the tomato soup dip (yuck!), just sprinkle a bit o salt on these tasty sandwich bits, and you've found grilled cheese mecca.  This was, by far, my favorite food item of the fair.
Now, if you pair that with a traditional funnel cake (after all, who doesn't like fried batter topped with powdered sugar?), and what we have here is a complete fair meal that covers the two main fair foodgroups:  fried and sugary.  Boy howdy, we finished off all of the sandwich and all of the funnel cake, youbetcha.

And that brings Food--Part I to a close, my dear readers.  Stay tuned for tomorrow's installment of Food--Part II whereupon I go in search of Fried Chocolate Truffles and Jelly Bellys and run screaming from the creepiness that is Big Tex.

Until then, remember to get yer friendly on.

Good hair to you.