Posted by The Diva | 1 Comment

State Fair affair

Yesterday marked my first trip to this year’s State Fair, and it was squeelicious! Weather was perfect, the rides were thrilling, and the food was … well, greasy, yummy fair food (case in point, my freshly fried jalapeno cheese corny dog that’s beating Big Tex over the head, above). Among the highlights: a cool coaster ride that was way more intense than it looked; a wonderfully air-conditioned greenhouse, right off the midway; giggling at the As Seen on TV sellers hawk their wares in the Embarcadero. As for eats, I just had the previously mentioned corny dog, sweet lemonade, fried chicken and a bite of this year’s Best Taste winner, fried Frito pie. Unfortch, the nibble I took from my friend James’ serving was high on the Frito, low on the chili — it looked and tasted horrid to me, but James had a different take. Read on …

This is James' fried Frito delight

Two Texas classic flavors meet to make one hell of a deep fried State Fair of Texas treat. Every year the State Fair of Texas announces its “Best Taste” award to one deep fried fantasy. This year the winner, for good reason, was Texas Fried Fritos Pie (TFFP).

Many first reactions are much like yours — which is, I assume, shock at the fact that they will find a way to deep fry anything at the State Fair of Texas. But TFFP really is one of those treats that truly represent what the fair is all about, giving in to the evil pleasure of the fried food.

Taste is right-on. The classic Frito pie has the perfect balance to complement the State Fair deep fryer. The chili and cheese stacked on top of the Frito makes for the perfect gooey deep-fried bite (Ed. note: Gross). Just do not expect a crunch from the Frito. It absorbs all the juicy goodness and combines with the batter. A couple friends noted a slight fried fish smell to the TFFP, but nothing so abrasive that it overpowered the palate. In my opinion, the best way to finish it off is with a huge gulp of watermelon juice.

In short, the TFFP’s two classic flavors make one great fair treat.

– James Casarez