The Texas State Fair

Like the state of Texas, everything must be done in proportion to its size.  The state fair is no exception.  It is big!  It is definitely one of those events that you need more than one day to take in.  We were there for about seven hours (mostly eating) and I think we only took in half of the fair.

Of course I went solely to embark on a deep fried extravaganza, and it didn’t disappoint.  Food was everywhere.  You definitely need to bring you appetite and a lot of money.  I ate six different things and got three drinks, so I probably blew through seventy bucks.

They had you typical fair food, but the Texas fair seems to be a breeding ground for unique items you can throw in the deep fryer.  They had deep fried Coke, Beer, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, meatballs, cheesecake, butter, pineapple upside down cake, and pumpkin pie, to name a few.

I was hungry when I got there so I wanted something that kind of resembled a lunch.  A lady at the AAPC seminar yesterday told me about a walking taco, so I decided to try that first.  A walking taco is basically beef, cheese, lettuce, onion, olives, sour cream, and guacamole, thrown into a bag of Doritos.  Very good!

Walking Taco

The second thing I got was called a donkey tail.  Not made from a real donkey, it was actually a beef frank and cheese wrapped in a soft tortilla shell and deep fried to perfection.  You could get it with chili but I was still reeling from the walking taco, so I chose not to.  Next year, I will.

Donkey Tail

Another thing I got was the deep fried pineapple upside down cake.  Pineapple upside down cake is my favorite, so you with think a fried version would be heaven.  Well it was.  Like deep fried Kool-Aid, it is kind of misleading.  Actually it’s just a slice of pineapple dipped in batter, fried, and served with whipped cream and a cherry.  You don’t get a whole lot, but it is good.

Deep Fried Pinapple Upside Down Cake

The deep fried pumpkin pie was true to its name.  Essentially pumpkin pie filling rolled in cinnamon, dipped in batter, and served with whipped cream. YUM!

Deep Fried Pumpkin Pie

It was getting later in the day, so I felt I needed some semblance of real meal. I decided to get the deep fried grilled cheese sandwich which was perfection on a plate.  Cheesy goodness served with a pickle, potato strings, and a tomato soup dipping sauce.  Wonderful!

Deep Fried Grilled Cheese Sandwich

By night fall, I was feeling hungry again, but I decided to end my gastro adventure on down note and stick with more familiar fare.  I settled for a cheeseburger and cup of Shiner Bock.  The cheeseburger was delicious and was great top off, to an awesome day.  I can’t wait for the fair next year.  I’ll go more than once and brings twice the money.

I didn't get this, but this is deep fried pizza.  Looks delicious.