Dallas Life Newsletter

If the State Fair of Texas is known for anything, it's food.  Of course we can't be known for just any type of food.  It has to be fried food.  This is the annual extravaganza where we go in search of culinary items that were never meant to be fried and find some way to batter them before dropping them in a vat of hot oil.  Who could forget the Chicken Fried Bacon from 2008.  After all, who hasn't heard the complaints that bacon is just too healthy when prepared the traditional way or last year's winner for Most Creative, Deep Fried Butter.  In my mind, it could also have won Most Direct Way to Clog your Arteries or Most Disgusting Flavor to Put in Your Mouth.  However, it was creative enough to keep a line around the block day in and day out

This year we certainly had some interesting entries for the two top prizes in the coveted Big Tex Choice Awards.  For the 2010 contest, the prize for Most Creative went to Fried Beer, and Best Taste went to Texas Fried FRITOS Pie.

Fried Beer is a pretzel pocket filled with beer and then deep-fried until golden brown.  The idea is to bite into the pretzel pocket, releasing the beer as what they call a "dipping sauce."  Fried Beer is available from the two Belgian Waffle stands located either on the southeast corner of the Esplanade or inside the Coca Cola Food Court.  You must be 21 or over with a valid ID to purchase this item

Texas Fried Frito Pies are made by encasing a filling of chili and sharp cheddar cheese in a corn chip crust before lightly battering and deep frying.  You can find this treat at the Bert's Burgers and Fries stand in the Cotton Bowl Plaza near the entrance to the Midway.  At Bert's, they refer to their Texas Fried Frito Pie as a "smooth medley of hot meaaty, crunchy, salty, cheesy, oozing goodness."

The other six finalists are also available for purchase at the fair.  The Deep Fried S'mores Pop Tart, available at Taste of Cuba in the Cotton Bowl Plaza, is a pop tart made with chocolate, peanut butter, and "s'mores flavor," lightly batter and deep fried and then topped with chocolate syrup and whipped cream.  Those 21 and over can enjoy a Deep Fried Frozen Margarita, which is basically a combination of a margarita and a funnel cake served in a salt rimmed glass at the Desperados stand on Nimitz Drive near the entrance to Creative.  At The Dock Restaurant inside the Embarcadero Building, you can try Fernie's Fried Club Salad.  This is a deep fried wrap sandwich, made by surrounding ham, chicken, lettuce, carrot, tomato, cheese, and bacon in a spinach tortilla before frying and serving on a bed of shredded lettuce with deep fried sour dough croutons on a stick and your choice of Ranch, Thousand Island, or Caesar dressing.  If chocolate is your thing, visit Abel Gonzales on Nimitz Drive or inside the Midway for his Fried Chocolate.  This is a white chocolate mini candy bar and a cherry that have been stuffed into a brownie before being dipped in chocolate cake batter and deep fried to be finished off with powdered sugar, cherry sauce, and chocolate whipped cream.  At the Chicekn on a Stick stand near the entrance to the Embarcadero, you will find Fried Lemonade, a pastry made from Country Time lemonade, fried, and glazed with lemonade, powdered sugar, and lemon zest.  If you're in the mood for a Texas style bar snack, then head to Cotton Bowl Plaza, the Automobile Building, the Thrillway, or Big Tex Plaza for some Fried Texas Caviar, which is fried black-eyed peas "laced with special spices blended with Old Bay Seasoning."  You can get this snack in mild or spicy.

Of course, don't forget to stop by one of the many Fletcher's Corny Dog locations for the original State Fair of Texas fried food invention.

Aside from the Chevrolet Main Stage, you will find live entertainment included in the cost of admission throughout the fair.  There will be live bands, the Pirates of the Caribbean Dive Show, the Russian Bar Trio, and the Marine Corps Drum & Bugle Corps, just to name a few.

If the fair is all about rides and games for you, then be sure not to miss the Midway, featuring 70+ attractions, including the overhead Texas Skyway, the 212-ft Texas Star Ferris Wheel, and the historic 1914 Dentzel carousel.

If you are inclined toward a culinary appreciation, as many DLN subscribers tend to be, you won't want to miss the Celebrity Chef presentations in the Creative Arts Building.  Upcoming favorites include Joe Garza from The French Room, Keith Hicks from Buttons, Blythe Beck from Central 214, Grant Morgan from Dragonfly, and Tommy Simpson from AM/PM.  For the complete schedule, click on the photo above.