The 2009 San Diego County Fair, Part Two

mmm-yoso is the blog written by Kirk and ed (from Yuma) and Cathy, who is today's blogger.

Well, we finally made it to the Fair.

The Theme this year is "Music Mania" and the entrance gate is decorated like an old jukebox.

Don Diego, the Official Greeter is more advertising that the Fairgrounds may be sold to a private owner if the current fiscal situation in our state is not cleared up.

Inside, the Fairgrounds look the same as always.

All of the traditional County Fair events are happening.

The beef cattle, which will be up for auction on July 4 along with the dairy goats (although the kid born at the beginning of the Fair will not be sold just yet) and pigs and sheep were available for purchase if you did not want to bother with the auction.

(If you want to know auction details, send an email or comment below)

 The Preserved foods, as well as the baked goods, which were all judged before the Fair opened, were on display  with the ribbons  that were awarded.

Interesting tidbit- every morning there is a job of cutting away mold or slime from the baked goods on display. 

When entering items, at least six cookies and whole cakes and loaves of bread are entered for judging.  By the end of the run of the Fair, there are many signs indicating the item was 'too good to last!'...really though, it molded away.

Now, why you are here (on the blog).  Food.  Go to this building, which houses the "Designs in Wood" entries.

Yes.

Go on.  It's $4.75

The small 'leftovers' box is pulled from the freezer.  It contains three strips of dark chocolate covered bacon.
 

This was by far my most favorite item here.  The bacon is thick and salty and cooked well.  The dark chocolate, frozen, compliments the saltiness.  It was the perfect treat.

The fried cheese curds ($6) were lightly breaded in a garlic powder crust and had a nice crunch. 

The cheese was squeaky and good.

The char broiled corn is always good.

 

The Midway is a maze of gadget selling booths.

There is a plethora of tempting sights, smells and sounds.

 But I was here.  And I had to.

Look at the top ad, next to the Frog Legs, which "taste like chicken".  Yes.  A Zucchini Weeni.

$4.75. 

Good idea.  Poor execution.

I admit I have *never* had a corn dog in my life.  The batter on this was not corn though.  It was donut batter.

The hot dog really had no flavor and all of it needed to be dipped in the ranch dressing to have any flavor. 

I had such hopes for this weeni...

Instead, go next door for a "Texas Twister"

A deep fried skinned sausage deep fried with a twist of potatoes. ($8)

Much more flavorful.

Other things we bought included gelato, inside the Bing Crosby Hall.  excellent. (Small, $4)

The Indian Fry Bread- strawberry cheesecake.  Fresh fried bread topped with whipped cream cheese, strawberries and whipped cream ($6.50)

One chocolate and one vanilla cream puff.  ($3 each).  They make the pastry in the booth daily and the filling is real whipped cream.  This is the only "have to" item I get.   I can't get this fresh anywhere else all year.

Artichokes on a stick satisfy that salty craving I have. ($6)

As does Pizza on a stick.($4)

The Footsie Wootsie machines are scattered everywhere and still only 25 cents for a few minutes of unusual pleasure.

Enjoy the Fair.  It closes this Sunday!

Website Opens 11 a.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends. 

Comments

[nhbilly]

Take it easier their before you induce the readers with some kind of coronary attack ;-) Wow looks way better than the OC Fair and the Houston Fair I've been too. I mean in terms of the food selection. I'm all about the food :-D

[RONW]

The deep fried sausage with a potato spiral really intrigues me. A wow for the rest of the post.

[ed (from Yuma)]

Some of that food is scary. I hope you didn't eat all of those things on one afternoon.

[Carol]

I think I just gained 10 lb reading the post, lol! I agee that the potato weener skewer thingy looks very interesting. Too bad that zucchini weenie wasn't that good, bummer. The batter looks too thick. Maybe if they had used something lighter, it probably would have been better. And maybe a firedog or something. Too bad.

[Cathy]

The San Diego County Fair is the 5th largest in the United States, Bill. Pretty major and very well organized. I didn't show a lot of the food, but if you look at prior posts, I have shown a variety over the years.

Thanks,Ron. It was good. The potatoes were crispy.

Hi,ed. There were three of us. Yes, it all was consumed by us on the same day.

Hey, Carol! I forgot to show the 10 pound bread loaves! They use that same batter on everything for that booth...the fried chicken, the deep fried White Castles, the deep fried Twinkies, the deep fried Spam...But the oil is not intermingled. I would be able to taste that.

The breaded zucchini by itself would be fine...but that hot dog did nothing for me. I so wanted to like it.

[Tracey]

I tried the deep fried s'mores this year, and I'd say they were pretty good. The "Kookie Cookie" scared me... two oatmeal raisin cookies, cream cheese & strawberry jam, and chicken. Woah.

[meemalee]

If they had Texas Twisters in this country, I'd be dead by now ...

Anyway - this is for all of you to thank you for mmm-yoso:

http://meemalee.blogspot.com/2009/07/one-lovely-blog-award.html

[cathy]

The s'mores were going to be "taste tested" by me this year, Tracey, but I kind of was sugared out. I had the chicken on a jelly Krispy Kreme last year and liked it. Cookies plus jam just seemed too much of a sugar rush to me...but perhaps next year. I do not crave sweets. At all.

The deep fried goodness, crispiness and spice was very nice, meemalee. Thank you so much for the mention. I'll tell Kirk. We do post It's trying to write creatively about some meals that sometimes takes a while...

[elmomonster]

This is awesome...I think I heard that the zucchini weenie is going to be at the OC Fair this year too. Now that my expectations are in check, I actually might enjoy it. DONUT BATTER?!?!

[cathy]

Hi Elmo. It isn't cornbread batter and I know that is what people expect (even though I have never ever EVER in my life had a corn dog) and it isn't like a beer batter that I have had on seafood. If you peel it off and eat it, try the texture...put powdered sugar on it...It is just donut batter. Enjoy your Fair- and all the reasons why we have a County Fair.

[Eat. Travel. Eat!]

Amazing food! I haven't been to any of these big county fairs in years. (that rhymes...). Never have seen a Texas twister before- I wonder how they prepare it.
I like how all the whipped cream is so nicely piped onto the desserts. They look picture perfect, especially those cream puffs.
And donut batter on a "corn dog"? That is interesting. Never have heard of that before.

[cathy]

It seems there are all kinds of deals to get you to take a "Staycation" close to home and in your own county this summer, ETE. Look for those and get in as inexpensively as possible, so you can try some tasty (and maybe some not so tasty) treats.

The Texas Twister is deep fried on the stick; I watched but did not photograph the process.

The cream puffs are all that booth does (although they started making eclairs this year I see...) so the pastry is fresh and then real whipped heavy cream. They use a container kind of like *$ uses with a wider tip. So fresh and perfect!

Yeah...it isn't a corn dog. At all.