Fair Foods
What food isn’t better after a soak in the deep-fat fryer? To honor the importance of the fabulously fried on restaurant menus and dinner tables across Texas, the State Fair in Dallas holds an annual Big Tex Choice Awards, in which the Fair’s food purveyors compete in fabulous fried fare fabrication. The categories are Best Taste: Sweet, Best Taste: Savory and Most Creative—a category that allows for some truly inspired culinary constructions. Cases in point: winners Funnel Cake Bacon Queso Burger (2017), Funnel Cake Ale (2014) and Fried Bubblegum (2011). Pictured is Deep Fried Shepherd’s Pie by Clint Probst, a 2018 finalist for Best Taste: Savory.
How to enjoy: Visit the State Fair! Every dish that makes it to the finals is sold at the fair—as well as some popular nonfinalists. Also, head over to the Creative Arts Building during your visit to see what happens when you hand a sculptor 1,000 pounds of butter.