An every year tradition since I was a child was going to The Orange County Fair. This occurs once a year during the summer for about a month long. The epitome of completely fried junk food. This year there weren’t too many different items as in previous years they had fried butter, the continuous Krispy Kreme Fried Chicken Burger, a dill pickle inside a hot dog fried corn dog style. One thing about me is that I’m willing to try pretty much anything and everything.
Chicken Charlies which is the most popular booth at the fair with several large stands always creates the crazy new item of the year. This time around, they offered an Escargot & Caviar Doritos Nachos, Kool Aid Hot Wings, & Chicken & Waffles on a stick. With much curiosity I ordered one of each item, as well as a Sierra Mist to wash down the heartburn I was about to incur.
The Escargot & Caviar came in a Doritos bag, filled with nacho cheese doritos, cheese sauce, green chile’s, black caviar, and fried escargot(snails). I was a little skeptical to try this, however this took me by surprise, the chips were still crisp, the cheese/chile sauce very smooth, the escargot was fried to perfection and extremely tender. The only thing I would’ve done without was the caviar as it gave too much of a salty bite to things. If you’re daring and willing, this is definitely worth a try!
Kool Aid Hot Wings, sounds interesting but hey why not?! The Wings were drenched in this pink/red colored glaze on top of a bed of crispy fries. The chicken was cooked perfectly, still moist, but with a perfect crisps outside. The glaze itself, there was nothing hot about the wings, yet a purely sweet fruity glaze. Would I order this again, probably not, but you’re at the fair and it doesn’t hurt to be adventurous, unless you have a sweeter palette than this may be for you.
Chicken & Waffle on a Stick were skewered chicken tenders with a waffle batter cooked in & around it. The waffle was nice and fluffy, I wish it had more of a crisp texture, but the flavors were nice with a good hint of cinnamon. The chicken itself was moist, however the crispy texture of the batter did not hold up. This was dusted with powdered sugar and a side of maple syrup. I actually enjoyed this and it was the one dish my friend and I actually finished.
Onion Blossom is a yearly tradition I have to get, a whole onion cut into a pedals, battered, & deep fried. This is served with ranch and is always cooked to perfectly, make sure you share this with at least four people because it’s a large serving!
You see smokers and grills everywhere at the fair so I had to order a Tri Tip Sandwich, the meat was smoked and cooked just right between a medium/medium rare, with a light touch of bbq sauce placed on a soft roll. Bbq is a must order at the fair, including the infamous turkey leg. I just wouldn’t suggest the bacon wrapped turkey leg as the saltiness between both will leave you wanting to jump into a pool of water.
Mexican Funnel Cake, imagine a platter of churros in a circle with several loops stacked on a plate, dusted with cinnamon sugar. You do have the option of having whipped cream & strawberries, and they do offer free chocolate & caramel syrup you place drizzle yourself. You will probably see every other person at the fair ordering this for a good reason, a bit oily but hot and fresh. I would recommend the whipped cream & strawberries to balance the richness of this fried dough, and the sweetness of the cinnamon sugar.
If you want a fun night out with friends & family, I would highly suggest The OC Fair as it only comes once a year. Your waistline can afford a night off to gorge on the guilty pleasures they have to offer. Share with me your experience and what you’ve ordered at the fair as I do plan on going back just one more time before it ends!
OC Fair – 88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 – Contact – 714.708.1500