State Fair Fare

by Kat Kinsman, Posted Oct 12th 2007 @ 5:42PM

From AOL Body's Jennifer Fields

Every October, my family used to make annual trips from Oklahoma to Dallas the weekend of the big OU/Texas game. I hate football, so while my dad and brother cheered Big Red, the game provided ample opportunity for mom and me to sample the culinary delight that is the Texas State Fair.

This is the birthplace of the corny dog. That's a not a typo. Its proper name is corny dog and Fletcher's is the original and the best. It's the quintessential fair food and used to be my favorite thing until I became a vegetarian. Fortunately, here you can get anything fried on a stick, like the cheese dog. It's a bit of a misnomer because there's no dog. It's just mounds of cheese that are rolled in cornmeal and fried. It tastes best when dipped in honey mustard and washed down with an extra-sweet lemonade.

Next on my must-have list is Frito Pie at The Dock. If you're not familiar, it's chili, cheese and sour cream on a bed of Fritos. It's crunchy, salty, spicy and downright delicious. And of course, you can also find it fried.

The fair isn't complete without a little slice of heaven in the form of a mini sweet potato pie from Vern's. Some pie places use sweet potato filling, but this is the real deal – not overly smooth and with hints of cinnamon and cardamom. It's the perfect way to end a gastronomic tour of the fair. And yes, they serve it fried.

Take the State Fair Fare Quiz

Filed Under: Guilty Pleasures, Local Favorites