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A few weeks ago Wendy raved about the food at the Austin City Limits Festival, particularly Frito Pie. I too have become a fan of Frito Pie, albeit a version topped with BBQ chili. Recently I learned that one vendor at the 2007 State Fair of Texas has put yet another twist on this classic by relying on that age-old fair food technique of deep frying.
Fernie's Fried Chili Frito Burrito consists of a flour tortilla stuffed with chili and Chili Cheese Fritos and then deep-fried. I didn't even know Chili Cheese Fritos existed. I wonder if they're available outside of Texas. The Frito scoop came to my attention by way of a blog by Dallas Morning News reporter Katie Menzer who's covering the event until it ends Sunday. Appropriately enough her blog is called Our Fair Lady. Keep reading to find out about more newfangled fair fare. Deep frying various items at state and county fairs is a tradition as old as funnel cake, but it seems to me like the Texas imported some folks from Scottish chip shops to come up with some of these bizarre offerings.
First up are deep-fried peppermint candies, a would-be treat that Menzer gives a mixed review. Deep frying renders the mints gooey and the whole thing has an intense peppermint flavor. Her verdict: "I'm proud to say I tried it, but I wouldn't eat it again." If any fry cooks from the fare are reading this, here's a tip why not try dropping some Altoids in that hot fat.
What you see here has been dubbed a Donkey Tail, which was created by Ruth's Tamale House. It's a beef frank that's been slit and stuffed with cheese, then ensconced in a tortilla, and, you guessed it, deep fried. Menzer gives the taquitoesque treat a firm thumbs down because hers spent a little too much time in the fryer giving the tortilla a rock-hard consistency. 
Also in the mutant Mexican food vein is the Choco-Rito, which as you can tell from the name is a dessert. Imagine stuffing a flour tortilla with marshmallows, coconut, candy, caramel and cinammon. Then dip the whole lot in pancake batter and fry it up. For some reason this reminds me of a sweet version of SNL's Pizza-crepe-taco-pancake-chili bag. It gets a big thumbs down because it tasted like bitter chocolate and coconut and was overfried.
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10-19-2007 @3:51PM wintem01 said... Chili cheese fritos are available here in Ohio. Love 'em. Never thought of putting actual chili with them before. Don't know why. Could be outstanding.
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10-19-2007 @4:13PM Mia said... Og course Chili Cheese Fritos are available outside Texas. We have them in Missouri and I remember having them in Ohio. They are SO addictive.
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10-19-2007 @4:49PM Nick said... Heck, Sonic has had the non-deep-fried version of that (with plain Fritos) for years:
http://www.sonicdrivein.com/menu/wraps.jsp
I can only have one a year or so -- after I eat one, I can tell my body gets very disappointed and upset with me. For good reason.
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10-21-2007 @8:06PM rckymtnski said... The chili cheese Fritos are available in Colorado too..but no one has been brave enough to serve them up like they do in Texas!
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10-19-2007 @7:15PM alosha7777 said... hubby (texan) loves frito pie, but I think even he would object to having it deep fried in a tortilla.
and chili cheese fritos are in every store I go to here in southern california as well.
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10-19-2007 @7:14PM Jessica said... Oh my word-- chili cheese Fritos are INCREDIBLE. The best snack food I've ever had, easy.
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10-19-2007 @10:06PM jim_rock said... Chili Cheese Fritos are the characteristic food of stoners and fatties here in Columbus, Ohio. So like EVERYONE is eating them.
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10-19-2007 @10:49PM EF said... I only eat Chili Cheese Fritos anymore. Really good with a schmear of cream cheese.
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10-19-2007 @11:47PM thefishie said... Yup, Chili Cheese Fritos have been available in Arkansas for a few years I think.
Sonic seems to have phased out the Frito Chili Pie, but on occasion the Frito Chili Wrap is available. I'm with Nick on this one. I can eat one a year then my body lets me know all about why it's a bad idea to eat those things. They do taste good though.
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10-20-2007 @3:09AM Silver_Potato said... Chili Cheese Fritos isn't anything new, I was eating that back in Los Angeles in '92.
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10-20-2007 @11:57AM Wendy Buckley said... Joe,
This is amazing(the drool bucket is out). I haven't been to the State Fair for a few years, but Texas always does it right when it comes to calorie-laden deep-fried goodness!
Nick, your sonic post fills me with angst, as there isn't a Sonic anywhere close to D.C. Unfortunately I'll have to wait until Christmas to experience Texas cuisine again. Woe..es..me. :(
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10-20-2007 @4:56PM Jeff Heise said... Why am I reminded of the Saturday Night Live commercial parody "Taco Town," in which they wrap tacos in flour tortillas, a crepe, chocolate-chip cookie dough, a pizza and then deepfry it all with a ton of salsa?
Actually, Carls Jr. out here in SoCal has a breakfast sandwich which (I think) tops this, called-wait for it-the Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich! It has bacon, sausage, egg, hashbrowns, catsup and I think some form of mayo. It is the most disgusting looking thing and having tried a bite of one, a food item that you can happily feel your arteries clogging in real time. I thought the McDonalds griddle sandwiches were too much until I ate that.
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10-21-2007 @12:45PM destro said... Taco Bell used to have chilli cheese frito burrito's a few years ago.
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10-22-2007 @8:51AM Christy said... The reason the foods are so wild is because there's a contest every year for most creative/unique/unusual. The crazier the better. Almost all of the ideas come from the same small group of vendors. Most fair-goers don't eat that crap; the booths are most always without a line.
Chili cheese fritos are a guilty snack. I've enjoyed them since I was a kid. So they've been around for about 20 years.
Read the DMN blog. Other wacky fair food being sold was fried coke (back from last year) and fried guacamole.
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10-23-2007 @12:01PM Jim said... heh - I love this site! At least once a week, a post will say something like "I didn't even know [obvious food item that everyone else in the world has known about for years] even existed!". I'm waiting for the "I didn't even know they had GRAPE jelly now!" post.
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10-31-2007 @12:42AM Zoe said... These dishes are looking awesome, My mouth is pretty watering now, stores to buy my favorite food items are Bostonmarket, Schlotzskys and Panerabread.com at CouponAlbum.com..
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11-26-2007 @2:27AM Kevin said... Wooh, these are looking yummy, my mouth is pretty watering now..Mostly i buy my delicious food products on Bostonmarket.com, Schlotzskys and Wholefoodsmarket stores at CouponAlbum..
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