Every year the OC Fair rolls into town and it never disappoints. Being an Orange County kid, I remember many summer nights at the fair with my friends scarfing down ice cream cones, taking pictures in the photo booths and going on the rides. It had been a few years since I visited the ol’ OC Fair and since the Englishman has NEVER been, it was only appropriate that he got the full fair experience this year.
Naturally this post is going to focus on the (fried) fair food since Sweet Potato Bites is a food blog after all, but rest assured there was plenty of exhibit viewing, carnival fun and people watching. But since the theme of the fair is Let’s Eat, let’s get down to the good stuff.
I’m not the biggest fried food fan (and since I found out about my food allergies I tend to avoid it all together) but since the fair is KNOWN for fried specialties such as fried Snickers, frog legs and ribs (yes, ribs), I had to at least take a baby bite of everything. Fortunately, the Englishman was all game.
First Up: Fried Kool-Aid Balls
As weird as this sounds, it was actually not that bad! Once you got past that odd pink color, it basically just tasted like a fried sweet dough ball. People were ordering these by the plateful.
Next: Fried Twinkies
I opted out of this one, but the Englishman thought it was alright but a bit bland surprisingly enough. He did enjoy the Strawberry jam topping however.
Last: Fried Potatoes
These bad boys were fried in peanut oil (score for me), so I got to partake in some fried potato goodness. They were crisp, a bit greasy, and fair food perfection. Every now and then it’s good to be reminded of what old school potato chips/fries taste like.
Not Fried But….
After watching Nathan’s Annual 4th of July Hot Dog eating contest, the Englishman naturally had to try one of these hot dogs out for himself. The verdict? It was delicious! Victory for Nathan’s and all those hot dog eating fans out there.
Other eats that were consumed include a berry bowl and a way too sweet lemonade. But you can see those items any day, hence, no photographs.
Overall our day at the fair was a big success! I’ll definitely be coming back next year…I have my eye on a Nutella Crepe that is calling my name.
Live in the OC? Catch the fair until August 14th. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.