Summer is just around the corner and that means it’s time for the San Diego County Fair. This years theme is “Game on!” which will spotlight classic and nostalgic games and show how these have evolved over the years; from board games to video games and computer games, technology has enhanced the gaming culture beyond our dreams.
We recently had the pleasure of previewing some of the top fair foods this year during media day at the 2013 San Diego County Fair. We tasted some classic favorites like corn dogs to new items like bacon root beer. This year the SD Fair will host the Big Bite Bacon Fest, the first and only bacon event of its kind across the nation on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 16, 2013.
bacon root beer
Some of our favorite featured bacon items were: Deep fried bacon-wrapped pickles at Chicken Charlie’s, bacon root beer and some type of melted cheese-fried dough concoction at the Bacon A-Fair aka Heart Attack Café. We also tried bleu cheese burger (one of our favorites) at Grantburger. Rubicon Deli, one of our favorite delis in San Diego, had bacon sandwiches. For desserts there were bacon-covered maple glazed donuts and bacon flavored cotton candy from the Candy Factory.
Sloppy Joe on a Krispy Kreme donut.
Now for the classic fair foods. First up is the famous (or infamous) Chicken Charlie’s, known for their outrageous deep fried creations and this year did not disappoint. The new item this year is a sloppy joe with shredded cheddar and a Krispy Kreme donut as the bun. The sweet and spicy flavors make it an interesting and tasty treat. For the healthier conscious eater they have grilled chicken and vegetable kabobs and grilled teriyaki chicken and rice inside a halved pineapple. This little concoction will run you $12.95 if you choose to partake.
Next, we tried “The Ranch” which was serving up tri-tip and pulled pork sandwiches. Both were good and the BBQ sauce was tasty. We recommend this if BBQ is your thing. After that, we headed to “Bacon A-Fair”, where they were serving up wild boar kabobs, which were very good. The boar had a nice sweet marinade and a nice char to it. Chow it down with a chilled bacon root beer!
Bacon bleu cheese burger
Next was the fried seafood place called Pignotti’s. We tried samples of fried zucchini and fish tacos. The tacos were very good and are repeatedly one of our favorites at the fair year after year. Nearby was Grantburger which was serving up various types of hamburger samples throughout the night. The best was the bacon bleu cheese burger, and the “ghost pepper burger.” Most spicy enthusiasts know the ghost pepper as being one of, if not the #1 spiciest pepper in the world. Unfortunately, the ghost pepper sauce was not spicy at all.
Aside from the aforementioned vendors, we tried the usual dessert items such as the cinnamon rolls, Indian fry bread and funnel cakes which you really can’t go wrong with. Overall our top recommendations are the bacon bleu cheese burger from Grantburger, fish tacos from Pignotti’s, and the bacon-covered maple glazed donuts.
What are some of your favorite fair foods? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a FREE pair of tickets to the San Diego County Fair*!
The 2013 San Diego County Fair runs from June 8 through July 4 (closed Mondays, except July 1). For tickets and event information please visit their website at www.sdfair.com.
*Open to San Diego residents only. Must be 18 and over to enter. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends on June 10, 2013 at noon. Winner must contact us within 24 hours of notification, otherwise a new random winner will be chosen. By accepting the prize, the winner acknowledges that Blue Book Publishers Inc., have neither made, nor are in any manner responsible or liable for, any warranty, representation or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to the prize or to any portion thereof.
