2016 OC Fair Food Must Try List

The OC Fair is back and bigger than ever, this year we have some new creative dishes that will make you once again dread visiting the scale.

Use this handy map to find your favorite food vendors

Chicken Charlies

Locations: Plaza Pacifica (near Kiddie Carnival) and Main Mall (two locations)

Chicken In a Waffle on a Stick

An interesting spin on chicken and waffles. Two big chicken tenders, on a stick, are deep fried and cooked in middle of a giant waffle. This mobile creation is served with syrup. I recommend you order extra syrup and a side of butter, as it is a little dense.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Leg

Chicken legs are wrapped in bacon, dredged and then deep fried up. The baconized legs are crispy on the outside, crunchy, and super juicy when you take a bite. The dish is served with crispy French fries.

Top N’ Go Doritos

An interesting creation by Chicken Charlie, high-end ingredients on a bag of grab n go Dorito chips. This Breakfast at Tiffany’s creation comes in two versions: Black Tide and the Surf N Turf

The Black Tide

Doritos topped with deep fried escargot, cavier, and drizzled with nacho cheese….you so fancy!

Surf N Turf – Grab N’ Go Doritos

Doritos topped with deep fried lobster nuggets and steak, plus a drizzle of cheese nacho sauce.

 

Pineapple Express Pineapple Bowls

These dishes have been around for a couple years, both worth a try.

Also at Chicken Charlies, try the Kool-Aide Chicken Wings

Bacon-A-Fair

Location: Plaza Pacifica

Pepsi Cola Donut Dog

The Pepsi Cola Donut Dog is a larger than average hot dog. It is marinated in Pepsi, grilled over wood, slid into a gooey frosted long john donut, and topped with grilled peppers. This dog is bringing sexy back to the fair.

French Toast Bacon Bombs

Tom’s Foodie Blog #2 Top pick

The gold standard for fair food is a paradox of sweet an salty coupled with altering textures layers of crunchy, doughy and gooey in a single bite. The French Toast Bacon bomb nails this standard to the wall, back hands you, and then calls you Sally. Cream cheese is frozen, covered in dough, wrapped in bacon, deep fried crispy, and then rolled in cinnamon sugar. The bacon and dough is crisp and oozes molten cream cheese when you take a bite.

Biggy’s

Location: Main Carnival

Bacon Wrapped Pork Belly Dog

Hot bacon on bacon action on a stick. Hot smoke rendered pork belly is wrapped in two feet of bacon and then cooked  crispy over a wood fire grill.

Deep fried pork belly corn dog

A slight variation, the same bacon wrapped pork belly is dipped in corn dog batter and deep fried crisp.

 

Pickle O’Petes

Location: Kiddie Carnival

Pickled Cheese on a Stick

A fair-ishly freak creation from Pickle O’ Pete’s is their Pickled Cheese on a stick. A large pickle is hollowed out,  filled with cream cheese, dipped in a corn dog batter, and then deep fried. When the pickled cheese on a stick it is hot, the cream cheese is gooey and the pickle is hot. This dish sounds completely wrong, but it tastes awesome!

Pickle Fries

Pickle fries are always a great standby. If you like fried pickle chips, then pickle fries might be just right for you. Pickle spears are dredged in batter and fried crispy. These are best when they are hot out of the fryer, so order a “Fresh” batch.

While at Pickle O’ Petes, I also recommend the Bacon Nutella Pickle 

Pink’s Hot Dogs

Location: Centennial Farms

Pinks Hot Dogs have consistently produced some unique hot dogs year after year. They are always one of my planned stops at the fair; this year they have two cinematic inspired dogs.

Daenerys Mother of Doggies

The heat from this hot dog will leave your tongue wagging, not from her nude scenes, but from the heat of the hot dog. This hot dog creation is an ode to one of the best television shows Game of Thrones and yes books to my geekier comic con attending fans. The best character in the series is the white blonde Daenerys Targaryen, who is quite the tart. She wields the power of fire breathing dragons to slay her enemies.

The hot Polish dog is heavily laced with red chili and drips juiciness with each bite. It is topped with kraut laced sour cream, bean sprouts, onions, and dots of Sriracha. If you like spicy, I dare you to eat the entire dog. If you kinda like spicy, then I suggest you share her with a friend…safety in numbers

The Lord of the Rings Dog

The Lord of the Rings Dog is very approachable and easy to eat. A traditional hot dog penetrates through an orgy of four crispy beer battered onion rings and is drizzled with a sweet bbq sauce. This was one of my favorite creations, because the crispiness of the onion rings is a great contrast to the snap of the natural casing hot dog.

Tasti Burger and Tasti Chips

Location: Livestock Lane

Bacon Cheddar Brat Burger

If you like bacon, burgers and Octoberfest, then the Bacon Cheddar Brat Burger is for you. A cheese burger is topped with bacon, cheese sauce, bbq sauce, sausage, a delicious mystery sauce and all served on a fluffy pretzel roll. Achtung Lieber! Wunderbar!

All American Reuben Burger

The All American Reuben fulfilled all my desires of a Fair burger, by combining a burger with Swiss cheese, corned beef (the sexiest of the salty meats), and of course a fried pickle. This is a hefty burger and will surely make you bust a gut… I recommend you share this burger with hungry friends.

Tasti Chips

Tasti Chips are always one of my favorite dishes at the fair. The potatoes as sliced and deep friend before you and they come out piping hot. Try the with Classic Cheddar Bacon Sprinkled with Garlic Parmesan Cheese.

Texas Donuts

Location: Main Mall

S’moreo Texas Donut

If you don’t have diabetes (or borderline), then I recommend the S’Moreo Texas Donut. Texas Donuts takes their bigger than a baby’s head glazed yeast donut and covers it with chocolate, graham crackers, jet-puffed marshmallow cream and a whole lot of love.

Other 2016 OC Fair Food Pick Recommendations

• Deep-Fried Pizza Log at Apple Fries
• Diabilito Sundae at Fruit Caboose  – flavor of tangy Tamarindo and hot chili chamoy sauce.
• Dole Whip – The dessert made famous at Disneyland is now at the OC Fair. WOOT!
• Bacon-Wrapped Baked Potato – Baked potato wrapped in two pounds of bacon!
• Bison Burger at Juicy’s
• Lasagna Sandwich at Pignotti’s Pasta
• Oreo Churro at Dutchmen’s Funnel Cake