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Fried Specialties’ Wild Creation is Chosen Winner of Fair’s New “Fantastic Food” Contest
How does a deep fried hot dog creation topped with a piece of chocolate sound to you? To a majority of the people who voted in the Fair’s recent Fantastic Food competition, it sounded, well, fantastic. The Fair’s first-ever competition among its food vendors to come up with something wild ended with Fried Specialties’ creation, the Heart Attack, running away with first place.
Here’s the description of the Heart Attack that was provided by Jim Hasbrouck, Fried Specialties’ creator and the mad food genius behind past sensations The Defibrillator and The Harvester: “Two Hoffman hots stuffed with chili and cheddar cheese and pickle wrapped in bacon and deep fried. Topped with cheddar cheese and jalapenos. Drizzled in chocolate sauce and served with a piece of Hershey chocolate. Served on a stick.”
Fair staff narrowed the 20 initial entries in the competition down to a final four, which were then posted on the Fair’s Facebook site for a public vote. The Heart Attack was a runaway winner, garnering 56% of the 650 votes for first place. In second place was new Fair vendor Babcias Pierogi’s Surf & Turf Pierogi: “Shaved beef, mushroom & onion filled pierogi, topped with grilled garlic shrimp & a basil parmesan sauce.” Chester’s Gators & Taters took third place for The MacAttack, described this way: “Double loaded bacon mac and cheese ribbon fries. Toppings Included and available are Bacon, Ranch, Blue Cheese, Sour Cream, Jalapenos, Chives, Hot Sauce, Extra Cheese.” The difference between second and third place was one vote.
The fourth finalist, Hasbrouck’s hot dog/ham/bacon/cheeseburger combo The Coronary, was ineligible for an award as competitors could win only one award. Vendors’ entries are expected to be available to Fairgoers. All 20 entries can be seen here.
Among the other entries: Deep fried bacon cheddar mashed potatoes on a stick; a State Fair staple, the sausage, pepper and onion sandwich, wrapped in a slice of pizza; a reuben burger; a pulled pork shish kebab sandwich; a deep fried strawberry and chocolate cheesecake bite; a deep fried banana split; a lightly alcoholic red, white and blue ice cream slush; everything bagel kettle corn; fried olives on a stick; and chocolate-covered strawberries dipped in waffle batter and deep fried.
Other New Foods
Other Fair food vendors came up with new creations that were not entered in the competition, including:
- Gilligan’s Ice Cream’s beer, wine and cider ice cream, available in the New York Wine, Beer and Spirits area on the Colonnade;
- New vegan items at Strong Hearts Cafe in the International Building, including their take on the iconic sausage sandwich, a Buffalo Philly cheesesteak and Korean BBQ sandwich using wheat gluten,a special new non-milk milkshake specially for the Fair, and more;
- Stuffed French toast at the Tikki Turtle;
- Daniella’s Steakhouse’s take on the iconic Hot Beef Sunday: The Tenderloin Tip Sundae, featuring tips, onions and mushrooms over mashed potatoes, topped with demi glace and onion straws;
- Kool-aid Pickles at Tommy C’s;
- Deep-fried Pop Tarts at Tootsie’s Fried Dough;
- Hofmann maple sausage at the New York State Maple Producers’ booth in the Horticulture Building.
Fairgoers can use the Fair’s online Food and Merchandise Finder to find specific vendors or search for types of food.
The New York State Fair, operated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, runs from August 22 to September 3, 2018. The Fair's mission, reflected in its theme, "FIND YOUR GREAT," is to showcase the best of New York agriculture while providing top-quality entertainment.
The home of the Great New York State Fair is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. A year-round schedule of events is available on the Fair’s website. Find The Great New York State Fair on Facebook, follow @NYSFair on Twitter, on Snapchat at nysfair and enjoy photos from the Fair at Flickr.com/photos/nysfair. Also, New Yorkers are invited to send their ideas for the Great New York State Fair at statefairideas@agriculture.ny.gov.
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