Falafel is always appropriate, being deep fried, but it is not always available at a Chicagoland Taste Of (insert town here). Actually, Lombard “cuisine” has mostly disappeared from the Taste Of Lombard in favor of fair food, classic as well as nouvelle cuisine de festival. At first I was disappointed, but then I realized you can get good junk food in this town any day, but you can’t get nasty, greasy, yummy funnel cakes.
Spit-roasted hog. They have it at one festival we go to every year, and I look forward to it for the entire time in between! (Sadly we can’t afford to go this year, but since that’s because we’re coming to the USA and I get to try some real US barbecue, I’m prepared to make the sacrifice!)
I once had a roasted turkey leg. Between every layer of meat, I was pulling out white cartilage or bone things that it finally occurred to me appeared to have been ingrown ossified feathers. Was I right about that & did I get a freak one or is that how they are?
On one hand, it was good. On the other hand, it turned me off getting any more in the future.
To the OP, Fireman-Fried Fish & Methodist-made donuts. No other fried fish or fresh donuts will do.
A big shout-out to funnel cakes from here as well. Mmmm … love that powdered sugar.
For those of you extolling the tasty virtues of the corn dog, for the last couple of years my Iowa State Fair priority has been … the corn brat. A delicious bratwurst encased in that fried corn batter. Oh my goodness, that is tasty.
The Iowa State Fair also has several booths across the fairgrounds that serve up freshly baked chocolate chip cookies … either a cup or a bucket full. Just the smell of those alone is enough to raise your cholesterol.
The pork chop on a stick. Fried Oreos (those are g-double O-d good). Cheese curds, that squeak when you bite 'em. Pork loin sandwiches.
It’s a good thing I spend the entire day walking around the fairgrounds while I nosh, or I would likely weigh 400 pounds. 
Corn cakes with mozzarella cheese between them. I dunno what they are called and I dunno if they have them in fairs all over the place, but where I live the line is often a block long for these.
Also funnel cake.
Rib Eye Steak Sandwich from the Cattle Producer’s place.
Pork Chop from the Pork Producer’s place.
Roasted Corn on the Cob from the… roasted corn place.
Those are the must haves. Add on a corn dog, fried vegies, fresh made chips, Italian sausage sandwich… and a bite or two of my kids funnel cake/elephant ear (I don’t have a sweet tooth).
Wash it all down with a Lemon Shake-Up
does anyone remember that thread some guy posted on here about getting into an argument with his wife over her defrosting a “special” chicken he had bought 4 of and were only available for a short period of time each year… I believe it was at some type of fair…
I would like to try one of those chickens…
Corn dogs are my favorite. Arepas are good too.
Oh, I forgot johnny cakes.
At my county fairgrounds, we have a permanent pioneer/settler village. At the gristmill, there is a constant line for their freshly fried (in cast iron skillets over a propane stove) johnny cakes, made from the corn they grind for demonstration. Not fancy, but yum.
Frito Pie (a small bag of Fritos, slit open diagonally- pour chili in, top with chopped onions and shredded cheese). Food of the Gods, man.
The absolute best Muffaletta I’ve ever had is to be found at the Texas Renaissance Festival. I wish I could make that sandwich at home.
Growing up in New England, we just called this “fried dough”. Not as euphonious, I admit, but certainly clearer. I never heard it referred to as “funnel cake” until I got to Ontario.
None of this is intended to diminish its deliciousness!
Funnel cake… mmmmm… :drools:
Elephant ears and deep fried cheddar cheese.
Funnel Cake with Ice Cream and Strawberries…
Dear Mr. Uncle Jocko,
Please allow me to make your formal acquaintance. My name is Sir Mmbombo Arthur Alexander Markdash, and I am a wealthy entrepreneur here in my home country of Nigeria. I am interested in your so-called “Corn Brats” and would like to humbly propose an arrangement of making business together. With your aforementioned approval, I would like you to purchase 500 of these Corn Brats at the fair of your Iowa, and mail them directly to me by means of international courier transport. In order to achieve speedy shipment of these products, I will send you a cashier’s check in the amount necessary to purchase these items plus a “finder’s fee” for spending as you choose.
I look forward to our business dealings and hope to hear back from you soon.
Yours forever,
Markdash
I’m not a huge fair food fan (I can never seem to find the good stuff), but I love the ice cream that the NC State dairy sells at the NC fair. Unfortunately, they serve huuuuuuge portions and no one in my family can agree on a flavor for sharing, so we all have to get our own (which is a problem I guess I can live with).
When I was a kid, my favorite thing was the maple candy shaped like little maple leaves that they sold at our county fair.
Those corn brats sound awesome.
Turkey leg!
Not the same thing. Funnel cakes are made from batter, not dough. They’re called that because you pour the batter into the oil through a funnel, making a squiggly curlicue sort of shape. Fried dough is probably more like what we called “elephant ears” when I was growing up (though around here, for some reason, they’re called “scones”).
Back when I used to judge the homebrew competition at the local Ren Faire, my favorite food was the roasted garlic. One honking large head of garlic, with the top chopped off, roasted and served with crusty French bread. So delicious. The only downside was you couldn’t be around other people, pets or sensitive houseplants for a few hours afterwards.
Hasn’t changed since I was seven: Those Little Donuts at the PNE. (Though they will really always be “Tom Thumb Doughnuts” to me.)
Even standing in line waiting your little paper pocket of piping hot sugary bliss was a joy - watching the ingenious little machine crank those little babies out is hypnotizing, and still gets “Powerhouse” (from the old WB cartoons) running around in my head.
Grill idea. Did they peel any of it, or did the paper burn off?