The OC Fair concessionaires have yet again outdone themselves this year, creating some of the wildest, wonderfully weird edible concoctions you can imagine. With the OC Fair running until Aug. 17, I made a beeline to Costa Mesa on opening day to dive in and sample some of the annual fair’s most recent offerings.
To be clear: I neither hit every single vendor, nor did I sample every single item. With roughly 80-plus food vendors, that would be a Herculean task, taking more days than I have and, quite possibly, my life. Instead, I strategically hit about a dozen spots, tasted one or two items at each. From that culinary journey, I’ve narrowed it down to seven of my favorite eats.
7) Candied bacon pork belly bites at Fun Biz
For sheer, unadulterated audacity, Fun Biz’s candied bacon pork belly bites effortlessly earns a spot on this list. While certainly not the most nutrient-rich option, these glorious chunks of bacon-wrapped pork belly chunks (similar the equally delicious ones you can find at OC Fair’s Bacon Nation) were the perfect savory and sweet kickoff of the festivities. They’re incredibly rich, too, so grab a friend or four for sharing, and, but of course, they come atop a bed of fries.
6) Pepper-jack cheese on a stick at Crunchfield
You will find two iterations of skewered cheese on this list. The one found at Crunchfield, a 60-year-old concession that’s been in the same family since its inception, stood out as one of the gastronomic highlights of the fair. Chalk it up to nostalgia, zapping me back to my youth at the Mission Viejo Mall, which used to have a Hot Dog On A Stick. Chalk it up to my exhausted palate craving simplicity. Chalk it up to the culinary Americana of battered and fried cheese. Whether at a mall’s food court or wandering the fair grounds, cheese on a stick, that unsung hero of showy fair food, rarely ever misses.
5) Bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers at La Mexicana
These somewhat spicy, grilled jalapeño poppers covered in a thin piece of bacon provided the perfect foil for the creamy cheese stuffed inside. Bonus points for the smokiness that grilling lends the poppers.
4) Pickled Dr. Pepper at Chicken Charlie’s
Outlasting the finicky world of viral trends, pickled Dr. Pepper, a combination of the popular soda, actual dill pickle slices and a splash of pickle juice, has made its return to the fair. The seemingly bizarre yet spot-on sweet-and-briny soda seems to work well at the fair. Would I order this at an establishment outside of the OC Fair & Event Center? Probably not. But here at the fair, among the rides and fried everything, it just hits right, kind of like how tomato juice becomes oddly appealing on domestic flights.
3) Barbecued turkey legs at Backyard BBQ Village
The massive barbecued turkey legs at Backyard BBQ Village offered a simple taste of succulent dark turkey meat, free of any bacon wrappings or other viral trappings. The perfect bite for those who prefer their protein fare unadulterated and dripping with paleo swagger.
2) Mozzarella meatballs on a stick at Chicken Charlie’s
The other cheese-on-a-stick contender on my list benefits from a major upgrade thanks to the addition of meatballs. Chicken Charlie’s new mozzarella meatballs on a stick is exactly just that: three tender meatballs and three pieces of mozzarella, all skewered, battered and fried golden brown. The result wasn’t nearly as heavy or rich as I expected (at least by fair food standards), offering a textural variety that made it a joy to eat. I hope to see this dish become a permanent fixture on Charlie’s menu.
1) Chocolate-vanilla swirl at Fruit Caboose
The champion. The absolute winner. My unexpected favorite. After wading through all sorts of zany concoctions like bacon cotton candy and funnel cake à la mode, the chocolate-vanilla swirled soft serve at Fruit Caboose was the palate cleanser I didn’t know I needed. It was (stay with me here) like a yuzu-thyme sorbet palate cleanser at the end of a Michelin-star meal. I moseyed up to this concession stand and opted for the classic combo. While the cone reminded me of any fast-food soft serve, it drove home a simple truth: sometimes, in the midst of an overstimulating event filled with lights, rides and bellowing crowds, the simplest treats are always the best.