Tying on the feed bag at the county fair
When the fair comes to town, it’s a golden opportunity to try out some unusual foods. The Orange County Fair opened last weekend in Costa Mesa, so on Thursday photo editor Raul Roa ventured out to see what gastronomic delicacies he could find. Read on:
With a roster of some 99 food and drink vendors, hungry fairgoers have a lot to choose from at the Orange County Fair, from the usual hamburgers, hot dogs and lemonade to more exotic foods like frog legs and fancy drinks covered with edible glitter.
One of the stands with the most unusual foods is the classic Chicken Charlie’s, whose owner has invented a variety of fried foods. Deep-fried Oreos were introduced in 2001 by Charlie Boghosian, also known as “Chicken Charlie” or “The Man Who Fries Everything.”
But not only does Boghosian offer Oreos and a Krispy Kreme doughnut triple cheeseburger, he also sells about 10,000 servings of frog legs during the monthlong event.
Boghosian said he has been plating up the farmed delicacies for 20 years. “They are one of the top sellers for us,” he said.
The frog legs come deep-fried in a thick batter and served with a slice of lemon, a packet of tartar sauce and a mountain of fries. The amphibian meat delicacy tastes and even looks much like chicken. And a serving of three pairs was enough to satiate the palate.
Other items popular with visitors included the peach passion fruit lemonade that is served on a large glass rimmed with edible glitter and topped with edible flowers and mint at Bangin Berries. Vendor Desteen Stroh said the drinks are very popular with guests. Her stand also sells a variety of chocolate-covered fruits and candy.
At the Snax Shack, Marco Resendiz, 38 of Whittier, ordered a fried Gansito, a Mexican pastry like a Twinkie but covered in chocolate and filled with strawberry jelly.
Juan Sierra from Ten Pound Bun showed off a large slice of sourdough bread slathered with Nutella and topped with bacon. The sweetness of the snack was obvious to the olfactory senses.
Rochelle Rivera, 30 of Huntington Beach, said she wanted to try the pastrami on the cheese garlic sourdough bread.
“It’s actually very good,” she said, after taking a bite out of her sampler.
Nannette Ancheta, 41 of Lakewood, said she has been a very satisfied consumer of the Australian battered potatoes for more than 10 years. “They’re my favorite food to get,” Ancheta said.
At Noel’s Mexican food, the fried avocado tacos seemed to be popular along with the chicken chipotle fries. The avocado tacos are served just like Baja-style fish tacos, except without fish. They include sliced cabbage, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, a special chipotle sauce and chipotle chili powder.
Other items that can be found readily available are the always-popular bacon-wrapped turkey legs, grilled corn on the cob and a variety of foods for vegetarians as well as carnivores.
For details on the food stands, visit the O.C. Fair website, ocfair.com, under the food vendor list. As the site says, “You know you want it if it’s fried, wrapped in bacon or sprinkled with sugar.”
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