Hungry for more? Here are the Texas state fair food finalists
Diners, loosen your belts and start your engines: The State Fair of Texas debuted the finalists for its annual Big Texas Choice Awards, unveiling the top sweet and savory contenders ahead of the state fair's return this fall.
TEXAS (KXAN) — Diners, loosen your belts and start your engines: The State Fair of Texas debuted the finalists for its annual Big Texas Choice Awards, unveiling the top sweet and savory contenders ahead of the state fair's return this fall.
The ten finalists are competing for three top awards, set to be announced Aug. 22: "Best Taste - Savory," "Best Taste - Sweet" and "Most Creative." While only three can win, state fair officials said many of the sweet and savory concoctions can still opt to bring their treat as a new food item to this year's fair.
Dig into this buffet breaking down the Top 10 finalists.
Savory finalists
Five dishes will compete for the title of the best savory dish: the Dominican Fritura Dog, the Drowning Taquitos, the Hippie Chips, Hot Chick-in-Pancake Poppers and the Texas Fried Burnt End Bombs.
The Dominican Fritura Dog combines Dominican salami and fritura cheese before it's double deep-fried in corn dog batter. It's then topped with garlic plantain chips, Dominican sauce and cilantro.
"Hopefully, we're opening another avenue for people at the State Fair to try something they don't normally try," said Justin Martinez, creator of the Dominican Fritura Dog, in the release. "That's what the State Fair is about."
The Drowning Taquito, created by Tony and Terry Bednar, is prepared with corn tortillas stuffed with shredded chicken that is then deep-fried. The taquitos are topped with a cream sauce, jalapeño, guacamole salsa, shredded lettuce, avocado, tomatillo, pico and Cotija cheese.
The Hippie Chips, brought to life by Rose and Tom Deschenes, take potato chip nachos and add the customer's choice of ranch or blue cheese dressing before topping it with bacon bits, green onions and sriracha. Customers can also add blue cheese crumbles on top if they'd like.
If you like Nashville hot chicken and pancakes, then man, are you in for a treat. Palmer and Amanda Fortune's Hot Chick-in-Pancake Poppers combine hot chicken and pimento cheese into a ball before they're dipped in pancake batter and fried. Afterward, they're covered with a drizzle of Sriracha honey and a touch of hot powdered sugar.
Is it even Texas if there isn't brisket? The Texas Fried Burnt End Bombs, created by Nick and Vera Bert, wrap brisket in shredded potatoes, bacon and cheese before deep-frying the concoction. It's then topped with a raspberry chipotle barbecue glaze.
Sweet finalists
Y'all are going to go nuts over this one: Tami Nevins Mayes and Josey Mayes' Nevins Nutty Bar-laska takes a nutty bar and tops it with a toasted marshmallow, two Oreos, strawberry sauce and freeze-dried strawberry bits.
"It’s on a stick! What's more Fair food than that?” said Josey Nevins-Mayes, co-creator of the Nevine Nutty Bar-laska, in the release.
Rousso's Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick, envisioned by Isaac Rousso, combines thick-cut bacon with a cotton candy glaze, spinning the back inside a cotton candy machine to seal.
The Strawberry Pop-Tarts Beignettfle, created by Justin Martinez, marries a New Orleans beignet and waffle before adding homemade strawberry filling, vanilla icing, whipped cream and sprinkles.
Love pickles? Want 'em sweet? Then this dish is for you. Heather Perkins' Texas Sugar Rush Pickles takes cotton-candy-flavored pickle slices and tops them with Lucky Charms, Froot Loops and Cap'n Crunch before sprinkling in cotton candy, cotton candy sugar crystals and powdered sugar. The dish is then topped with strawberry sundae syrup and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Finally, Binh Tran's Tropical Two-Step Punch evokes remnants of paradise with citrus, passionfruit and mango flavors. The thirst quencher is offered in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.
The State Fair of Texas runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 20 at Fair Park in Dallas. More details on the 2024 fair, including how to purchase tickets, are available online.