The Big E, or Eastern States Exposition, represents all six states in New England: Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. In 2017:
Each time I think I’ve seen everything that can be deep fried, deep fried, some intrepid state fair purveyor surprises me. This time? It’s V-One Craft Cocktail Bar’s Deep-Fried Martini. “Few have ever described it as ‘good,’” writes a reporter for MassLive. “But it is an ‘experience.'” Varieties include appletini, piña colada, and chocolate highness.
Fried Mac & Cheese Balls with Bacon are simple, croquette-style balls of mac ‘n’ cheese, deep-fried, and smothered with more cheese and bacon.
Prefer another geometric shape for your carb craving? Try Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese in a Cone!
Another conical creation, Waffle Chicken Bites from Deep South Company takes popcorn chicken covered in waffle batter, deep fries it, and serves it in a waffle cone with a maple mustard sauce for dippin’. The portion sizes offered at the fair were even bigger than pictured, according to MassLive.
Broadening our choice of shapes, Storrowton Soup Shack serves its soups in big ol’ bread bowls. On offer are cheeseburger chowder and a zucchini soup. Hot soup on a scorching summer day may be counter-intuitive, so some soups will be served cold. Please tell me that doesn’t include the cheeseburger chowder…
One of my new goals in life may be to eat a food at a restaurant named for that food. These cinnamon rolls from the Cinnamon Saloon could take me one step closer to that nirvana.
Another dream-maker are tots from Tots-a-Lot. Two of the topping options are Loaded Tots (cheese sauce, bacon bits, chives, and sour cream) and Chicken Tot Pie (chicken pot pit filling spread atop the tots).
Classic to the Big E are these Cream Puffs. It’s a dense puff of buttery pastry with sweet cream filling.
Conversely, a state fair spin on a classic food is to offer caramel apples with toppings like Oreos, kettle corn, M&Ms, and Reese’s candy.
The Pork Palace offers this BBQ Sundae. Says one reviewer, who itemized it in the above picture: “Each layer is another peek into the wonders of barbecue.”
First seen as a Thanksgiving monstrosity, it’s now state fair offering: The Turducken Sandwich is a patty of chicken, turkey, duck confit, and sausage cornbread grill-seared and served between a grilled cheese sandwich. Adding to the Thanksgiving feel is the sandwich’s cranberry aioli spread.
Moo-Licious offers this Moo-Nut, an ice-cream filled donut turned into a sundae by your choice of toppings. “It’s exactly as good as it sounds,” writes one reporter, who recommends opting for chocolate ice cream and peanut butter cups for garnish.
Mmm… Pizza burger.
The Flatliner Burger is a double cheeseburger so drowned in chili, cheese sauce, French fries, and bacon that it has to be held together with skewers. I submit to you America’s new national anthem.
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