State Fair’s Sporkies celebrate weird food (not all of it on a stick)
The Wisconsin State Fair is known for animals, yes, the giant slide and, of course, the weird food.
For the latter, start stocking up on Pepto now, because this year is going to be a good one.
There are so many bizarre foods to try, it’s hard to prioritize. That’s where the Sporkies come in.
The Sporkies are a food competition among Wisconsin State Fair vendors; the winning Golden Spork — to be chosen on Aug. 8 — goes to the vendor with the best weird food item
Disclaimer: The Sporkies are sponsored by the Journal Sentinel and judged by food editor Nancy Stohs. Other judges include former Packers player LeRoy Butler, “Around the Corner” host John McGivern and Milwaukee radio personality Steve Palec.
Monday, the Wisconsin State Fair announced the eight finalists vying for the trophy.
Category is ... on-a-stick realness
Food on a stick. It’s so handy. It implies that the item is fried, which is always good. It’s ideal for multitasking: You don’t have to stop exploring the Mile Marketplace just because you got food. The Sporkies have two finalists that are “on a stick.”
Meat on meat on meat … on a stick. That’s right. Water Street Brewery’s Deep Fried Turducken On-a-Stick allows hungry state fair-ers to sample the famed Thanksgiving entrée without the commitment to the entire turkey-duck-chicken combination. This app doesn’t stop with the meat, though. Water Street Brewery adds homemade stuffing to the meat mixture and slathers the entire thing with WSB Amber beer gravy and Wisconsin cranberry sauce.
It’s not soup per se, so don’t get too excited. But Slim’s PBR Park does take the flavors of the best soup in the world, fries and (obviously) puts it on a stick. French Onion Soup On-a-Stick is caramelized onions mixed with melted Swiss cheese (fried) and comes with a side of onion au jus.
Strange desserts
Brew City’s Pig Candy Cannoli is a finalist, to which you may be wondering: What is pig candy? It’s candied bacon.
Yep. It’s four pieces of candied bacon, rolled up to look like a cannoli. Also rolled up to hold stuff inside it. Stuff like a cheesecake filling. The whole thing is then topped with more candied bacon.
It’d be disappointing if there wasn’t a beer-related finalist for the Golden Spork. The S’mores Beer Float from Slim McGinn’s Irish Pub combines Point Brewery’s Milkshake Malt Porter beer with Cedar Crest Chocolate Marshmallow ice cream. The rim of the plastic cup is dipped in chocolate syrup and graham cracker crumbs, and then topped with toasted marshmallows. Tastes just like the Northwoods.
Other weird fried things
There are two bombs competing for the coveted Spork, but don’t worry, they’re not dangerous (unless you can’t handle spicy food): WI Hot Chicken Bombs from Water Street Brewery and Saz’s Breakfast Bombs from Saz’s Taste of Wisconsin.
Saz’s bombs are complicated: French toast, but using bagels, filled with sweetened cream cheese and coated in lots of sugar. And then there’s also bacon. Oh, and a stick.
The WI Hot Chicken Bomb is actually a weird riff on Nashville hot chicken that includes a cheesy-mashed potatoes-corn-chicken patty that’s fried and then injected with gravy. I’m not done. Then the “bomb” gets dipped in hot sauce and topped with a pickle.
Albanese’s Roadhouse won last year’s Sporky with Spaghetti and Meatballs Mozzarella Sticks. This year, it’s back with Deep-Fried Spinach Lasagna Bites, which are fat noodles rolled with cheese and spinach, breaded and fried.
And finally, a very porky sandwich
Pork products make many appearances among the Sporkies finalists. But The PorkSTACKular from the Budweiser Pavilion out-porks even the Pig Candy Cannoli. It features a 1⁄3-pound pork belly patty that is topped with crispy bacon, fried pickles, Swiss cheese and a spicy honey sauce and is served on an onion naan bread.
The 2018 Wisconsin State Fair takes place at State Fair Park in West Allis Aug. 2-12.