The Red River rivalry is back. This weekend, No. 1 Texas State will face off against No. 18 Oklahoma State in one of the most intriguing games in college football.
But the real battle in Red River this week may not take place on the field, but at the State Fair of Texas itself. This year's menu includes some great items.
What will the staff here do? SB Nation What are you most excited to try? Let's find out.
And if any of you are heading to the State Fair of Texas this weekend and try one of these, let me know how it went.
Fatty Bacon Pickle Fries – Mark Schofield
You see, there are many things on this menu that scare me. As one of the older members of the staff here… SB Nation There are several items on this menu that you will be worried about surviving.
For example, “Dickel's Triple Meat Big Buck Snack” is likely to end in a disapproving cardiologist visit.
But one dish I'd love to try someday is the Fat Bacon Pickle Fries courtesy of Isaac Russo of Taste of Cuba LLC. From the description:
“These deliciously perfect dill pickle slices are battered and fried until golden brown. Lightly dusted with a spicy ranch pepper seasoning, they're finished with a touch of heat for perfection. As if that wasn't perfect enough, this masterpiece is topped with thick-cut caramelized maple bacon chunks, sour cream, jalapeños, and chives for an explosion of flavor.
You gave me “a ladle of queso slightly heated and blended to perfection,” but you gave me “chunks of caramelized bacon with thick slices of maple.”
Please register.
Island Rumble – Jared Mueller
You see, there are so many things on this menu that excites me to no end. Barely younger than Mark, I have no doubt that many of them would have pushed me to the brink of diabetes, but nothing beats the level of amazingness.
For some reason, I kept coming back to Island Rumble, even though the sweet treats were so delicious. why? Because unlike other bowls, Rumble's base is macaroni and cheese. It's not rice. It's not noodles. It's not acai. Not some kind of lettuce.
Mac and cheese.
On that:
Juicy, flame-grilled jerk chicken to perfection, marinated in our signature pineapple-rum jerk marinade. Served with tangy homemade pineapple pico salsa and flavorful spicy jerk crema, you'll be transported to a tropical getaway with every bite.
Choosing protein-rich options will make you feel a little healthier, but you also know you'll need that energy to get around the rest of the fair. Thankfully, I'm so full that I don't want to eat anything else I'll be missing out on by choosing to participate in Island Rumble.
Pork Belly Ceviche Tamale — Matt Warren
If I had to choose just one thing, I would choose the meal menu over the dessert. That's how I roll. I'm a big fan of many of the meats on the menu, but for some reason the plantains on this menu spoke to me. The crispy pork belly and the different textures throughout this dish are really interesting. As someone from New York, it's no surprise that I lean toward Mexican food.
Caramel Macchiato Fritter — James Deiter
I'm generally not a big fan of sweets and usually aim for something savory, but this one was just calling my name. My favorite dessert is affogato. This is a surprisingly simple, high-quality vanilla ice cream and espresso shot. Coffee is great after a meal, hot or cold.
This Texas State Fair dessert took it to a whole other level by putting caramel chunks inside the beignet and giving me a coffee syringe to inject the espresso into the bowl. I'm here for every element of this interactive dessert. Let's be honest, you'll need a lot of caffeine (or get drunk) to deal with the state fair crowds.
Very Berry Coconut Puffairy — David Fushiro
Whenever I go to a fair, I always wonder about dessert. I like flavorful options and anything with meat on a stick is always an easy winner, but a quality dessert is fair to me. When in doubt, choose the fried dough option. But when I looked at the Texas State Fair's menu page, I discovered seven desserts that included whipped cream. I love all kinds of desserts, but whipped cream is a must for any sweet treat.
In this case, I excluded it because it contained caramel. I couldn't get into caramel like some others. Once I got over that, it was easy to win. This dessert started with a “delicious lemon pound cake” and you guys got me there. Lemon is my favorite dessert option. Hello.
